<p>Businesses are learning to be much more creative in growing their market through the use of word of mouth tactics and building a referral program. Thinking about who is my target customer and inventing new ways to encourage others to promote, refer, and collaborate with us can become a full time job in itself. I’ll be talking about two event networking types that can create a referral. The first is an (inside) referral program that promotes you the event leader as an expert and the other is an (outside) program for building you a bigger contact sphere.</p> <p><br>Referral Program Events</p> <p>Hosting events that promote your expertise (inside) is one way to stimulate more referrals and build relationships. These result in more recognition and building greater referral contact relationships. The goal is to create stronger ties with the people who are already referring you business. The other goal is to introduce your expertise to new businesses that may want to build a relationship. How you capitalize on the potential for referrals from these events is by inviting the right people to attend. Recognition from a pet stylist won’t help if you are selling virtual training programs for accountants. </p> <p>There are many creative ideas for creating referral events. Start with the idea of creating “ambassadors,” these are people that you want to have a strategic alliance with to promote your business. Who should be coming are those businesses that have referralbility. Your events need to be out-of-the-box thinking these days to attract attendance. One of my associates on the west coast told me about an event he organizes that includes his public relations training, a personalized public relations article for every participant, and a professional head shot photo. Keep in mind that referral programs serve a purpose for those coming. They want more business profits. Give them something they can walk away with. When done right, you can get immediate business referrals from hosting an inside event.</p> <p><br>Contact Sphere Events</p> <p>The contact sphere (outside) events can be held with an intention of inviting businesses that have complimentary needs and goals. Bringing people together to meet for the first time who will be able to have a networking relationship takes planning. If the needs and goals of the businesses that come to your event are complimentary, this increases your visibility and credibility within your community. Coordinate an event with a strategic alliance thinking where your business contacts could benefit from the dynamic meeting of people they could only dream of meeting someday. An event held can be fun like having an entire board of directors from a non-profit, event managers, graphic artists, and coaches arrive for a barbeque, meanwhile creating strategic allies. You may even give out prizes so they have something to leave with. Your company name embossed on the prize so they always remember that you helped them get what they needed and helped them meet the right people.</p> <p>Contact sphere events do have a feature of a lot of planning. Another way is to hire a speed networking event where the guests meet 12 to 20 new businesses in 5 minute increments.&nbsp; By hiring the professionals to run an event you can invest your social capital meeting other right connections. <a href="http://www.socialnetworkinggroup.com/">http://www.SocialNetworkingGroup.com</a>&nbsp; is a web site where you can learn about the benefits of speed networking events.</p> <p>When done right a networking event can grow your business contact sphere. Make sure you don’t make it into a heavy sales pitch. These are casual events about making a real connection and not just a social contact. After the event make sure you follow up and meet again with your new businesses to grow a credible and profitable relationship for ongoing referrals.</p> <p><br>&nbsp;</p> 2008-10-25T22:09:12Z -16.2521 482 2057 true 4 18853 business-networking-and-a-referral 4 2008-10-26T15:14:26Z 2008-10-26T15:14:26Z

There are two networking types that can create a referral. The first is an inside referral program that promotes you the event leader as an expert and the other is an outside program for building you a bigger contact sphere.

0 2009-02-24T09:46:46Z