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9 Quick Business Networking Tips

business networking tips

 

Networking for business purposes takes various amounts strategy and intention, in terms of how you proceed in interacting with potential business prospects. Whether you want to make a connection with someone for sales reasons or to build up your business network in general, the following business networking tips will assist you in accomplishing your goals.

1. Business Networking Tips for Business Cards.

Business cards may seem old fashioned, but they help to make connections and provide easy to access contact information. Many companies offer professional quality,  inexpensive business cards. Even if you have a business card for your fulltime job, consider making one that highlights you and your skills individually.

2. Business Networking Tips for LinkedIn.

If you’re short on business cards, LinkedIn is a good option if you have a smartphone. Download the LinkedIn app and when you make a new connection in real life, you can ask that person to become a connection on LinkedIn while you’re still talking to them. Just remember to follow up on LinkedIn after the connection is made.

3. Business Networking Tips for LinkedIn Part 2.

The right headline on LinkedIn can make building your network easier. LinkedIn creates a default heading for you based on your current job title, but often times that mean your headline is something vague like “Manager.” Use keywords to build the right headline, like “Marketing Content Manager Interested in Digital Sales” now you’ve got four keywords in your title that is much for informative.

4. Business Networking Tips for Online.

Making connections online can be easy. LinkedIn provides suggested connections while Facebook and Twitter have features that let’s you see other people who are posting about things of interest to you. SImply reach out to these people on these networks or by email if possible and introduce yourself and your reason for reaching out. You’re on your way to a new connection.

5. Business Networking Tips for Offline.

Reach out to your local chamber of commerce or ask online connections for recommendations for in person events. If you can name your industry, chances are you can find a conference or gathering around it. If you can’t afford to travel to a conference specific to your industry, look for a general business networking conference close to your home.

6. Business Networking Tips for Introductions.

As you build your network, don’t be afraid to ask for introductions. People in your network all have their own personal network that could be a of value to you. Services like LinkedIn allow you to see how someone else’s network might connect you to someone who could be helpful to you. Don’t hesitate to reach out.

7. Business Networking Tips for How to Stay in Touch.

After you make your first connection with someone, set a reminder in your calendar to reach out to them monthly or semi-monthly. This way you will build a genuine relationship with your new connection and be able to identify how you can best assist each other.

8. Business Networking Tips for How to Offer Help.

How can you help your new connection? This should be your first thought when meeting someone. Ideally a connection will help you build your business, but you need to offer help to be deserving of their assistance. Help someone out first and they will be more likely to help you down the line.

9. Business Networking Tips for How to Offer Connections.

Just like you may want an introduction to someone new, offer introductions to your new contact. Do you know someone who might be helpful for the or have work for them? Send an email to introduce them. This helps to solidify your connection and keep you top of mind for how they can help you.

 

 

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Sales

How to Follow up with Leads After the Business Card Exchange

How to Follow up with leads

 

So you’ve gone to a networking event and connected with a few people. Good job! But what do you do next? Read on to find out how to follow up with leads and the dos and don’ts of maintaining and building connections after that first exchange.

Don’t immediately ask for a favor.

Networking is important because often those connections you make can be a benefit to you at some point. However, theses connections are in fact relationships and require a two way effort to thrive. That means you don’t just make a connection to get something, you need to give a little too. Asking for a favor or what your new connection can do for you right away is a bad choice and can result in you fracturing your new relationship.

Do check in.

After your first meeting, consider sending a short note or email to your new connection and mention how great it was to meet them as well as some of the things you talked about. Ask your connection about their business and how things are going for them. This reminds your connection of who you are and lets them know that you’re not just looking for a favor.

Don’t ask first.

So you’ve sent your note and heard back from your connection, is it OK to ask for a favor now? If you can hold off asking for something do so. See how you can help your connection first. Try to reach out to your connection several times and develop the relationship before you ask for something. Better yet, build your connection before you need something, that way you build meaningful relationships and when you do need a favor you’ll feel more comfortable asking and your connection will be more likely to assist you.

Do ask what you can do.

It’s never too early to ask what you can do for a new connection or offer ways to help them. As you reach out regularly offer your connection some sort of help. This can be as simple as a link to a news article you found helpful or letting them know of some new opportunities in their field. The more you help your connection, the more likely they will help you.

Don’t look for better connections.

Networking is called so because you are building a network of people, not a connection with just one. With some networking, the person who can help you most in your business may not be your new connection, but one of their connections. Don’t make the mistake of asking a new connection for an introduction right away. This may make your new connection feel uncomfortable and be difficult for them as they don’t know you well just yet.

Do expand connections in a logical way.

As you establish relationships with your new connection, the introductions will come. As you get to know people in your network, they may think to themselves that they know someone who might be good for you to meet. Let connections develop and work on them and you will see be given the chance to expand your network even more.

 

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Sales

6 Sales Practices You Must Continuously Make Time For

Sales Techniques Growth

Working in sales, there are a number of activities which should never be considered “complete”, and should be continuously worked on. The following practices will help you grow and perfect your talent in sales, and in turn close more deals. Putting time and effort into lifelong skill sets will garner you lifelong returns – no matter what it is you are selling.

Are you consistently working on these practices in order to increase your effectiveness?

1. Networking

The most important parts of sales are talking, making connections, and building relationships. Whether you’re selling a product or service, promoting a business, building up an affiliate network, or the like, having a large network of friends, acquaintances and business associates will always benefit you.

2. Building Your Pipeline

Researching exactly who you target audience is, where they are, and what has been working in the past in order to turn prospects into clients or customers is step one in keeping your sales funnel full. Once you know whom you are going after, and what has worked on similar prospects, you can begin to target those in your network that may have interest in your product. Remember, sales cycles vary extensively. Depending on your sales proposition, someone may need to be in the pipeline for two years. So, continuously moving people from stage to stage through the pipeline, and getting new prospects into the pipeline will ensure you always have a target to be working on.

Providing Value3. Providing Value

You can’t continue selling the same thing for years, to the same people, and never make any changes to the value they are getting out of it. Figure out how exactly your product or service actually benefits people, and think of ways to add onto or augment that. Is what you’re selling going to earn that person more money? Is it going to make their life easier in some way? Keep your business relationships strong by making sure your product continues to benefit your customers, and creates value for new customers.

4. Educating

This practice refers to educating yourself and educating others. Never stop reading, observing, and listening to information regarding your industry, customers, and product or service. Learn from those around you who are having success in your business. Depending on what you are selling, make sure your customer understands the product, and continues to learn about that product, and new products your business may develop. Perhaps your product or service has some difficult to understand features, or financial intricacies – blogs and videos are a fantastic way to educate your audience.

5. Honing Your Pitch

Every time you complete a pitch, you should be making notes on what resonated with your audience, how that audience may have been different than another, and what changes you should make. The more times you practice and give your pitch, the more natural it will become. Sometimes however, your pitch should be altered to be more of a networking conversation than the quintessential “elevator pitch” to a customer or investor. Work on different ways to get your point across to various audiences. Over time you will become a master of owning the room, and winning someone over no matter what their starting viewpoint.

6. Garnering Feedback

You can’t always rely on yourself alone to figure out what went right and what went wrong during a pitch. Ask your family, friends, customers or clients that are now advocates what it was that reeled them in, and what almost lost them! Simple tips here and there from peers, your role models in the industry, and even friends and family will help you perfect your sales techniques.

After reading through the tips, it should make total sense why these activities should be ongoing for your entire sales career. There will never be a time that you have finished learning or networking, for example. The more focus and emphasis you put on these activities, the more you will see the benefits of them.

Did we miss anything? What are some sales practices that you continue to build upon day after day and year after year in order to make you a better salesman? Share in the comment section!

 

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Sales

9 Tips for a Flawless Elevator Pitch

hand shake

If you are in sales, have worked for a startup, or are an entrepreneur, then you have definitely heard the term “elevator pitch.” For those of you that don’t know, an elevator pitch refers to the ability to sell your product or service to someone, and hopefully pique their interest in it, within the time it takes to ride in an elevator with them (less than a minute).  The elevator pitch, which is obviously not always going to happen in an elevator, is useful when explaining your business to an investor, a potential client or customer, or a potential partner.

The truth is, having an elevator pitch prepared when people ask, “what do you do?” is crucial for any person working at any business. You never know when a casual conversation could turn into a business deal, so being prepared when the time comes will most certainly benefit you.

The following 9 tips will help you to convey your “pitch” clearly and concisely, without coming across as a “salesman.”

1. Short and Sweet

As mentioned above, this description of your business needs to be under a minute long, while still being clear about what it is you are offering. Don’t use jargon related to your industry – assume this person knows nothing about your business and spoon-feed them the idea.

For example, if you’re an online marketing agency, don’t say “we have expertise in SEO.” Instead, say “we help businesses get their websites on the first page of Google’s search results.”

2. Clear Benefit

Speak in terms of what this product or service will do for THEM. You will have to tailor this to your audience; whether it is a potential customer or client, a potential partner, or an investor. Regardless, let them know how this product or service will make their life easier, better, or solve a problem for them. Explain this right away in simple terms.

For example, let’s say you are an affiliate marketer for Domain Cost Club, and you are trying to get a potential new member to join. You would want to let them know about the flexibility of working from home, the exponential earning value, and of course the overall value of the DCC membership in terms of discounted domains.

3. Differentiation

So you’ve explained the benefit of the product or service, now it’s time to integrate your unique selling proposition into the pitch and explain why this person should want to buy from or invest in YOU instead of your competitors.

Going back to our example above, there are many companies that offer affiliate marketing programs. You would want to explain why DCC is the best place to become an affiliate marketer. Perhaps you would want to mention how easy it is to get started, the stellar support offered in building your network, or the top-notch level of the actual product you are selling.

Make money with affiliate marketing4. Greed Factor

Everyone wants to make money, and everything relates back to ROI – it’s as simple as that. Quickly explain how your product or service will either make or save this person money. If your business doesn’t directly do that, figure out an indirect way to integrate this concept.

Someone who is potentially interested in an affiliate marketing opportunity, for example, will be most interested in the possibility of, ease of, and length of time it will take to start making money.

5. Credentials

Explain who you are, and your affiliation with this product or service. What do you do for the company and why are you qualified to be speaking about or selling it? This would also be a great time to include some recent success stats.

If you earned $15,000 in your first quarter as an affiliate marketer, that would be a great selling point to a potential new member you are trying to close. Relate to them and let them know you have been where they are.

6. Easy to Join

No one wants to go through a long, overdrawn process to get involved with or join something. If all they have to do is fill out a simple form, some short paperwork, or view a 10-minute slideshow to get started – point that out.

7. Leave them Wanting More

Remember, this first encounter is just a door opener to a more in depth conversation. Keep the upper hand in the conversation and pique their interest just enough for them to want to learn more. The more you talk, the less interest your garner. Stop when you know they seem interested, and then suggest getting together another time to go more in depth or show them more facts and figures.

8. Be Conversational

No one – I repeat, NO ONE – likes to be “sold to”. Do not sell your product, service, or yourself to this other person. Keep it casual and conversational – this works great in a social setting. Get your point across, and don’t push.

9. Practice, Practice, Practice…

You already know practice makes perfect! Practice this elevator pitch on your family and friends. Do they automatically understand the points you’re trying to get across? Would it make them interested in learning more? The more you repeat your key points, the more casual it will come across when this moment occurs in a natural setting.

Including the factors above in your elevator pitch will not guarantee that you get your investment, or close the sale – it is only meant to open the door to a secondary conversation.

With a large focus on #7 and #8, you give yourself the upper hand in this sales-driven conversation. Acting natural, as though you would be helping THEM achieve success by allowing them to participate in your offer will help draw the other person in, and give you leverage to hopefully close the deal in the secondary meeting you are bound to set up!

 

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