Archive for November, 2005

Making your idea or business proposition clear to others

Tuesday, November 29th, 2005

What do you do to make sure that the point you’re trying to make, or the business proposition you want to present, is as clear and as compelling as possible?

How do you make sure the other person understands the value of what you have to offer?

Have you been wondering about this? Well, I’ve been thinking about it quite a bit, after a recent experience at a networking reception.

A gentleman was introduced to me at a reception I attended a few weeks ago. He started the conversation by saying that he’d been wanting to meet me in person.

He got my attention right away!

He went on to say that he’d met with a couple of other Chapter Presidents of our professional association, and had presented his new product to them. These Chapter Presidents had been very impressed with what they had seen and wanted to find a way to make this product available to their Chapter members. As a Chapter President myself, would I be interested in finding out more about his product?

I was intrigued.

I asked if he had actually done a demo of the product to these other Chapters. He said he had. And since he was based in the area, he would be willing to do the same for us.

I was ready to schedule a time to talk with him further at a later time.

However, at that moment, he started telling me more about his product. As he went into more and more detail, my attention started fading. And as he described how our Chapter members might use the product, I remember thinking that his assumptions about our members and the nature of their businesses weren’t all valid. I couldn’t see them using the product the way he thought they might.

But I didn’t correct him. I did not want to engage in this detailed conversation at this reception! I wanted to catch up with people I hadn’t seen in a while — that was my agenda for the evening.

By the time we ended the conversation, most of my original interest for his product was gone.

As I thought about this interaction later, I realized that this person would have had a much more positive and powerful impact, if he’d simply asked for an appointment to talk further at a later time once he saw my interest. And at this other appointment, he could have found out more about our members, and asked to present at one of our Chapter meetings.

Then he could have really impressed the whole Chapter with his audio-visual presentation!

So what can you learn from this anecdote about how to present your idea or business proposition more effectively?

Well, when you’re presenting to someone, whether it’s an individual or a group, here are some questions to consider:

  • Whom are you talking to? Why might they be interested in hearing what you have to say? How can you make sure you have their attention?

  • What is your main objective for the conversation or presentation? In other words, what do you want to get out of it? And what do you want the other person(s) to do with the information you give them?

  • What is most appropriate time and place for the type of conversation you want to have? If you dont’ know, how can you find out?

Think about it. See how your responses affect your conversations and presentations.

For more details, click here.

Till next time,
– Sri

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Generating more referrals

Tuesday, November 22nd, 2005

Have you ever wondered about how you can facilitate and speed up the referral process, to get more referrals?

Interesting question. Since I hear this question often, I’ve been studying this topic by observing people around me, including subscribers like you. (Ha! Didn’t expect that, did you?!)

Well, when you signed up to receive the “5 Simple Ways to Network Successfully” program and these weekly articles, do you remember me asking you for referrals?

Since you considered these free business networking resources that I was offering to be worth your time, it’s very likely that your business associates would feel the same way too. Yet, only a fraction of the subscribers actually do tell their business associates about it.

Why is this?

Well, if you were one of the people who chose NOT to tell your friends and business associates about these free resources, what prevented you from doing so?

And if you were one of the people who DID refer others to my website, what specifically allowed or encouraged you to do so?

Obviously the answer will be different for each person.

And no matter what your response is, or which group you fall into, you can get valuable information from what you did or did not do, that you can then apply to YOUR business.

For instance, whatever it is that prevented you from telling your business associates about Effortless Networking, may be similar to what prevents other people from referring your business to others.

Perhaps you thought, “Let me check it out first and then I’ll tell others” — but then other things came up and you forgot to do so. Or perhaps you thought, “They probably won’t be interested, so why bother?” Or … you fill in the blank.

So, what (if anything) would help or allow YOU to tell your business associates about Effortless Networking?

  • Are you providing similar “assistance” to help those who can give referrals to you, to do so more easily?
  • If not, in what ways can you start doing so?

On the other hand, if you DID readily tell your friends about Effortless Networking, *something* made it easy for you to do so.

  • What was it?
  • And are you making it similarly easy for others to give you referrals?

Have I given you enough to chew on?

By the way, the software tool that I use to ask for referrals through my website is TAFpro. If you want more details about this tool, click here.

Till next week,
– Sri

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Finding or creating the right networking group (part 2)

Tuesday, November 15th, 2005

You might consider this is a continuation on last week’s topic. It addresses the same topic but from a very specific perspective.

Many people are interested in knowing how to find the best or most appropriate networking group for their type of business.

In addition, I was somewhat surprised to find that several subscribers are also interested in knowing what it takes to organize their own networking group. Surprise is good — it keeps me on my toes! :)

Well, whether you want to find an existing group to join, or create your own, my question to you is this:

What do you want to get out of such a group?

For instance:

  • Are you expecting to exchange leads and referrals?
  • Share or exchange information?
  • Support each other professionally?
  • All of the above?

Being clear about your expectations up front will help you find the best fit, since not all groups have the same focus. Some are just focused on leads exchange, while others have a broader focus.

If you want to create your own group, there are similar questions to consider:

  • What will be the purpose of this networking group?
  • What will you and the members get from being part of this group?

Answering these questions will help you identify how to structure this group, in terms of meeting format, frequency, etc.

It will help you explain to potential members how they’ll benefit from being a member.

And it’ll help you determine whom to invite to join this group.

This brings me to the second, and equally important, question.

To keep it simple, let’s assume you want to join or create a networking group simply to exchange leads and referrals.

My question is this: Who are the best sources of leads and referrals for you?

I wrote about this topic a few weeks ago, and I mentioned then that not all contacts are created equal.

The most common mistake people make is considering everyone they know as a source of referral.

This may be true, but as you probably know from your own experience, some people are better positioned to give you the kinds of leads you want on a regular basis.

For instance, if you’re looking for leads within the health care industry, your chances of getting good quality leads are much better if you network with people who either work in that industry, or regularly interact with people from that industry.

Similarly, if you’re looking for leads within the small business sector, networking with people within the corporate sector is not the most efficient route!

So, what kinds of leads are you looking for? And who are the people who have “access” to these kinds of leads?

Then look for networking groups that have these kinds of people as members.

Or if you’re creating your own, invite these kinds of people to join your group.

A book that can help you identify people who can be good sources of referrals for you is Business by Referral : A Sure-Fire Way to Generate New Business by Ivan R. Misner and Robert Davis.

Take a look at Part III and Part IV specifically.

Till next week,
– Sri


Posted in Getting Results, Improving Effectiveness | 1 Comment »

Finding the right networking group or event

Tuesday, November 8th, 2005

Have you ever wondered about how to find and connect with the “right” people in your target market?

Or how to find the best networking event or group to suit your specific business needs and your personal preferences?

Or even how to get the most out of every event you attend?

Well, before I answer these questions, let me ask you a question first: specifically whom do you want to meet?

Your answer will help you find the right group or event.

For instance, did you know that there’s professional association, conference or trade show for practically any group of people you can think of?

Professional associations typically have regular chapter meetings and events. Conferences and trade shows are obviously organized for interested people to attend.

So if you’re clear about whom you want to meet, simply identify where these people that you want to meet might congregate, and go there!

Google is a wonderful tool (what did we do before the internet?!).

I did a quick search for professional associations in London, UK, and I got a long list of all kinds of groups: associations for sales people, healthcare providers, tourist guides, private investigators, and more!

I did another search for high tech conferences in Ottawa, and another one for small busiess trade shows in Florida. Each time, I got back pages of information within seconds.

So, whom do you want to meet? Small business owners? People in the high tech industy? Healthcare providers?

The clearer you are, the better able you will be to focus your search — whether online or offline — to find the right group or event.

But wait, I have another question for you: *why* do you want to meet these people? Are you interested in prospecting or networking or both?

Your answer to this question will help you determine whether to go to a trade show, conference, business mixer or chapter meeting of a professional association.

So, what’s your objective for meeting these people?

  • What will you talk to them about, when you meet them?
  • And what’s the best setting for the type of conversation you want to have?

Hmmm… have I got your brain in overdrive yet?

Well, if you want additional help with this or related topic, you can always schedule a private session with me. You can do this at anytime. For more information, click here.

Till next week,
– Sri

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Asking Clients for Referrals

Tuesday, November 1st, 2005

A couple of weeks ago, I presented my “3 Secrets for Effective Networking” workshop at a conference for small business owners. The room was packed with participants who had really sharp questions for me — which I loved!

By the way, this workshop is available on CD. If you want, you can order a copy for yourself or someone else right here.

Well, at the end of the final section of the workshop, where I cover how to ask for what you want in a way that gets you better results, one person asked me this question:

How and when do you ask your existing clients for referrals?

This is a great — and rarely asked — question, so I decided to dedicate this article to it.

My short answer (there’s always a short and a long answer!) is:

  1. Look for patterns in how and when your clients are giving you referrals now, perhaps without you even asking for it.
  2. Then leverage those specific moments and explicitly ask for referrals.
  3. Finally, ask in different ways, since “one size doesn’t fit all”.

Here’s a story that may help.

There is a foot reflexology massage place in Japantown, San Francisco, that I discovered a few years ago. They provide such wonderful service, and make me feel so pampered and luxurious, that I have driven one hour each way just for a 30 minute treatment!

Well, every year I get a note from this place, thanking me for being a loyal customer. And as a thank-you gift they include a 10-minute extension coupon for my next visit.

This ensures that I return for more services — which I do. But I do more than that.

I’ve noticed that the past few times that I’ve gone for a foot massage, I’ve taken someone with me — someone with tired feet who’d enjoy and appreciate the whole experience as much as I do.

I’m giving them referrals without them even asking for it. Imagine if they had asked for it!

How many more new customers might they get if they explicitly asked their current satisfied customers (who may not think to bring along a friend) for referrals?

What if they included a special offer to buy gift certificates at a discounted rate, along with the 10-minute extension coupon?

What if they gave each customer a card to fill in with comments and referrals when we got our tea at the end of our wonderful massage?

So … are you tapping into the network of people that each of your satisfied clients and customers have? Are you doing so on a regular basis? If not, how might you do so?

I hope this gives you some food for thought!

Till next week,
– Sri

Posted in Improving Effectiveness, Networking Conversations | No Comments »