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| Marketing |
 Prospecting
- Effective Tips on Building Business Through NetworkingBy Stephen Chapman, Canadian Leadership Institute Study after study have shown that women repeatedly get a raw deal in the workplace yet do very well as entrepreneurs. Some ‘experts’ would have us believe that women have a lower failure rate in self-employment because they don’t take chances and they grow slowly. I don’t buy that. Without risk and a willingness to push the envelope, self-employment is simply another job without benefits. There are simply too many outstanding women entrepreneurs and success stories for this simplification to be accurate. I believe women do well in business because they do their homework, are less impulsive, borrow less money, and are naturals at networking. For example, look at the story of four men entering an elevator on the 20th floor. They spend the next five minutes watching the numbers click down to ‘G’ in stony silence. Four women enter the same elevator and by the time they reach the ground floor they have exchanged names, pictures of their children, wedding horror stories, and have a lunch meeting planned for later in the week At some point they will discuss business and find common ground before the month is out. As with every exaggeration there are grains of truth here that we can cultivate into a recipe for success. Every day entrepreneurs are presented with numerous opportunities to tell others about what we do. Often we only have 30-60 seconds, and usually in situations where the focus and attention span is less than ideal. Simply capitalizing on these opportunities can virtually double your business overnight. It is surprising how often I see even experienced entrepreneurs make these simple prospecting mistakes. Following are some tips to anchor your prospecting success: 1) Always have business cards with you, and more importantly always get a business card from the person you are talking to. Having their card to follow up with is far more valuable than they having yours. 2) In networking situations invest in a name-tag and wear it. The cost is generally less than $15 and will be the best investment you can make. The general population is notoriously bad at remembering names so why not make it easier for people to remember yours? And having a business name or slogan on your name-tag is a natural conversation starter. 3) Instead of telling people about your business and why you started it (inevitably taking far more than the time you might have) incorporate a solid benefit statement in your opening line and stop. People will feel compelled to ask you for more information about how you provide whatever the benefit is. 4) Don’t prejudge your audience. Although the person you are talking to might not need your product or service, they invariably know someone who can. 5) Give people a reason to connect with you sooner verses later. You should always have a limited time offer at your disposal that you can toss out. Everyone loves to get something special so use this for your and their advantage. 6) Be very specific when asking for a referral. Who is your best client? What industry or group can most benefit from your limited time offer? As a rule I have found women to be less willing to give quality referrals and business to strangers (with notable exceptions). Women tend to be more protective of the people they know so they don’t hand out names and contacts to people they don’t have a feel for. However you would be surprised at how quickly a relationship can be cultivated. Women have many natural advantages in networking situations. Psychological studies have shown that both men and women are less threatened by contact with a female stranger. Being less guarded they are more likely to be receptive to a direct request for assistance. They are also more likely to be open about their current needs. By using these advantages and effectively informing people of your business you will be surprised at how quickly the quality and quantity of clients will increase for little or no additional expense. Stephen Chapman’s Canadian Leadership Institute offers training in Leadership, Public Speaking, Finance, Powerful Presentations, & Prospecting for Gold. Call 660.4595 for more info or email: steve@ward8.com |