Welcome to my blog, I’m Tracy Repchuk the Marketing Makeover Maestro and today is a very exciting one as I take you on a journey of my experience at the World Internet Main Event, and talk about the power of Networking.
You can also listen to this topic on blogtalkradio.com/busyworkingwomen
Networking is a powerful way to expand your business, grow your network, and build partnerships that make your business prosper.
I’ll start off with 2 key components to a successful networking venture
1. Plan what your goals are for that show
2. Go to them – you can’t sit at home, in a home-based office, behind your computer and really excel at full speed. Not only is that incredibly lonely but the big fish are out at sea, and it’s much easier to reel them in when they meet you.
Networking is a skill that once mastered becomes a way to attract people to your business, products, seminars, anything, in an offline world. There are many times you may be at a social event, not necessarily related to your industry, but you would be surprised at who you can meet in the real world. With most of our effort on getting traffic online, it’s easy to forget we actually have offline methods too. (Remember, from the olden days.)
Networking is a breeze for some, and torture for others. It truly involves putting yourself out there and letting others get to know you.
For many, it is the possibility that who you approach, rejects you in some way – that causes people to be adverse to networking and taking advantage of this critical part of the business cycle.
Networking simply involves meeting and interacting with others to improve the status of yourself, your business and your product or service.
And it is because of networking that I have made it as far as I have due to the people I meet when I move out from behind my computer.
If I did not go to the World Internet Summit in Sept. 2006, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Then I went again this past weekend, and because of that I met more joint venture partners, more contacts to create beneficial relationships with, and achieved my goal.
So do you want to hear what my goal was for the WIME ?
I wanted to be invited to be a platform speaker – this show profiles speakers such as Stephen Pierce, Ewen Chia, Mark Joyner, Armand Morin, most of the legends and greats have appeared at this show – and in March of 2008 – I will be appearing in Australia at the World Internet Summit.
Seriously, I am dancing over this. Goal set, goal got – And it is truly another Quantum Leap.
So we’ll talk a bit about networking in general, then I’ll answer any questions or talk about the show I was just at.
So let’s take a look at the 5 ways to network so that it becomes a part of your lifestyle.
1. The Initial Greet
2. Your Goal For Each Person
3. Becoming a Networking Butterfly
4. The Money is in the Follow-up
5. Growth and Expansion
I have gotten this from my book “31 Days to Millionaire Marketing Miracles” available at Amazon if you don’t have a copy.
1. The Initial Greet
Remember that when you are meeting someone they are just like you. They are there to meet people, get contacts, grow their business, and you are just as good a candidate to them, as they are to you, so be confident. Have good eye contact, a firm hand shake, introduce yourself, ask them what they do – make it about them, and then you can see where you fit in to what they do. You have the advantage of custom tailoring the conversation to what you can provide for them. Keep your body language loose and relaxed, be comfortable, and be yourself. Get passionate about what you can do for them, and leave them with a lasting impression.
2. Your Goal for Each Person
Because you have managed to ‘cause’ the conversation, gained the advantage of hearing about them first so you can casually pitch to suit their needs, you need to think about your goal for each person you meet. Is this a possible client, a potential partner, a great marketing contact – whatever that person does, they can probably help you in some way, even if it isn’t for the purpose you approached them for. Be flexible, and keep each person in mind for something.
3. Becoming a Networking Butterfly
When you are at a networking or social event, time is money. Once you have swapped cards, exchanged information, and you have understood what the goal for this person is, it is time to move on. You need to spread your wings, politely depart and meet someone else. The key is in the follow-up after the event where you can spend oodles of time talking, but right now you have a mission, and that is to meet as many people as possible in the time allocated. The relationship building comes later. So you can glance around and pre-select the next person who seems available, thank your current prospect for their time, tell them it was a pleasure meeting them, and that you’ll contact them when you get back to your office next week. Good eye contact again, firm handshake, and move to your next person. Don’t worry about leaving them standing there – the point is to not hang out with someone who is afraid to work the room, and you work it. That – they’ll remember.
4. The Money is in the Follow-Up
This is the time now where you take all of your business cards, get organized, know who was good for what, sort them in a database such as ACT! or GoldMine, and then plan your strategy. If they were possible clients, call these people first. Have a scripted message if you need one to make sure your goal is met, and have another one in case you get voice mail that you can pleasantly expound. Then keep working them until your objectives are achieved. And remember, this is just like the networking event – you have a lot of calls to make, so once you have the next action step for them or yourself, it’s time to move on.
5. Growth and Expansion
Networking is a vital part of your growth and expansion whether you do it at a live event or set up a strategy where you can do it online through various technologies such as landing pages, autoresponders and teleseminars. Make sure you take care of all the people you meet, keep in touch through newsletters or calls and e-mails, and good management of these relationships will make a significant contribution to your business.
As soon as you can, also add them to your autoresponder system and let the automatic building begin.
Overall, if you are confident in what you are offering, just follow the 5 steps and you’ll become a networking pro in no time at all.
In today’s after show, I will be talking about the latest show I attended, my networking successes, and what’s coming down the pipeline for this new frontier.
Coming up –
Monday Sept 24th I will be doing an introduction to bookwise at www.blogtalkradio.com/bookwisefamily or 646-716-9831
And on Wednesday Sept. 26th I will interviewing Dr. Patricia Ross, about her latest released series about affirmations – in which I have a chapter as well – called Making Quantum Leaps – and the affirmations to help with that.
To register for that simply go to www.quantumleapgoals.com – It will be at 6pm PST
To sign up for my marketing, business, finance and life strategies – go to: www.marketingmakeovermiracles.com
Have a great day, and make your internet marketing a part of your life, not your life.
Tracy Repchuk
Bestselling author of 31 Days to Millionaire Marketing Miracles
Available at Amazon.com
