For most solopreneurs (and small business owners in general), "networking" falls in the marketing column. It's a way to find new prospects and build relationships with existing clients. But if you just focus on getting more customers from your networking, you miss out on the most powerful connections that can support your business: your fellow solopreneurs. Putting your focus on building a robust and active network of small business owners can be a huge boost as you build your own business. You can massively leverage your marketing time by engaging with other professionals who are on the same path as you. Who Should You Network … [Read more...]
I Built a Powerful Network with this Simple Networking Pyramid
When I first started my business, I didn't have a marketing plan to get new clients. (I didn't really have a marketing budget either.) But I had heard that networking was an important tool for building relationships and getting new prospects, so I started showing up at the networking breakfasts run by my local chamber of commerce. And the rest is history. Well, not quite. The actual process of muddling through my networking took time. I had some successes but also some early screw-ups before I started to feel comfortable with my networking. And it took a little while for me to develop a cohesive strategy that allowed me to leverage … [Read more...]
Who Do You Trust?
Podcast Round-Up
Are you looking to harness the power of digital influence and human connection, but don't have the bandwidth to add another book to your "to-read" list? Don't worry, I've got your back: Just check out a podcast about it. I am a huge podcast fan. I love listening to them, I love making my own (check out Beer, Beats, & Business), and I love joining other hosts on theirs. With the release of Networking in the 21st Century and Hyper-Connected Selling, I've had a lot of great conversations with podcasters about how professionals can leverage relationships to find professional success. While they can't replace the depth and nuance … [Read more...]
Help! I’m New in Town: 7 Steps to Building A Network in a New City
Tim was excited for his wife. She got a promotion with a new title and a nice raise. The only problem: They had to move from Atlanta to Denver. He's a freelance website designer and can work from anywhere, so he figured he can work from Denver just as easily. But once he gets there, he realizes that the network of colleagues, clients, and cohorts he had been plugged into is now missing. He's struggling to find work, doesn't know who to connect with, and a little depressed. How can you make sure that doesn't happen to you when you move to a new town? Starting Over Instead of Adding On It can be daunting enough to go to a party or … [Read more...]
The #1 Reason Why Your Sales Network Sucks: You Only Network When You Are Desperate
In a hyper-connected world, the new opportunities that you are looking for in your career are going to come from the people you know. So if you want to expand your access to opportunities, you have to expand the number of people that you know. And if you want access to new opportunities, then you need to make some new connections. There's a trick to this, though. Instead of hastily reaching out to build new relationships only when you need something, you can plant seeds and cultivate new relationships before you even know where they are going to end up. That's right, you can start a new business relationship without a specific, … [Read more...]
The Easy Technology that Super-Charges Business Relationships
Let me ask you a question: How many hand-written notes did you receive in the mail in the last week? Or maybe the better question would be: Did you get any hand-written notes in the mail last week? Getting mail isn't too common these days. And I'm not trying to point out how few friends you have. I'm also not trying to start a rant about how letter-writing has become a lost art (which, sadly, it kind of has). I am pointing out the opportunity to stand out that every master networker and salesperson takes advantage of. They send physical, personalized, hand-written notes. Stand Out By Doing What Others Don't In a world … [Read more...]
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