Business Networking: Creating and sustaining mutually beneficial relationships between business owners for support, education and sharing of leads. The two types of leads shared are prospects (people the business owner wants to do business with) and centers of influence (people who are not prospects but can refer them).
In the age of Do Not Call restrictions that has just about
eliminated cold calling, Business Networking is the best way to
generate well-qualified professional referrals. Most people think that
networking is simply handing out their business cards at a Chamber of
Commerce event and saying, "Call me if you know anyone who can use my
services." (Not very likely to happen, which is why most people don't
get business who do that.) Instead, it's developing partnerships with
people who get to know you, like you, trust you, and understand who
you're looking to meet -- and vice versa. It's a process that takes
time to develop.
I have my coaching clients who go to Chamber events ask to exchange
cards with people they hit it off with in a synergistic profession.
For example, I have a lot of financial advisors who meet CPA's. When
they get back to the office, I have them invite the potential business
networking partner to get together in the following manner: "Nice
meeting you yesterday Mr./Ms. CPA! Let's get together for
breakfast/lunch/coffee. I'd like to find out more about your CPA
practice, share more about what I do and see how we might be able to
help each other -- what's your schedule like?" Who can resist a
sincere invitation like that?
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Posted by: Bicycle Trailers | November 23, 2010 at 01:57 AM