Networking For Success

We met Joe Costantino, president of Business Marketing Success, LLC at a seminar co-sponsored by the South Shore Ad Club and the South Shore Womens' Business Network. 

Joe handed out a great form to help your networking partners know what kind of business you are looking for and whom you can help.  Joe has included his own "How To Refer" form so you have a great example of how to fill it out.  I thought it was terrific! The members of our Joint Venture Partnership are using it so we know exactly what each of us would like out of our relationships.

Here's what Joe has to say about Networking:

"Networking is a key to your success in business and in life. If you embrace the truth that, all things being equal, people prefer to do business with someone they know, like, and trust, then failing to leverage the influence and goodwill of someone who has already earned those qualities and is willing to help you bring in a prospect and
enjoy a competitive edge is kind of like paying for your groceries but leaving them at the store. Why do that with the goodwill you’ve earned in your business and personal relationships?

A lot of people aren’t doing it because they lack either a system to do it easily and effectively, the skills and ability to use an available networking system, or the motivation.

I find networking works best when you find another business—ideally, related to yours—
whose owner can refer you to his or her clients and vice versa.

For example, let’s take home remodeling. All kinds of contractors are in the same
kind of homes that a remodeler wants to be in. They put in swimming pools, they do
landscaping, they mow the lawn, they decorate the new family room, they service the furnace, they paint the interior, they fix the garage door. So any remodeler who isn’t actively working with other contractors to exchange referrals with their respective clients is missing the boat—big time!

I find that about 90 percent of all businesses are in this situation. The other 10 percent need to rely on word-of-mouth advertising and networking with their existing clients to reach their goals.

Here is my “Ten Commandments for Networking Success.”

1. Deserve to be networked. You have to be able to deliver the goods and
   make your customers “dee-lighted.” If you can’t do that, no one will want to
   network with you.
   
2. Communicate WHOM you want to reach by networking. It’s not as easy as
   it seems. Amazingly, most small business owners can’t do this.
3. Define, identify, and approach people who can network with you. Almost
   every business owner knows people who call on the same clients or
   customers they do but for a non-competitive reason. You must find these
   people and begin to work with them or you’ll be working a lot harder than you
   like and a lot longer than you expect!
4. Have a plan to get your networking sources producing names for you. A
   key part of your plan must be to tell others whom it is you want to meet.
5. Craft a message that tells people who you are and what you do. That way,
   when you do reach a referral, they’ll either qualify or disqualify themselves for
   you very, very quickly.
6. Use testimonials and case studies—not fluff copy. Whether you’re
   educating a networking partner or a referral about your business, use client
   endorsements and case studies. Anything else is “fluff” and most people see
   through that easily.
7. Create something of value to offer a networking partner and contact. This
   allows a prospective client or contact to sample your approach to solving the
   kind of problems they probably have—and would love to get rid of.
   Informational reports on how to solve common problems that your target
   market members may be suffering from make you attractive to both your
   networking partners and their network contacts.
8. Commit your networking plan to writing. Writing makes it real.
9. Review your efforts regularly. Consistently ask yourself things like, “What’s
   working? What’s not? Which of my networking partners or sources are my
   most valuable? Most productive?” Never forget that improvement is a
   constant process and requires diligence on your part.
10. Support your networking partners. If you believe in someone, help him or
    her. meet people in your own network such as your clients, colleagues, and
    CPA. Make it your job to help them reach their goals and realize the vision
    they have for their business. The goodwill you’ll generate won’t be taxed by
    the IRS, and the benefits to you—the growth of your network, your business,
    and your revenues—will happen quickly."

For more information about Joe and his Success Coaching U Marketing Programs, visit BusinessMarketingSuccess.com

Connections Newsletter

Scott Otis has been networking and working in sales his whole life! After working for other companies as a salesman for many years, Scott decided to go out on his own and after much research, decided to open a carpet cleaning business.

Shortly after the first of the year, Scott started writing Connections, an email newsletter for connnecting serial networkers. While most new businesses must advertise for business growth, Scott has grown his new business with his networking skills. Scott was a wonderful, fun interview, as you'll see:

Why did you start Connections?
I've always networked and people would ask me where the next networking event was so I needed a way to tell them. I believe that "Givers Gain" and that networking opens doors, so I thought it would be a great idea. I had thought about doing it for a long time and didn't want to read in a newsletter that someone beat me to it.

What's your favorite thing about networking?
I like meeting people. I find that networking has gotten me out of my comfort zone and opened up a lot of opportunities.

What's the one thing you don't like?
That you can't do it from home - yet. Stay tuned, I'll update you on that in the future!

What good advice can you give to potential networkers?
Have clear, written goals about what you want to get out of networking. I suggest that you plan to meet 3 - 6 people per networking event and to follow up after; most people don't follow up. I send them a card or an email after our meeting.

What would you like people to know about you?
I really like to help people with networking, advice and with meeting someone; making connections. I love to help people grow their business and, if they'd like their carpets cleaned along the way, that's a bonus!

Scott is currently the president of BNI "Canal Connections." You can find him networking at one of the events listed in his newsletter 2-3 times a week. Be sure to say "Hello."

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