Networking for Dummies: Don't be THAT guy!

Do you ever get that feeling? You know the one. The Chamber of Commerce Breakfast is about to begin. I start fearing having to sit next to that guy. I look carefully around to see who is re-stacking their business cards. You know the guy. "Hey Bud. My name is Shawn and I work with Company X. I see you're from St. Dominic HS. Who do you guys use to buy your widgets?" Then, before you can say no thank you he is talking loudly into his cell phone about being the king of the world. I hate that guy. Why the hard sell before breakfast? I haven't even poured my orange juice and you want me to switch to your company? Don't be that guy.

A couple of tips for proper networking:

1. Good relationships get you good leads. Take the time to get to know people before you try to sell them stuff.

2. If you are at a social function, keep it social. Time and place. These two important things will make a big difference promoting your company. Do business in a business setting. Be social in a social setting. Turn off your inner sales person.

3. Turn off your cell phone. This is a common sense thing. If you are someplace to network, you do not need to be focusing on anything else. You may lose a great lead just to find out that your cousin hit a homer in last nights slow pitch softball semi-final.

4. Plug in. If you market through your local Chamber, Rotary, Kiwanis or any other organization where you meet potential clients, help do the work. Sit on a committee. Speak at a luncheon. Volunteer at the golf tournament. Plug in. Get to know people while giving back to either a service organization or Chamber of Commerce. Your connections will build relationships which will turn into leads. See #1.

Does your website work for you?

"My website is just an on-line business card," a client said earlier this week. His hands were outstretched and he was exasperated. He had just spent $1,500 on a new web design. He was glad that it looked good and showed what his business offers to his visitors. He could get some new business from this site once they call to contact him. We spent some time talking about what he really wanted from his website. He was looking for his website to create sales and to help with day to day operations.

Here are two important questions to ask when looking at your current site:

1). Can a visitor easily purchase a product or service while on your site? You are in business to sell your product or service. Our client above wanted his customers to make a purchase and be able to schedule deliveries online. Your website should be part of your sales force. Make certain that there is a link to a landing page easily visible on your home page. A landing page should collect personal information and make it easy for people to buy your stuff. A landing page is an easy add-on for a small business who needs to Market on a Shoestring.

2). Can your website drive operations? Again using the client above; when customers can schedule a delivery on-line, that same site should also print out a daily delivery schedule. I have heard it said that anything a customer can do on-site they should be able to do on-line. Likewise, look to drive your day to day organization of operations through your website.

Take the time to think through your business. Your website should be working for you to make you more effective and more profitable.

So many blogs so little time

There are so many blogs. I would love to have time to read much of what is going on within my own niche of marketing. With that in mind, the thoughts that are posted here will be brief. Here you will find tid-bits of information about marketing small business and non-profit marketing (for I believe the principals are the same), quotes that I have found thought provoking and other items that may help those who follow along.

To begin this blog, it is appropriate to define what this thing called marketing is. This is my own definition, and will contain practical rather than academic advice.

First 3 things that Marketing is not:

1. Marketing is NOT a 2,000 piece mailing.

2. Marketing is NOT a flashy website.

3. Marketing is NOT making an insane number of phone calls.

Those who Market on a Shoestring know that Marketing is an intentional, patient process using a combination of the tools listed above with hundreds of other tools, within a comprehensive program, to send out a concise message over and over again.