Take Marketing Off the Back Burner (9 in a series of 10)

 Networking Squared

Raise your Networking to a higher power by leading a three-way conversation.

In these unusual times, I hope that you, your family and your team remain focused on your goals.

During this interim period of uncertainty (May 2020), you may seek opportunities for re-connecting with others as part of your business development.

Tap into your network of contacts and locate those who might welcome a conversation with a potential collaborator or referral source.

This is the ninth in a series of tips that help you to continue promoting your services. If your marketing activity sits on the back burner, like this tea kettle, move it to the front.

You probably receive a substantial portion of your business from referrals.



Referrals and Networking are the opposite sides of the same coin; why do many people say they dislike Networking?

People refer those whom they know among their many contacts.

How did they gather those contacts?

Through networking!

Consider your many connections in diverse circles and among allied professionals: Your Gold Mine of 5,000 Contacts.

Plan to catch up with them, with a twist.

Invite them to a call with someone with a similar business, a related target market or even a contact who enjoys the same pastime of swing dancing.

You can raise your networking activity to a higher power by teaming up and having a three-way conversation, what I call Networking Squared.

When your invitations are accepted by both parties, here’s what happens next:

• The three of you chat in an online meeting or conference call;
• The contacts introduce themselves and discover they have overlapping areas of mutual interest;
• They swap war stories and compare notes on shared experiences;
• They offer to send each other recent articles and newsletters;
• They agree to keep in touch.

Perhaps they find a way to collaborate on a project, article, podcast, webinar or be a guest author for the other’s newsletter or blog.

That’s the power of Networking Squared!

Indeed, that is how attorney Patricia Werschulz and marketer Sandra Holtzman have published two articles in The New York Law Journal. Plus, Werschulz has spoken at Holtzman’s class at the Fashion Institute of Technology.

The following discussions will help you strengthen your network as you actively introduce contacts to each other.

Up with Referrals! Down with Word-of-Mouth.
Two Can Network Better Than One

Here are all the resources on one sheet.

Tips

What are good questions to get the conversational ball rolling in your Networking Squared meeting? The best questions are open-ended, permitting the respondent to share an example or anecdote that illustrates the point of discussion. Some favorites are:


• How do you help others: Save Time, Save Money, Make More Money or Get More Joy out of Life?
• What was the highlight of the past year (or quarter) in helping a client?
• (In reply to a statement) That sounds hard. How do you do that?

Learn more about Problem and Solution Questions. You may also request an e-book with an innovative approach to networking.

Here’s the list of the 10 articles in this series

Contact

Do you want to raise the power of your networking activity? Contact me at Janet@JanetLFalk.com, set an appointment here or call me at 212.677.5770 to get started. Let’s review your contacts and see who might make good matches for a Networking Squared conversation.

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(This discussion has been lightly edited for updated content.)
Image Credit: Omar Rodriguez