The New Year approaches

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with Santa bringing just what you always wanted……

Wishing you a prosperous New Year

Paul

What is networking?

By Paul Johnstone.

This question is often asked, usually by people who have not experienced the power of networking. It is the process of expanding your contacts with people.


Networking is done for a multitude of reasons. It could be to meet like-minded people, find answers to your questions, build your business contacts, career networking or to get yourself a new job.

It is by no means a new, have you heard of the old boy network?

It’s just a word given to the process of developing relationships with people. We humans have been doing since we first appeared on the earth.

What has changed though are the opportunities to expand our networks of contacts. Through the internet you can now build relationships with people all over the world and consequently the world is ‘getting smaller’. Well it seems that way with social media. There is now a global industry based around connecting people whether it be socially or for business.

There are many sites promoting social networking. Some are for friends and like minded people to share information. Some are business and the development connections that for can develop into business opportunities.

I am a passionate believer in the power of the network. During my time networking I have seen first hand what can be achieved through networking. My view is that every business person should network.

If you would like a free copy of my 10 steps to profit through networking, email me.

Helping Real People do Real Business through Real Networking

Great Customer Service

© Paul Johnstone


Good customer service is one way Networkers stand out from the crowd.


Over here in the UK we are often compared poorly to the service 'experirnce' to be found in the US.


At Refer-On we have a topic on how to deliver great customer service, so I am always on the look out for stories. When I found this piece I felt I had to pass this on to you folks out there.

Customer Service Review


Helping Real people do Real Business through Real networking

How to get Great PR for your Network Club

Or How to make the press work for you

©Paul Johnstone

Like any other networking group, forging good relationships with your local press takes work and commitment. Oh and a little effort.

Just as in all other aspects of networking, it is the trust based relationships that work best. Your key press contacts need to know, trust and hopefully like you.

The following 7 steps will help you forge great relationships with your local press.

1. Do your homework. What are the important business publications in your area? What do your business colleagues read? Your goal is to be in the major newspapers and key business and community magazines.

2. Get your foot in the door. Ask your colleagues in your networking group and at your company who they know at these organizations Better yet, ask an advertising / PR professional from your networking group to help you. This provides great exposure for them and a superb learning experience for you.

3. Research the web. Most publications have informative web sites. Identify the business editors and main business writers. A word of caution here: Before you make contact with them read their publication.

4. Make contact. There are two schools of thought here, either call or send an email. Both have strengths and weaknesses. The Phone call: This can be hit and miss but it will get you a conversation with the person you are trying to reach. Email, congratulating them on a particular article you enjoyed (beware not to appear to fawning). Let them know you would appreciate their advice on how to get the best information about your group to them. Let them take you through the process. You will have started developing a professional relationship, because you have asked them to help you make their jobs easier. In these tight economic times all journals/ periodicals have lost staff. They are looking for good material and realize you want to make their jobs easier, don’t we all?

5. Write a release that stands out. This is the time you have to start thinking like a reader. Keep this with you all the time you are writing. Readers want things that interest them, and not what interest you. Put your time to good use. It is important you know what your story is about. Understand why it will be important to the reader. Now the killer part, make sure the important information is at the start of the piece. This is what will draw readers into your article. Finally keep at it, where PR is concerned persistence often pays dividends.

6. Remember your manners and say Thank You. Once you have had a piece published thank them. This is simple good manners but so many people forget to do this. And it will repay you in spades further down the line. An additional offer to provide any support they might need, not necessarily related to your group. This is simple networking in support of business colleagues. Your thanks combined with an offer of help should help cement the relationship. Then finally stay in touch with your new media contacts on a regular basis. Ask them if you can provide them another story. All that will raise your profile with them.

7. Share stories. During your regular networking you will find literally hundreds of stories from other members. These could be your way in to more media coverage.

Helping Real people do Real Business through Real Networking

Forget The Internet Rats and Rubbish are the Future

©Paul Johnstone

Saw this interesting piece in Management today.

Stay away from the Internet the real money is Rats and Rubbish.

Honest

Check out this piece in Management Today

Enjoy

Helping Real People do Real Business Through Real Networking

Networking Your Way to the perfect Corporate clients

Paul Johnstone
At a recent Refer-On meeting I was asked why people from large companies don’t attend local networking events. Is it because they don't have the time to spend with others who they believe are irrelevant to their career? Is it because they believe all the support networks they need are ‘in house’?

Often the only place you meet these people are at Chamber of Commerce events or they invest in intra-company networking with their peers.

So if corporate decision makers never turn up at the events you attend, does that mean it's a waste of time for you to go to these functions?

It does if you spend all your time talking to people you already know. On the other hand, if you go to these events with a plan and you work you plan, anything is possible.

Here are five tips to help you crack into corporate accounts:

1. Be absolutely clear on your perfect contact: If you know who you are looking for, it’s easier to spot them. What industry are they from, what position do they hold? These are two basic questions to ask yourself before you go.

2. Talk to strangers: Talking to strangers at networking events is one of the best activities you can do. Remember people go you networking events because they want to talk to people. This gives you the opportunity to open 6 or 7 new contact doors in an hour or so. It’s a no brainer.

3. Work your existing contacts: The phrase “It’s not what you know it’s who you know that counts” should be familiar to you. So find out where else they network, who the do business with and where there is common ground and explore ways of working cooperatively.

4. Be really specific: Children the world over know something the adults have forgotten about. “If you don’t ask, you don’t get.” So ask it’s a simple thing. If your ideal client is Richard Branson of Virgin, ask if anyone knows him, or someone who works for him. Better still do some desk research and find the persons name, then ask for them by name.

5. Go where your decision makers go: The Train Robbers robbed a train – Because that’s where the money was! The same thing is true for effective networking. If buyers from a large company aren't in attendance, it's hard to meet them. So go where they go -Trade shows, Chamber events, exhibitions - Simple

In summary, to be successful at networking your way into big companies, you should think about working smarter not harder. Don't just keep going to those local networking events hoping to bump into your Plum client. Instead, get your act together and do your networking thoughtfully. That's when you'll really start to see results.

Helping Real People do Real Business Through Real Networking

Open Sesame or Knock and you the door will open

Paul Johnstone
At a recent Refer-On meeting I saw what I call the Key ring motive to getting advocates to work for you.

As a concept, most people understand the idea of Advocating for people.

If you are in a room of 20 people, simply ask everyone to take out their keys.

Take a look around and find who has the most keys on their key-ring.

Then take that key ring. You say to the roomful of people: "There are 20 people in this room. Would you agree that there are more keys than people?"

After everyone agrees, you pick up one key from the key ring you borrowed and ask, "Can anybody tell me what door this key can open?"

When most everyone shakes their head, you say, "The only person who can give me the right answer is hopefully the person I borrowed the keys from."

This simple tale demonstrates that advocating is really about opening doors for one another. Your job as an advocate is to tell us which doors you would like us to open for you; our job is to look at our keys and see if we have the right key to open that door.

It's All about Trust

You have the key, now find out if the person who gave it to you and trusted you with it. Turn to them and ask, "Can I take the keys with me?"

The person usually refuses. How do they know you are trustworthy? Trust is the key that unlocks the door.

This is the second stage of Advocacy:

Developing trust. In any relationship, someone may give up their home key or office key. But without that trust, we hold on tightly to the key, and miss out on an open door.

Helping Real People do Real Business through Real Networking

What can you do for the group?

© Paul Johnstone
Often people will try and assess a Networking Group on what it will give them. It’s the classic “what’s in it for me” approach to networking

This is often accompanied by the view that there were only 15 people in the room, that’s no good, I want to meet lots of people.

Both of these points are often raised when people approach groups with a view to joining.

The first point to consider is: is to ask yourself whether you can see yourself helping the other members. In the course of your business do you come across referral opportunities that would benefit the other members? If the answer is yes then they are likely to be able to do the same for you.

The key is to lead by example. I know a networker who belongs to an independent group who always looks for referrals for others before he expects anything in return. If you start sharing with other members, they will be motivated to help you.

There is a great quote from Napoleon Hill on the subject.

"It is literally true that you can succeed best and quickest by helping others to succeed."

Secondly: The numbers in the room perception. Some groups promote themselves purely on volume. There is no doubt that if it is managed it does have an effect. But numbers on their own do not necessarily mean more business.

Go to any Chamber event 50+ people in the room, how many will you talk to? One of the best groups I ever went to had 12 members. They met weekly and two people in the group will tell anyone who asks they get between 50 – 60% of new business as a result of another member of that group.

Recap: Its not the numbers or the people its you and your approach that will help you succeed. So remember to pput the work into network

Helping Real People do Real Business Through Real Networking

What do you do?

Paul Johnstone
One of the most common suggestions was to ask the question "What do you do?". But how many times do people actually answer the question?

People always answer in the same way:

Q: Hi what do you do?

A: I’m and financial director.

That does not answer the question; it tells you what the person is not what they do. I am not pointing fingers it’s something we all do.

Readers will be aware that I use something called a 3 X 3 X 3 to engage people at networking events. Basically this is away of answering the the now thorny question of what do you do?

When I ran a workshop on this topic at a Refer-On group recently a PR manager gave a great example of how by answering a simple question, you can get the other person to ask you for more information. All she said was “I make people famous”

I don’t know about you but that got me thinking. If I got that answer I would have asked how she did that. Not sure I could have stopped myself it is such a powerful answer. And it actually answers the question.

Thinking about your trade or profession what answers do you think you can come up with?

Hear are just a few I have encountered over the years:

I help people sleep at night: An Accountant

I shrink people bills: A utility broker

I find money other people are using: a recovery agent

I put peoples name up in lights: A sign maker.

Well that’s just the tip of the iceberg what can you come up with?

Regards

Helping Real People Do Real Business Through Real Networking

Where To Network Part 2

Paul Johnstone

As promised here are other places to network. The O - Z

Hope it stimulates you to get out there and Network.

Opening ceremonies:
Opening ceremonies, especially for notable new buildings, attract many local business people and dignitaries. You will be amazed what a smile and an introduction can get you at these events.

A note of caution the celebrity opening a new shop is unlikely to get you too many good business connections.

Other clubs:
We must all have heard about the business deal done on the golf course. Clubs exists for every hobby and interest you can imagine. By joining a local club that interests you, you will meet some new interesting people.

Pressure groups:
Pressure group meetings are strongly connected and usually attended by very active and energized people. If you are interested in the subject there will be opportunities to meet some interesting people. These situations often also have scope for volunteering and becoming involved at a strategic level.

Product launches: Product launches invariably offer at least one situation when attendees mingle. Often there are receptions afterwards. If you are able to attend where the subject is relevant to your aims, then you will find opportunities to network. The same applies to book launches and similar publicity events.

Professional body websites:
Every profession and trade is represented and connected by at least one official body. These are used for members and also offer various opportunities for outsiders to get involved and make helpful connections.

Public meetings: Public meetings are held for all sorts of reasons. Local planning consultations; presentation of local development plans.

They attract business people. At meetings like these, most attendees sit and listen for quite a while, and consequently are ready for conversation during breaks and at the close of the meeting.

Pubs: Not all pubs are good for networking, but some are great, because they are the regular haunts of local business-people. For a very long time indeed, lots of business has been done in pubs.

Seminars: Seminars attract business people of all sorts. Again there are usually coffee breaks which are ideal for making introductions and getting to know people. Try your 3X3X3

Shareholders meetings:
If you have company shares, you will tend to meet a lot of business people at shareholder gatherings. Many shareholders do not invest just for financial reasons - many invest because they have an enthusiasm for the company's technology or culture. In some cases can offer a relevant target group for your business networking aims.

Societies and associations:
Every specialist subject has its own society or association. These organizations offer various ways to meet their members.

Speed networking events:
Speed networking is a highly structured type of networking event, in which an organizer (there are several, of varying type and quality) coordinates quick introductions among a group of typically between 20-40 people. The concept is similar, and probably modelled on speed-dating formats.

But the word speed and networking should not be used in the same sentence. They are best viewed as door openers.

Sports clubs: Lots of business people enjoy sport, and enjoy mixing sport with business. Golf is the classic example for sports club networking. If the group is relevant to you and you enjoy the activity, concerned, consider becoming a member.

Training courses: Are excellent for meeting other business people. Many will encourage informal networking among delegates because this adds value to the quality of the event.

Some types of training bring people together in work teams, making it extremely easy to get to know all attendees and an opportunity for further networking.

Trains, boats, planes, etc.: Business-people tend to travel around a bit. When you are travelling too, keep your eyes and ears open and be ready to start conversation. Delays are particularly useful for making introductions. So are long plane and train journeys when you could be sat next to another business person for several hours. Make the most of these opportunities.

Twitter:
Twitter is a great way to get your business message out to thousands quickly. The only downside is that you can get caught up and unless you are disciplined, the hours can slip away.

Universities and colleges:
Universities and colleges are like villages. Some are like towns. They are also now run like businesses. For the past twenty years or so, these educational establishments have been increasingly keen to engage with business people of all sorts. It's a matter of talking to them and discovering what opportunities exist for getting involved.

Website forums:
Website forums exist for every subject you can think of. Each offers a networking opportunity for the subject matter concerned.

Website user groups: User groups are typically within the websites of major internet corporations such as Google and Yahoo. Many user groups are specialised, and by implication, internet networking is second-nature to most of these people. But a lot are general business and worth investigation


And many more opportunities.

Helping Real People do Real Buisness through Real Networking