When you tell entrepreneurs that relationships are the “key”
to developing a personal and professional network, they often smile and
acknowledge the concept without fully appreciating its true meaning.
Just like fishing,
the
process of meeting people, staying in touch, and then asking for their business is something you can do time after time.
Do referrals happen by accident?
As a business professional, I can tell you from personal experience how effective referral networking has been in the success of my own businesses.
There’s a very good reason why referral networking is becoming an accepted and important marketing strategy in businesses worldwide: it works.
Imagine being dropped off in a foreign city with nothing but a few hundred dollars and told that the only way to get home was to start a business and make a lot of money—in six days. Well, you don’t have to imagine it. Just watch the BBC television show The Last Millionaire.
Has anyone ever said to you, “If there’s anything I can do to help you with your business, let me know”? And was your response “Thank you. Now that you mention it, there are a few things I need”? Or did you say, “Well, thanks, I’ll let you know”?
If you’re like most of us, you aren’t prepared to accept help at the moment it’s offered. Before you can do so, you have to make the connection between specific items or services you need and the people who can supply them.
Every business should have a CNO, but you don’t have to hire one. You just have to take on the “CNO mindset!”
As a business owner, one of your primary goals is to continue to fill your pipeline with new business. One of the most cost-effective ways to do this – particularly for a smaller business – is through networking. Before you can begin to be an effective networker, it’s important to identify some of the strengths and skill sets that you bring to the table as a business professional.
Do you have balance in your life? Personal and professional balance in our lives seems to be the ever-elusive dream. Trying to balance home, work, health, spiritual discipline, and free time seems almost impossible. Business people have told me this for years.
