Don't you want my business card?

To grow our businesses, we need to grow our network. The web has given us all sorts of great ways to do this virtually, but never mistake a friend on Facebook for someone who can regularly send you business. Think about the people who refer you the most business.  My guess is that they are people who: <ol> <li>Hold a high opinion of you and your work.</li> <li>Are familiar with your services.  (Possibly they are past clients.)</li> <li>Have met you in person.</li> </ol> This will not, of course, be true for everybody; different industries, and different business styles, will differ.  But if your business is not 100% completely online, chances are good that your best referral partners meet these three criteria. If you don't have any referral partners yet, you have got to find people who meet these three criteria. How do we do that? Networking, baby!  You've got to work the room! I know, I know, you have a fear of public speaking so bad you can't talk to more than three people at one time without vomiting.  Or you are so busy making cold calls you can't afford the time it takes to meet and greet a room full of strangers. I've got news for you: the most successful people in your field have a big network.  And it got that way because they are good at meeting people, establishing a strong connection, and following up. Meeting people A simple online search for "networking" and "your city here" will give you a list of events to attend, many of them free.  Follow what <a href="http://www.gitomer.com">Jeffrey Gitomer</a> calls the "fifty butt rule."  If there are more than fifty butts in the room, make sure yours is there too. Join a networking group like <a href="http://www.bni.com">BNI</a>, join a civic club, or go onto <a href="http://www.meetup.com">Meetup.com</a> and find people with similar interests.  Commit to spending three hours per week networking, and you will see the results in under three months. Establish a Strong Connection The biggest mistake you can make when you meet someone is to start telling them all about your business.  Chances are, they don't care; you're a stranger.  You need to make a connection first. I do this, paradoxically, by asking about them and what they do.  If I can offer any ideas, I give them.  If I can give a referral, I give it.  Then I tell them who I am, and what I do. Spend about one minute on this, max.  If they want to know more, they will ask.  Just establish what it is that you do, and then turn the conversation back onto mutual ground.  Do you both have kids?  Do you root for the same team?  <a href="build-your-business-by-making-friends">Don't just make a contact, make a friend</a>. Follow Up After you make a connection, then you can trade business cards.  But be careful, these little cards are worth about as much as the paper they are printed on. Use them once, and use them effectively.  Send them a note saying how nice it was to meet them, and a closing reminder--"If I can ever be of service, don't hesitate to call."  You can do this with a paper note, or save a stamp and send them an email. Connect to them on <a href="http://www.linkedin.com">LinkedIn</a> or Biznik, and put that business card in your follow up file.  If you talked about sports, give them a call to remind them when their favorite team is playing.  Let them know about a great event that their kids could go to. People fail in networking because they assume they can walk into a room with a stack of business cards and walk out with a stack of referrals.  It just doesn't work that way.  Networking is an opportunity to be introduced to people, and an open door to a longer-term relationship. Seriously, how many referrals do you give to somebody you just met?  Think about it. Some final tips on working a room: <ul> <li>If you come to the event with someone you know, ignore them when you get there.  Spend all your time meeting new people if you want to get the most out of it.</li> <li>Shake hands and smile.  Stay positive.</li> <li>Don't spend too long with any one person.  How many people are in the room?  How much time do you have to talk to everybody?  If you seem to be making a great connection, set an appointment for coffee later in the week.</li> <li>Talk about yourself with clarity.  If you don't have an elevator pitch, join a <a href="http://www.toastmasters.org/">Toastmasters</a> group and get to work.</li> <li>Ask lots of questions.  If the other person does most of the talking, you win!</li> </ul> 2009-02-24T18:34:42Z