Relationship Marketing | Build Your Online Business

Marketing your small business offline is essential to the success of your business.
Subscribe

Archive for the ‘Entrepreneur – Network Marketing’

Next Entries →

Connecting People Through E-Mails – an Important Step In Networking

August 03, 2009 By: Yvonne A Jones Category: Business - Home-Based Business, Entrepreneur - Network Marketing

This post was written by Barbara Lopez of Brightfarm Introductions.  I felt it was a really great article to make networking and connecting people through e-mails a more effective process and wanted to share it with my readers.

—————-

In your daily travels, you'll often times meet people who you think should meet someone else in your network.  Sometimes
it's someone who shares a need that you think someone you know can fill
for them, and sometimes it's a connection based on some sort of common
interest – people that have a complimentary type of business or
service, or even just a common personal interest.  

Email
is a quick and easy way to make that connection happen.  Below are some
tips on how make an email introduction as effective as possible.
 
For
the purpose of this tip, I'm going to create a made-up example so that
you can see how to use this type of flow for your introduction.
 
Use both names in the subject line:   Quickly identify that the purpose of the email is to make an introduction.  Mine usually look like this:
 
Introducing Sally Smith & Ted Jones
 -or-
[Introduction]  Sally Smith & Ted Jones
 
This
will be extremely helpful for both Sally and Ted when they are
referring back to the email introduction – it will be much easier for
them to locate.
 
Greet BOTH parties in the opening:  Rather
than just starting with "Dear Sally, I'd like you to meet Ted"…greet
them both so that they both have equal footing and feel like you're
making a personal, beneficial connection to both:
 
Dear Sally and Ted,
 
State why you're making the introduction right off the bat and include YOUR relationship to each other:  Get right to the point of the introduction:
 
I
hope that you are both doing well.  The purpose of this email is to
introduce the both of you to each other.  Sally is a client of mine who
is new to the area and is looking for a handyman who can help her with
some fix-it-up projects around her house.  Ted is a fellow member of my
local networking group, and offers handyman services in our area.   
 
Tell them why you think they'd be a good fit:  You've
worked hard to build a solid network, foster that network by sharing
why you are introducing them (spread the love!).  Sharing a bit of
information that will help them to know a bit more about each other
should they pursue the introduction is helpful:
 
Sally,
a hairsylist, and her beautiful family (husband Tom and 3 children)
live in the (Name of) neighborhood, and are in the process of
renovating their home a bit, and need some additional help.  
 
Ted
has been a local handyman for over 10 years, and is widely known for
his outstanding customer service and his ability to fix just about
anything.  He's amazing!
 
Give ways to get more information, along with contact information:  You
can warm up the introduction by providing additional ways for people to
"research" each other before the official introduction:
 
Sally
works at ABC Salon, and the best time and place to reach her is during
the day at work. Her contact info:  (phone, website, email)
 
Ted
has a great list of services up on his website, but is also happy to
discuss other needs you might have.  His contact info: (phone, website,
email, LinkedIn profile)
 
Encourage the introduction to go further:  
Don't just send the introduction and hope for the best, encourage them
to take the introduction further, and offer to follow up:
 
I'm
sure that the two of you will enjoy connecting and seeing if you are a
good fit for Sally's home project needs.  Please do take an opportunity
to connect.  If I can do anything to assist, please let me know.  I'd
be happy to follow up to see if the introduction was a success.
 
Additional tips:   
  • Don't put too much pressure on the two, make the introduction light
    enough that they are simply receiving contact information and a
    recommendation (as in "connect and SEE if you're a good fit for your
    needs").
  • If you think an introduction would be more appropriate in person,
    offer to meet the parties for coffee or for a visit at one of their
    offices.  If you do make this offer, arrive to make the introduction,
    stay for a bit to get the conversation going, and then excuse yourself
    once they are up and running -  don't become involved in the business
    at hand unless they ask for your input.
  • If you offer to follow up, be SURE to follow up – this would be
    best by phone to both Sally and Ted after an appropriate length of
    time.  If they haven't made the introduction, ask if you can help
    further. 
  • If the parties decide NOT to take the introduction further, don't
    sweat it.  Not everyone will be a match made in heaven, so don't probe
    any further as to why, simply respect their decision.

Who
can you connect today?  Have a purposeful reason for the connection,
and the parties involved will be delighted that you thought of them and
their interests/needs.  Happy connecting!
 

Barbara Lopez, "The Elevator Pitch
Coach" with Brightfarm Introductions, helps business professionals
introduce themselves with high impact.  Everything in business starts with
an introduction.  If you're ready to learn how to introduce yourself and
your business professionally and comfortably, visit Barbara at www.brightfarm.com.  

Comments (2)

Do You Have a Marketing Strategy When Attending Networking Events?

May 08, 2009 By: Yvonne A Jones Category: Entrepreneur - Network Marketing

Networking events are great meeting places and provide venues to work within groups – usually of professionals. Like any other successful marketing strategy, there is an art to networking that involves many areas, but we'll focus on just one for now. Your Goal!  What is your goal when you attend networking events? Is it to quickly tell everyone who you are, what you do, hand out as many cards as possible, then leave?

If your goal is to get your card into the hands of as many people as possible without taking the time to find out who they are, what they do and how you can help them, then your purpose for attending would have failed. It's important to remember that networking is about building relationships and to achieve this it is important to be others focused. Get to know people by asking questions about them. Ask simple conversation starters like: What do you do? You can follow with questions like, How long have you been in business or working this particular business? Who is your target market? How can I help YOU?

Someone may say that if all they're to be concerned about is the other person, what's the point in attending these events? The point is that this is a marketing strategy that works! When you show that you care about others, they begin to build a measure of trust in you. People are so accustomed to being pitched to,  when you display the opposite behavior this breaks down some of the defensive wall they surround themselves with and will be more receptive to you.
Go with a mindset to GIVE, and you'll be pleasantly surprised how much you GET.

I invite you to click here to learn more about a web-based greeting card system that allows you to follow-up quickly after networking events with the people with whom you made a connection.

You will also receive tips from my Report, “One Dozen Reasons to Send a Follow-up Card.”

Please feel free to post your comments. 

No Comments →

Next Entries »