Maximize Your Networking Time

Yet again I've been out networking quite a bit this week.  Getting back, one of my priorities is to make sure I send a personal email out to everyone I met, following up on the initial brief discussion we might have had and reconnecting with people I've already met, sending them info they requested or that might be useful to them or passing on a useful contact.

Networking is a favoured marketing tactic for many small business owners but I'm always surprised by how few people follow up afterwards.  This time, out of the 40 or so people I met, I received 3 emails that same afternoon and a couple the following day - mostly just adding me to their mailing list or sending me a list of the services they provide.

The rest of them ... nothing.

In all - I probably met nearly 60 people during the course of the week and less than 10% of them have taken the trouble to follow up.

What a waste of time and effort.  So, not everyone is going to be a potential business prospect and not everyone will appreciate being 'spammed' as a new contact on your mailing list but you can at least start building a relationship that lasts more than a few minutes spent exchanging business cards.

August Newsletter - Networking, The Fine Art

Social media is very much in the news thee days and there can't be many people who haven't heard of Twitter or Facebook. Everyone is Twittering these days (me included), whether just for fun or to keep in touch with friends and family.

So why do we do it? For a business - it's another form of networking ...


Read the rest of the article in this month's free newsletter, just sign up on my website. You'll also have the chance to get a free Audit Feedback Session plus free tips, advice, information and news on how to improve your time management for your business and personal life.

Following Up

Networking is about getting to know people, making contacts and building relationships. Once you've made contact, that's only the start. It's not a one-touch, one-way process. It's something that will develop over time.

Many people go to networking meetings - just gather up the business cards, put them into a pile, may or may not add them to their mailing/spamming list but that's probably the last contact they have until they meet them at the next meeting.

So, in order to make your networking more effective,

DO ...
... send a personal message, talk about something you discussed when you met or something they mentioned, share some useful information.
... arrange to meet up and find out more about each other's business and what you can do to help.

DON'T ...
... send a generic message to every attendee - with a sales pitch.
... add everyone to your mailing list by default without asking first or giving them the option to subscribe or unsubscribe.

Network, connect and re-connect ... often.

Finding Followers On Twitter

One of my Twitter followers recently asked me how to find new people to follow.

Here's a few of the ways I find them.

• Check your own followers followers - you might either find someone you already know but didn't know was on Twitter or come across someone interesting to follow.

• Check out sites like MrTweet, WeFollow if you're interested in a specific area or business.

• Look at Twitterholic and find other Tweeters in your location - town, city, area, country. Great if you're focusing on a particular location.
  

• Look at your Twitterstream - you'll see snippets of conversations with people you're not yet following. If they have something interesting to say, check out their Twitter profile and follow them.

• Check out the #followfriday tweets from your followers - who are they following and recommending.
  

Personally I'd say DON'T autofollow - you may end up following people you really have no interest or connection with or those who are just interested in numbers or have one-way traffic.

AVOID the 'get more followers' or 'find hundreds of followers' schemes - for me, they're the equivalent of junk mail. You'll get lots but how useful or interesting will it really be?

Make It Easy For People To Contact You

I'm often surprised at how many businesses appear not to want to give out their contact information.

Just the other day I needed to get hold of someone quickly, who I've connected with online but not yet in the 'real world'. They'd contacted me via email and needed some urgent info but hadn't left their contact details, perhaps assuming that I had them.

However ...

• They didn't have their contact details in their email - a simple email signature is a great way to provide these.
  
• Their online profiles have no contact information - if you don't want them in every profile, at least have them on your website.
  
• Their website is 'under construction' so no contact details there either.

While we all want to protect our information from spammers and the less scrupulous - if you run a business you need to make it easy for people to contact you.

• Include a phone number - not just a mobile.
• Provide an email address or a contact form.

Yes, it does mean you get the occasional unwanted sales call and spam emails but from a business perspective, it's more important to be contactable and approachable - don't hide behind a wall of anonymity.

May Newsletter - So What So You Do?

You've no doubt heard that question many times before. It nearly always comes up whenever you meet someone new - whether at business networking or social events.

Networking is something every small business should include as part of their marketing mix - especially if you offer a service. Whether you prefer online or face to face it can be a great way ...


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How I Use Twitter

People use Twitter in many different ways - I thought it might be useful to let you know how I use Twitter, so you know what to expect.

I primarily use Twitter to follow people in my network and to let people know what I'm up to. That doesn't always mean I'll be telling you when I'm off to make a cup of coffee or what I'm having for lunch. Yes, that does happen occasionally but I like to have brief conversations with people, to respond to other people's Tweets, to pass on information, to send out occasional time tips and to let you know when my latest newsletter is out, when I've got a teleclass or workshop on and when I get an article posted.

I'll try to be useful, informative and interesting and if you send me a message or ask me a question then I'll respond either publicly or privately and I'll happily point you in the right direction if I don't have the answer.

I do use Twitterfeed to feed posts from my blogs as it saves time reposting or duplicating material and I'm all for that.

If you follow me I will always check out your Twitter profile to find out more about you and what you do. So, it helps to have a bio on your profile, your full name and a website link, as I'll often click on those if I want to find out more. I'll probably send you a direct message, shortly after you start following me. I don't auto-DM, so if you get a message from me, I've sent it personally, even if it is a brief introductory message.

I don't auto-follow and I may or may not follow you back. It often depends on if I know you, if you know someone I know, what you do, what your interests are, how many followers you have and the type of tweets. Having thousands of followers or only having one way traffic in your tweets is unlikely to make me want to follow you. However, I have wide and varied interests, so I'll often follow someone unusual or a bit different or just for fun.

If you'd like to find out more then Follow Me and see what happens.

Are You Tweeting Yet?

You may or may not have heard of the latest phenomenon to hit the web. It's called Twitter and it's been popping up all over the place on TV and Radio with the likes of Stephen Fry and Jonathan Ross now tweeting.

While the original purpose may have been to let people know "What Are You Doing?", most people aren't really that interested in what you had for breakfast, that you're helping the kids with their homework or that you're just off to do some shopping but they might be interested in your expertise, they could have an answer to your question and you might just find out how to do ... well, just about anything. You only have to ask.

Twitter messages are limited to 140 characters, so it's like sending a text message but via the web. You can send a message to all your Followers (people who have signed up to receive your Tweets - as Twitter messages are called), reply to a Tweet (@) by including the Tweeter's name eg. @clareevans or send a direct message (d) that only that person will receive.

I love the quick and easy way that Twitter works. You can get a whole wealth of information in just 140 characters. For me, it's a great way to keep in touch with my contacts and wider network and to connect with people on a more regular basis than I would if I spent my time emailing or phoning them.

There are several people I recommend you follow if you're new to Twitter. @markshaw has plenty of links to useful info and often Re-Tweets (RT) things he finds. @NikkiPilkington has a whole blog on "Twitter for Business" and @grahamjones also has lots of useful info on Twitter.

On the international side there is @ProBlogger @chrisbrogan and @mashable - are just a few of several, prolific online media marketing people. Dozens more I could mention as well as the Celeb Tweeters and other more obscure people who are fun to follow, if you've got the time.

Connect with your contacts, connect with your customers and clients. Have different Twitter accounts for different, focused tweets (use Twhirl to manage multiple accounts).

BUT - plan your Twitter Time along with your other marketing/business time, so you don't find your day disappearing in a stream of Twitter chat! Use tools like Twitterfeed, Tweetdeck or Twhirl to manage your 'stream' so that you can filter your Tweets into useful groups.

Follow me on Twitter.

Bacon, Eggs and Juggling.

I was at my monthly Chamber breakfast this morning and apart from the fact that it's the best breakfast in town, it's also a great motivational start to the day, even though it's the end of the week. This morning was no exception - a great talk from Rob Hughes. Well, not so much of a talk, as a lesson in how to juggle but delivered in such a way that, while we may not have been juggling by the end of the session, we were at least a few steps further along in the process, with the potential to actually master the art if we decided to apply the few tips and tricks we learnt.

It's all in the throwing rather than the catching and about not allowing the logical left-side of the brain to take over from the free-flowing creativity of the right-brain. It's a great way to exercise both sides of the brain. So, I've dug out my trainee juggling balls and this year, I will learn to juggle.

Now what was it? Throw, throw, catch, catch ...

Peacehaven Home And Business Showcase

I'm just back from attending the first Peacehaven Home and Business Showcase organised by the local Chamber, of which I'm a member. Taking place in not the most salubrious of surroundings of the Meridian Centre, which is currently undergoing refurbishment for the soon to be re-opened Co-op supermarket.

The Chamber team had put a lot of work into this first event and it showed. Although we could have done with a few more visitors, there was plenty to inform and even entertain throughout the day and with one lucky winner getting a signed copy of my book (when it's released) I managed to attract a fair number of subscribers. There were almost 30 stands at the show and a series of seminars throughout the day to attract people in. Visitors seemed to vary from passers-by wondering what was going on to existing clients who'd been invited along by their provider.

I spent alot of time talking, standing and handing out leaflets and sweets (always popular) but had a great and productive day and needed this evening's yoga session to unwind and take the weight off my feet.

Following Up

My latest newsletter is just out. This month's main article is about how to arrive on time for your meetings.

It’s all very well going to meeting but you’re unlikely to be able to turn up, sit in, listen and then go home without needing some form of follow up.

Don’t go to a meeting and then forget all about it as soon as you leave the room or get back to the office. If the meeting was productive, will have come away with a number of actions.

After the meeting follow-up with everyone you’ve met by either sending them an email or phone them within a couple of days of the meeting.

- if you'd like to read more of the June issue, just sign up on my website and you'll also receive free Power Time Tips.

Old School Networking

I went to a networking meeting today and was treated to a fine display of old school networking. You know the kind, where you ask the question "What do you do?" and you get whammed with a sales pitch. This didn't happen just once but several times.

There were also people busily moving from one person to another, checking out their name badges, thinking "Do I want to talk to this person" or more likely (can I sell to this person), having a brief conversation, handing out their business card and then moving on. Admittedly there were a lot of new people there so perhaps they've not learnt the etiquette of networking or the reality of good networking habits.

Right at the end someone I hadn't met at all, was rushing round, shoving their sales material in front of everyone in case they missed out. "Hi, this is me, give me a call, bye"

It was a shame because there was a nice buzz about the place but if that's what I'm going to be subjected to at each meeting - either I won't go or I need to brush up on my diversionary tactics.

Just Because I'm In Your Network

... does not give you the right to send me 'junk mail' or automatically add me to your mailing list. Or does it?

I produce a monthly newsletter but I don't make a habit of automatically adding everyone to it that I happen to connect with - either online or offline. Yes, I might invite them to join and occasionally send them the latest issue if I think it will be of interest but generally I take a passive approach with my newsletter list. After all one of the issues people have is too much email. Given what I do, I'm not about to add to that by sending them something they don't want - even if it is the only one they ever need to read!

If I did take this bold step - the newsletter has a verification process, so they have to confirm they want to receive my newsletter and they always have the option to opt out at any time.

The more networking I've done, the more I've been added to people's email lists. Promotions for vehicle leasing, newsletters from solicitors, IT companies, web designers, therapists etc. Most of whom I don't even recognise the name or company. Where did they get my address from? Then I come across their name as I browse through the many forums and online groups or turn up at a networking meeting - ah, that's where they got it from.

Is it generally considered open season on your email address if you're listed on the same business directory or have 'connected' through a networking site? An invitation to freely send you unsolicited email?

I do email my business contacts list every now and then, if I have something particular I want to share or a seminar I want to promote but I always include the option to be removed from my mailing list, if they don't want to receive these in future.

Ecademy Celebrates 10 Years

Last night I made one of my rare visits to London to meet up with people at the Ecademy 10th Birthday Celebrations at the Selfridges Hotel. Over 500 people were crammed into a pretty small area. Trying to match names to faces and faces to names. Most people were wandering round the room glass or bottle in hand glancing at about chest height to read people's name badges before then connecting with the face and seeing if they recognised them.

It was a great opportunity to meet up with people I've been connected with online but never actually met in person as well as some familiar faces who I have met before. Not only do people not necessarily look like their photos but you forget about the height thing. You have no idea of a person's height, so it's surprising when someone you thought was short turns out to be tall and someone who you'd got in your mind as being tall is actually quite short.

Even when you have a photo - you still form a picture in your mind of what the person actually looks like and sounds like. When you meet them in real life the reality is different. After all, you're talking to a real life person and not a 2D snapshot of them.

If you spend time networking online - exchanging messages or even talking on the phone isn't the same make sure you meet up with people in real life too. It makes a big difference.

Breakfast With A Difference

I've got out of the habit of going to breakfast networking meetings. Like many others, I find the regimented structure of BNI meetings and their pressure on referrals too much and not in line with the way I work.

I happily give referrals to and from my network but I do it in a much more natural way. If people want an accountant or book-keeper then I can happily recommend two or three to them. That way they can chose one that suits them.

However, the Brighton Chamber of Commerce has recently started holding regular breakfast meetings and I'd heard good things about them from the last chamber meeting I went to, so I thought it was about time I made a visit. They take place at Carluccio's one of the many new eaters that have opened up around the new Library in the town centre (sorry city centre). It's certainly a step up from the usual cooked breakfast that gets presented along with a tepid cup of coffee at the usual hotel venues. Freshly squeezed orange juice and a selection of danish and croissants to start us off, while people stand around and catch up with old contacts and meet new members.

The coffee was thick enough to stand your spoon up in and strong enough to strip paint and ensure I'd be awake for the rest of the day. Good, proper, Italian coffee. After we'd all got settled at tables there was then a steady stream of breakfast plates that came out and more coffee (or tea) if you wanted it. Decently cooked, scrambled egg or a slice of toasted bread, mushrooms - not the usual wet soggy mass and tomato. Slow to appear but worth the wait. The only downside was that the venue was so noisy you actually had difficult holding a conversation with the person sat next to you. There was a short presentation from one of the Chamber members and now that O2 are sponsoring the events, one lucky member went away with a new mobile phone. She did have the largest business card of all of us, so that could be a good trick for next time.

Definitely worth a visit and at least you don't have to get up every week if you want to attend.

Money Marketing Live 2007 - Olympia

More fun that I thought possible.

Not only did I get a chance to meet up and chat to a few people from my Ecademy network but I got an even better understanding of what IFAs have to face with recent changes and review of their industry. The challenges of running a successful business while dealing with compliance, certification and clients.

I sat in on the IFA Business Model Panel Debate and David Scarlett's presentation. Both really useful in understanding the challenges to IFAs and their business. It was also useful to talk to some of the many providers exhibiting at the event and understand what they have to offer to IFAs, and more importantly ... what they don't offer in terms of business support and personal development

A very worthwhile day out.

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