Since business was born, networking has been the most effective marketing tool. Talking to people and developing relationships is the most cost effective way to sell our goods and services.
Flash forward to today and social networking is still a powerful resource. However, I see many entrepreneurs and small business owners struggling with business and sales that do not effectively employ networking skills.
How many times have you walked into a store and were not greeted or you felt you were interrupting them? Maybe they were rude and did not serve you well. I bet you did not go back again. Maybe you even told your friends about the experience.
Perhaps you went to a networking meeting met some people and only went back occasionally. Then you wondered why you did not get any business.
There are some principles for effective networking that you need to employ to get the result you need for your small business.
Principles for Effective Social Networking
- Know your intentions – What exactly are you looking for in your networking efforts? Are you looking for referrals? Are you looking for customers? Both?
- What do people need to know about your business? – Let people know how you stand out from the pack.
- Work on your elevator speech – Your marketing message is important and being able to tell someone in 30 seconds or less about what you do is critical.
- Focus your goals to one area at a time – Don’t mix your message. You can ask for referrals one day and then work on sales another day. Be clear in your goal with your message at that time.
- Practice your social skills – Yes, public speaking is not fun, however if you struggle holding a conversation with strangers, practice makes perfect. Have a few set greetings, speeches, conversation starters ready. Know them so you do not hesitate or add Umm’s or Ahh’s in your conversations.
- Be the first to refer to other businesses before you expect a referral back – Give and take is important in social networking. Be humble and offer resources for customers that need additional services you do not offer.
- Work on getting to know others and develop relationships – You can refer to other businesses and serve your customers better if you know their wants and needs.
- Speak your passion – It is your business and you are the only one that can share the passion you have for it. Others can feel your passion and very often respond to that positively.
You can build your business through basic social networking skills, even if your business is typically online. People have been employing principles like these for thousands of years. All you need is practice, good intentions, gratitude, and patience.
