It’s How You Position It: Marketing Lessons From Pucker Up Pie
What is positioning? The fancy-shmancy definition is “How you differentiate your product or service from that of your competitors and then determine which market niche to fill”.
What is means is how you establish your product’s identity within the eyes of the consumer. The best way to remember positioning is as the difference between ordinary pie and “PUCKER UP” pie.
The Story of Pucker Up Pie and Pickled Eggs
My friend Ann is a wonderful cook and baker and recently she had a table at a local farmer’s market. She was so excited about doing this – her eyes sparkled with anticipation. Her food causes people to moan with delight and she could hardly wait to share it.
I knew she was going to be working at the event all day so I offered to drop by and help her for a few hours. (Yes, I even put on a frilly apron!)
When I got to the market and walked to her table – I saw she had it attractively displayed, proper pricing and signage. She had piles of fabulous lemon pies (made with the WHOLE LEMON), pickled eggs, gorgeous bread and all sorts of other goodies.
But when I asked Ann how her sales were going a dejected look swept across her face. “Kim, my sales are terrible! I almost feel embarrassed!” She said she wasn’t allowed to give samples and that had thrown her sales plan out the window.
I looked at her. I looked at her table loaded with amazing food. I slapped my frilly apron on and said…”Well honey, we’re going to FIX THAT!” All of her products are delicious, appealing to the eye, but the lack of samples was hurting her.
If Ann wanted to turn her sales around, she had to make a few changes:
- The fabulous lemon pies needed a new name so we switched the name to PUCKER UP PIES!
- Beside the pickled eggs, we created a sign that said, “MEN LOVE THESE. GREAT WITH BEER!”
I instructed Ann to stand in front of the booth and ask women especially, “Do you love lemon?” and ask every man that walks by “Do you like beer?”
Every single person asked with a big smile, “What’s a Pucker Up Pie?” to which we responded, “If you love lemon, this pie will make you MOAN WITH DELIGHT!” Which made them crack up even more, and of course, they bought one, and bread and cookies…you get the drift.
The beer sign attracted EVERY MAN who walked by especially since we asked them, “Do you like BEER?” Needless to say, she sold out of almost everything, with the pies and pickled eggs going FIRST.
You probably have the right product or service but your marketing is DULL, DULL. DULL. It’s time to create your OWN PUCKER UP PIE and create a unique position with your products and services.
And if you want the REAL Pucker Up Pie recipe, visit SalesDiva.com! It’s waiting for you for FREE!
Essential Entrepreneurial Skills: The 7 Skills Every Entrepreneur Must Master
It has been said that being an entrepreneur is the best form of personal development you can do. What I think that means is you can’t hide from your fears and personal hang-ups if you want to succeed as an entrepreneur and taking that leap means dealing with ALL OF THEM!
Afraid of public speaking? Get over it because you need to do it to promote your business. Too shy to talk about money? Get used to it because you’ll be doing it everyday. Sheepish about asking for help? Success will not happen without a little begging and borrowing from those around you who can lend a hand.
These essential entrepreneurial skills go beyond the entrepreneurial basics of create, sell and manage your business. They are the ‘intangible’ qualities that make or break an entrepreneurial business during those tenuous early start-up days.
Essential Entrepreneurial Skills Every Start-Up Must Master
#1: Talking Money – Discussing money is possibly one of the toughest entrepreneurial skills to learn because it goes against what your grandma taught you about politeness.
This is one of those cases where grandma was wrong. You need to be able to talk frankly about money – what you charge, the value you deliver for that money, how to manage your finances (with accountants and advisors) and sometimes even reminding clients that their accounts are overdue.
#2: Public Speaking – The next most common fear is public speaking. Many entrepreneurs would rather be thrown into a vat of spiders before getting up in front of a room full of people to talk about their business.
As my colleague, Craig Ellis, once said, “Build a bridge and GET OVER IT!” You need to be able to present your business – whether it’s a client pitch in a boardroom or giving your 30-second elevator pitch at a networking event, public speaking is a must-have entrepreneurial skill.
#3: Selling – Selling extends way beyond getting people to buy your product or service (although without that skill, your business is sunk). But if you think about it, every aspect of running a business involves selling.
Everyday you are selling someone on something whether you are selling your employees on new ideas or directions, selling key stakeholders on your continued (or future) success or selling potential strategic partners on the value of working with you.
#4: Managing (and Protecting) Your Time – Besides the potential distraction in the form of email, voicemail and the ENTIRE Internet, the other main source of distraction is people who are asking for your time and attention.
That’s why protecting your time makes the list of essential entrepreneurial skills because as your business grows, so does the number of people requesting your time and attention. Learn how to filter requests and say no to the ones that don’t fit from the get-go.
#5: Dealing with Criticism – Business means putting yourself out there and that means dealing with rejection and criticism and learning to NOT take it personally, which is sometimes easier said than done.
Often that client who you really wanted to land decides not to work with you for reasons they don’t want to share, like they can’t afford you. Take it all with a grain of salt and learn what you can from the feedback and move on.
#6: Communicating with Crazy People – Aka irrational customers. The degree with which you need to deal with crazy people depends entirely on the type of business you are in, but it will happen so be prepared.
Sometimes you won’t be able to fix the situation – that’s when your diplomatic skills will be tested. Put on your best smile, listen carefully to what they are saying and give them an honest answer.
#7: Learning New Skills – The business environment changes, which means your business skill set also has to change. Look at how much marketing has changed in the last 5 years with the rise of blogging and social media.
Even if you don’t plan on doing it yourself, it’s important to learn enough to understand the big picture. Blindly outsourcing what you barely understand leads to more problems down the road. Be prepared to learn!
Did I miss any essential skills? What would be on your top 10 list? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Get in the Results Business – How to Drive Word-of-Mouth Marketing
The shift toward a customer service culture has caused customers to expect more from companies. What impressed them yesterday is expected today. Think of it as a form of inflation where your service Wow dollars don’t get as much as they used to.
At the same time, the power of word of mouth marketing is at an all-time high, with social sharing driving consumer choice at unprecedented levels. So what’s a company to do? Give up on wowing customers or jump into the wow business?
The answer is, and always will be, go for the wow! If there’s any business you want to be, you MUST be in, it’s the results business. Your customers want results, not excuses. Give them results, without hassle, and a few unexpected extras, and your customers will do the rest!
How to Drive Word-of-Mouth Marketing
#1: Know WHAT Results Your Customers are Seeking – Start by finding out EXACTLY what results your customers are seeking. This is not the time for guessing – if you want to know what your customers want, ask (and make it a priority to keep asking).
#2: Deliver Results with Ease – Don’t make your customers fight for what they want. Although most will happily play the angry customer game to get what they want, they won’t actually be all that happy with you. Make your customer experience simple and seamless.
#3: Create a Memorable Experience – There’s no point in going above and beyond in ordinary mundane ways. Savvy customers know to expect that as part of the package. The challenge is coming up with creative and unique ways to impress.
#4: Empower Your People – Give the people who really make or break your word-of-mouth reputation the ability to be creative in pleasing customers. Don’t tie their hands with difficult-to-navigate systems and official policies. Not only is that annoying to employees, it’s infuriating to customers.
#5: Remind Them to Share – Include a call to action reminding them (in a fun and friendly way) to share what they love about you with others. This can be as simple as posting requests to share via social media, using QR codes to enable sharing or asking in product documentation or signage.
Business 101: Spotlight on Your Business – 4 Reasons Press Releases Are a Powerful Business Tool
Ever stop to consider WHY you are writing and submitting press releases? What bottom line goals are you trying to achieve? A lot of business owners start out with clear goals for their PR campaigns, and slowly lose sight of them over time.
Generate Sales And Qualified Leads
Generating sales leads is unlikely to be your main purpose for sending press releases, but is still a powerful goal. Moreover, it’s a simple metric to track and with online press release distribution sites, the chances are even greater of your potential customers reading them.
Each PR you send should contain language that excites the reader while delivering the information promised by your title. While hype is inappropriate, you can craft your press releases using the same principles that are employed in sales letters.
Lead the reader through your news story; start strong and build momentum; and end with a clear call to action. Include links throughout the body with at least one pointing to an internal page on your site that asks for the sale.
Improve Brand Awareness Among Your Audience
Though you may think your products and services are similar to those offered by your competitors, your brand is unique. The key is improving recognition and awareness of your brand.
By sending an ongoing stream of press releases, you can keep your company’s name in front of your customers and prospects. You can keep your market informed about recent accomplishments, product breakthroughs, and how your company is getting involved in your community.
These things help to build your brand, positioning your business in a positive light. As your audience continues to see your company’s name, they’ll develop a higher degree of trust while perceiving you as an authority in your space.
Attract Coverage From Journalists And Bloggers
Traditionally, coverage from reporters and journalists has been one of the main goals of sending press releases. It remains so today!
The online space has shifted attention from conventional media sources to online journalists, including bloggers. This means small businesses have a greater range of outlets through which to gain exposure.
Improve Your Website’s Search Engine Rankings
One of the main ingredients for effective search engine optimization is links. The more high-quality, relevant links you build to your company’s site, the better your site will rank in Google and the other search engines. This means more visibility to your target market.
Whenever you distribute an online press release, include at least one link – and preferably, two or three – with your targeted keywords in the anchor text. This informs Google about the topic of the page to which the link points.
When your customers and prospects type those keywords into their favorite search engine, they are more likely to see your site listed. This not only helps you to build top of mind awareness in your audience, but also drives targeted traffic to your website.
Ultimately, the purpose of online press release distribution is to attract attention and draws people to your business. This includes media coverage in the form of journalists and bloggers who are looking for an expert source. It includes your customers, who are reminded of the reasons they enjoy doing business with you. And it includes those who are looking for solutions to their problems, but have yet to stumble across the company that can help them.
For a FREE copy of Tara Geissinger and Christine O’Kelly’s e-book, “The Results-Driven Press Release Forumla,” visit: http://www.onlineprnews.com/how-to-write-a-press-release.
Business 101: Disaster Clients – The 7 Types of Clients You Should Avoid at All Costs
Not all clients are created equal.
Everyone talks about finding your “ideal client” or the perfect “fit”. Not many people tackle the topic of the disaster clients. The train wrecks waiting to happen. The drive-you-insane clients you should see coming from a mile away.
Somehow we let them sneak in, under the radar, when our guard is down, or when our bad client filter is on the fritz. Perhaps it’s the guilt of turning down someone who needs help or maybe it’s simply that you needed the money to pay the bills.
Whatever the reason, you choose to ignore your intuition, failing to see the obvious warning signs and blindly step into a relationship doomed to failure. It’s time to take the blinders off and watch out for these disaster clients!
The 7 Types of Disaster Clients You Should Avoid at All Costs
Make no mistake about it: the best way to deal with disaster clients is to simply not work with them. If you find yourself faced with a client relationship that is looking more like a disaster in the making, try to untangle yourself as quickly as possible and use these coping mechanisms:
#1: Disorganized Client – The scattered creative entrepreneurial type who is always in a rush because they are ALWAYS running behind. Their constant lateness isn’t your fault, but it quickly becomes your problem when you become the rescuer of soon-to-be-missed deadlines.
Early warning signs are arriving at meetings late and/or unprepared, late night emails, and requests for last minute rush projects. The key with disorganized clients is to not become their superhero. Set clear boundaries around rush projects and insist on a clearly defined project before starting.
#2: Demanding Client – The bossy types who believe their needs come first, no exceptions. Beware: their demandingness borders on abusive and they do not respect your rules or your boundaries while (ironically) expecting others to respect theirs.
Watch for boundary pushing behavior, like calls to your cell phone after hours, or snarky remarks aimed at you or others. Both signal the beginning of what will turn into a toxic relationship.
#3: Needy Client – The emotional time bombs who turn consulting meetings into personal therapy sessions by dumping their emotional baggage on you. They are constantly dealing with some sort of crisis and attract drama like a Shakespearean actor.
Warning signs are oversharing of extremely personal details early in the relationship and a perpetual “Poor me” complex. Try not to engage in their personal drama and set clear boundaries between your work and personal lives.
#4: Dazed and Confused Client – The space cadets who simply cannot make up their minds, but expect you to shift your project 180 degrees at no additional cost to them because they had a flash of brilliance.
Typical dazed and confused types often can’t put into words what exactly they are looking for and resort to a “I’ll know it when I see it” approach. Avoid stepping into this minefield – you are not a mind reader!
#5: Cheapskate Client – The penny-pinchers who take frugality to the extreme. Often they tend to expect top dollar from THEIR clients, but ironically aren’t willing to pay you the same courtesy.
The cheapskate clients tend to want to “Cherry Pick” your time and expertise for quick one-off projects, only paying for what they have to and doing it themselves whenever possible.
#6: 24/7 Workaholic Client – The 24/7 workhorses who rarely take a day off and never turn off the BlackBerry. The trouble is they also expect that you are on-duty whenever they get inspired, even if it’s 3 in the morning or during your child’s soccer game.
The best way to deal with these boundary pushers is to simply not be available. Turn off the cell phone, don’t look at email and whatever you do, don’t respond to their after hour requests!
#7: Financial Pinch Client – The on-the-brink clients who, despite all their good intentions, will not be able to pay your invoice at the end of the day. Unless they are upfront about it and you are agreeable to not getting paid, steer clear.
Often it’s difficult to gauge the true financial situation of potential clients unless you do a credit check so watch for early warning signs like not paying bills on time or conveniently misplacing your invoice.
Business 101: Sales, Savvy Smarts and Social Media – Top Business Boosting Tips of 2011
The single thread that all our top tips have in common is doing more with less. Whether that’s by leveraging the power of social media or by creating smart systems to support your business, the key to success in business is definitely working smarter, not harder!
Top Business Boosting and Buzz Building Tips of 2011
Find the Pain Point! The key to Writing Copy that Connects is knowing your target audience. “Not just the basic stuff, but the deep dark secrets that they barely admit to themselves. That’s where you find the motivation that will get them to take action and that’s where your copy needs to connect. Remember, people are more likely motivated by the fear of loss than they are the promise of gain..”
Get S.A.D. to Get More Done in Less Time! If you want to make More Money in Less Hours, Nika Stewart says you need to “Systemize, Automate, Delegate. Create systems for all your business tasks to assure higher productivity and greater income. Use technology to automate tasks that take a lot of your time, and suddenly you have many more hours each week to build your business. ‘Clone’ yourself by delegating lower-level tasks, and twice the work can be done in the same amount of time.”
Decide WHAT You are Advertising – Facebook expert Andrea Vahl on How to Advertise Your Business Using Facebook: “I recommend advertising your Facebook Page. Do not send people to your website unless you have a very clear call to action on your website (like your newsletter sign-up). If they go to your website and don’t see what they are looking for, then you won’t see them again. If you can get them to Like your Facebook Page, you get the opportunity to connect with them over and over.”
Be Media Friendly! When Building an Online Media Room, Tara Geissinger recommends taking your media kit “one step further – including latest news, story ideas, downloadable images, audio recordings of interviews, video interviews and presentations, and other key information that can sell an interviewer on why you’re the right expert to contact. The goal is to arm journalists with all the information they need when writing a story or searching online for a source.”
Share One Single Message! The key to Telling a Compelling Business Story in 30 Seconds is to “Focus on getting across one core message. Chances are your company or product does many interesting and wonderful things. Sharing every detail is not the purpose of the Elevator Speech. Too much information overloads the audience and creates confusion.”
Follow-Up “Forever” says Sales Diva Kim Duke in How to Get Over Your Fear of Selling: “Everyone asks me when they should quit following-up. Hmmm. It depends. Make sure you’re following up with the customers who are the best fit for you. Everyone else – release. Be creative with your follow-up: social media, of course, use a monthly e-zine, blog, direct mail, Fed Ex – think of 5 different ways you can stay in touch and keep bringing ADDED VALUE to your customer.”
Cash Flow Problems are a Warning Sign You Should Never Ignore according to Britt Michaelian: “Running into a cash flow crunch is every business owner’s worst nightmare because in some ways it means that you have failed. If you want your business to be cash flow positive, don’t spend more money than you are making. Operate on a lean budget and keep things tight. It’s that simple.”
Include a “Reveal Tab” with a Freebie to Generate a Buzz on Facebook: “Give something away on your Facebook Page for people who like your Page. You will need to use an iFrames application to create a reveal tab.”
Plan Marketing Campaigns Way in Advance to get Ready, Set, Prep! “Considering doing a postcard campaign or finally trying your luck with Facebook advertising? Create a detailed calendar of campaigns and related marketing activities (like designing said postcard or Facebook ad) so you don’t miss any key deadlines when things pick up in September.”
Create Your Key Message! When trying to Find Your Message, Brandy Mychals says, “Ideally you want this message to represent YOU, flow through your Core Message AND speak to your Ideal Clients. This means knowing what your audience needs: their dreams, fears, strengths and challenges. If you aren’t certain, start interviewing past or potential clients.”
Leverage SEO! When Choosing SEO Keywords, Tara Geissinger says, “It’s a common mistake for business owners to choose keywords that bring in an enormous number of visitors. There are two problems with this: phrases that attract a lot of attention also attract a lot of competition, and then this attention may not convert at all.”
Respond IMMEDIATELY to Media Requests! The key to getting Free Publicity according to SourceBottle founder Rebecca Derrington is “If you’re the expert source or case study they’re looking for, respond immediately. Journalists and bloggers will often use the first source they come across who ‘fits the bill’. After all, they don’t know that you – the perfect source for their story – are out there just waiting for an opportune time to respond.”
Keep Your Tweets Short! On How to Get More Retweets, Nika Steward reminds us to follow the golden rule: “You can post up to 140 characters, but for someone to retweet you, there are extra characters added (RT @yourname:). Make it easy for people to retweet you without having to edit and shorten. People also love to add comments to the retweet, making it more personal and compelling, so leave even more room for that!”
Run a Contest to Get People to Like You on Facebook: “Give something away on Facebook. Make it something good and make Liking your Page a requirement for entering the contest. Use the Wildfire, Woobox, or North Social application to set your contest up. These applications all cost money but will help you run the contest or sweepstakes according to Facebook’s rules and they aren’t too expensive.”
Business 101: Systems Support – Why Solid Systems Can Support Your Business Growth
The true test of any business isn’t necessary how they deal with a lack of customers; it’s how they are ready and able to scale up operations to handle too many customers. It’s often why businesses experiencing rapid growth get themselves in trouble.
Imagine an ice cream store. Suppose it serves the most spectacular amazing ice cream and as the word gets out, more and more people are flocking to their location to give it a try. Imagine it gets so popular that it’s lined up out the door and constantly running out of the top flavors.
Beyond the frustration new customers experience as staff can’t process orders fast enough and that new business is lost because of poor customer service, the too fast demand means that basic administrative functions start slipping.
Maybe even a delivery goes unnoticed leaving previous product to melt and spoil. Perhaps thieves target the frazzled store to help themselves to the cash register. Certainly new staff members will make costly mistakes as they learn the ropes.
Instead of the growth making them additional money, our hapless ice cream store owners find themselves looking at less profit at the end of the month. Tally it up to growing pains, but it’s a serious problem for growing businesses.
Why Solid Systems Can Support Your Business Growth
#1: Finance – Growth means moving from a “Cash in, Cash out” type financial system to a more complex system that includes checks and balances, short-term financing, revenue forecasting and expense controls.
Implement basic financial management systems in your business earlier rather than later. Even something as simple as systematizing invoicing and overdue account reminders will save you cash flow headaches later as your business outgrows the cash model.
#2: Training – Scalability often comes down to the ability to replicate the talent that we as the entrepreneur bring to the business. That’s why hiring the right people and training them properly is so critical.
Document, document, document! Document everything right down to the smallest detail. What is obvious to you has done it a million times before isn’t obvious to the new hire who has to learn the tricks of the trade from the beginning.
#3: Marketing and Sales – Growing your business team means now you are committed to that monthly expense and without enough business coming in the door, you will quickly experience cash flow crunches.
Creating automated marketing and sales systems that not only generate new leads, but help track them will ensure you keep the revenue flowing in. Formalize your lead tracking system so new prospects get the proper follow-up to turn them into clients.
#4: Customer Service – Rapid growth tends to overwhelm customer service capacity very quickly. Nothing is more frustrating for customers than getting lost in the shuffle. That’s why formal Help Ticket tracking systems are worth it.
Centralized tracking means another customer service agent can take over and it stays active until officially closed. Many systems even allow the customer to follow the progress through the system.
#5: Operations – Growing pains are usually the most difficult on the operations side. Scalability is a huge issue, one that can literally cost companies their business if not done correctly.
Ditch those goofy little systems that no one but you understands and implement formal ones. For example, if your business is service-oriented, consider a project management system to track progress and coordinate tasks.
Remember, growth is difficult – the same as it was in your childhood. The key is to prepare for growth by anticipating which systems and processes will fall apart on a larger scale. Chances are the answer is most of them.
Business 101: The Elevator Speech – How to Tell a Compelling Business Story in 30 Seconds
Can you sum up what you do in a clever and compelling manner that creates curiosity and makes people want to learn more? No? Perfecting your 30-second Elevator Speech is an extraordinarily useful skill because that’s realistically how much time you have to get them interested in hearing more.
When people ask in polite conversation, “What do you do?”, they don’t want to hear your 25 minute sales presentation on the minutia of how your leading edge technology is revolutionizing the industry. They are simply testing the waters with a neutral icebreaker.
Plus, it’s a common practice for traditional networking groups to go around the room and ask everyone to stand and give a 30-second introduction to their company. Your goal in that situation should be to entice listeners enough to seek you out for a more in-depth discussion afterward.
Whatever the situation, you need to distill your message down to the bare essentials, only giving enough information to peak their interest.
The Anatomy of a Compelling Elevator Speech
#1: Make it Memorable – Whatever you do, don’t be dull and boring. Everyone has heard a thousand mundane, droning answers to the question “What do you do?” Make your answer stand out by putting a little showmanship into it. Make it exciting by sharing your enthusiasm.
#2: Share One Single Message – Focus on getting across one core message. Chances are your company or product does many interesting and wonderful things. Sharing every detail is not the purpose of the Elevator Speech. Too much information overloads the audience and creates confusion.
#3: Connect it to a Story – Use current news stories to anchor key concepts and make your Elevator Speech relevant. Share how your product or service would solve a current hot topic around the water cooler (even if that problem is the break-up of a yet another celebrity marriage).
#4: Use Visual Props – Add a visual element by using a prop. How you approach this depends entirely on the situation. Bring a visual prop to your networking event. If it’s at a dinner party, improvise and use whatever is around you to engage your listeners on a visual level.
#5: Keep It Simple – Don’t get highly technical or use a bunch of industry jargon. Keep it simple, keep it plain and keep it understandable by a third grader or your 84-year-old grandmother who has never used the Internet.
#6: Make It about Them – Engage your audience by talking about your company or product in terms of how it benefits them. Answer the question, “Why is this interesting to me (the listener)?”
Remember, you only get 30-seconds to make an impression. Leave out the extra details and background information and focus on your core message. Think of it as an advertisement that you are acting out live and in-person. The main purpose is to get your listeners to take the next step and ask questions.
Business 101: Social Media Credibility – Why Retweets Equal Implied Endorsement
In Twitter speak, a retweet is when you share or rebroadcast someone else’s tweet to your followers. The syntax of a retweet changes depending on the twitter app, but the idea is always the same. It means, “Your tweet is worthy of sharing with my valuable community.”
In essence, it’s an implied endorsement. What your followers are saying by retweeting you is that they find your message inspiring, informative, entertaining, or simply worthy of re-sharing.
Following social media etiquette, they will repost it to their audience, citing you as the originator of the post (RT @YOURNAME message). Retweets are one of the fastest ways to spread your message and increase your following in the social media universe.
Retweets mean more traffic to your blog, increased online visibility, and enhanced expert status among the Twitter community. Sharing valuable content worthy of retweeting is one of the best ways to attract more ideal followers.
5 Ways to Get More Retweets (aka Implied Endorsements)
#1: Retweet Others – Find posts that are in alignment with your message and brand, and share them with your followers. The more you share other people’s valuable tweets, the more they want to share yours.
#2: Keep it Short, baby! – You can post up to 140 characters, but for someone to retweet you, there are extra characters added (RT @yourname:). Make it easy for people to retweet you without having to edit and shorten. People also love to add comments to the retweet, making it more personal and compelling, so leave even more room for that!
#3: Share Quotes – Inspiring quotes are often retweeted. Find quotes that match your style and branding, and inspire your audience to think or take action.
#4: Tweet, Tweet, and Repeat – Don’t be afraid to post an important message several times. When you repeat your tweet, change it a bit. By re-wording your tweets, you’ll appeal to different people, and inspire more retweets to different communities.
#5: Stand Out from the Crowd – Be different, be profound, be funny, but whatever you do: stand out! Twitter is very busy, fast, and chaotic. Your tweets much catch someone’s attention in the blink of an eye. Don’t be afraid to be uncommon, controversial, bold, witty, or daring.
Need a little help Tweeting? Check out Nika Stewart’s Ghost Tweeting (aka Social Media Done for You) program!
Business 101: Networking to Grow Your Business – Online or Offline the Same Rules Apply
Have you heard the phrase marketing is marketing is marketing? It means marketing principles do not change. The same holds true for networking. It doesn’t matter if you are networking at a live networking event or online in social media. Networking is networking is networking no matter how or where you are doing it.
The Principles of Networking: Online or Offline
#1: Propecting – Brokering – Networking – Do you know the difference? Most people “prospect” and think they are networking.
- Prospecting: When you walk through a reception or meet-and-greet or a conference and you’re ready with your pocket-full of business cards, ready to go elevator pitch and proactively looking for new potential customers. This is not networking!
- Brokering: This is when you connect two people, then expect to be repaid for it (again… not networking!). This is a common mistake that happens in referral organizations. Reciprocity is not linear. As John Jantsch says, “There’s no need to keep score. The Universe will sort out the accounting.”
- Networking: When done correctly, networking is when you connect two or more people who should meet. It’s about adding increase to the lives of others and building mutual social equity.
#2: The premise is relationships not selling – It’s about starting and nurturing mutually beneficial relationships by first adding value and increase to the lives of others. Seriously, what do you really think of someone who proposes marriage on a first date?
#3: GIVING is the essence of true networking – Let me expand that to “giving without the expectation of receiving”.
#4: Listen – Be honest. The best conversations you’ve ever had while networking are with the person who gave you the time of day. The one who listened and asked. The one who was engaged and interested in you first. Be this rare bird for others. Remember: most people are prospecting. Be the lone networker and you’ll be the most memorable.
#5: Act like a host – Think about the difference between how a guest and a host behave. A host is welcoming, introduces others and gets conversations started. Much like the one who listens, when you act like a host regardless of the situation you stand out in the crowd.
#6: Cultivate credibility – The more you give, listen, ask and act like a host, the more valuable you become in other people’s networks. Your reputation rises and you become an indispensable asset.
#7: Educate – Share your expertise from the premise of adding value to your networks. When you demonstrate your expertise in a way that gives true value and isn’t tied to a sales outcome, it elevates trust. And trust is essential in today’s business environment.
#8: Be responsive – It shocked me when I was recognized as one of the most responsive women on Twitter. What I do by following the principles of networking isn’t anything extraordinary. The reality: most people in social media are prospecting not networking. And see how giving and listening and asking and acting like a host made me stand out? Give it a try.
As you can see, the fundamentals of effective networking can be applied to both online and offline endeavors.
How do you make it work for YOU? Master the rules. Then, create your own. Once you know how to play the game, the venue doesn’t matter.
