After meeting someone at a networking event, you need to
determine if you want to advance to forming a relationship or partnership with
the other person. In order to do that you must meet one-on-one with the other
person and see how that meeting progresses. People do business with others that they
know, like, and trust. They also refer business to others that they know,
like, and trust. How can you know someone until you meet with them
and discover more about them, their business, and what type of person they
really are?
Meeting someone one-on-one is imperative for you to start
building a relationship or business partnership. When you build a relationship
the right way, you will be rewarded by either gaining a client, a referral, or
both. Your clients should be happy clients, willing to offer you referrals who
can benefit from becoming your clients. If someone cannot become your client
they should determine from your mutual partnership that they can pass referrals
to you. Of course, this relationship should work the same way in reverse.
Referrals are the life blood of any business and are based
on mutual trust of the parties involved. You must trust both parties involved
when you refer anyone to anyone else. That trust is determined when you build
relationships with others and want to help their businesses succeed. That
relationship is built when you get to know them and determine that you like
them, and then it blossoms into trust as the relationship or partnership
develops. It grows from that initial meeting and then meeting one-on-one.
No matter what you have to market, no matter how wonderful
or great your product or service is, and no matter how reasonable the price may
be, no one should purchase what you offer if they don’t need it. They probably
will never become your client unless they plan to give your product or service
as a gift to someone else. These partners should become referral sources for
you, but you will never have the benefit of a relationship with them unless you
meet one-on-one and get to know each other. Establishing a networking
relationship can be rewarding to both of you in so many ways, but you need to
take the initial step to meet, get to know each other, and see if the
relationship will grow with trust.
Give that first meeting at a networking event an opportunity
to grow. If you don’t, you may always wonder what you may have missed. Your
next client may be just around the corner. Your next great referral might be
hiding in the list of friends or neighbors of that person who you met last week
at that networking event that you just happened to attend. Still have those
business cards that you collected? Give those individuals a call and see if you
can meet them and get to know them. Then see if you can form a relationship
that will reward both of you.
The best thing to do at networking meetings is to meet and greet everyone you know...then seek out those you don't know. Introduce yourself and make a connection. I am not always successful at this. It's easy just to talk to your friends.
ReplyDeletePeople need to know what you do and hear from others that you've done a great job for them. If you cna do this successsfully, you'll have the referral s you want. Oh and don't for get to thank them with a card from Jim at Send out cards. Go to SOC4Now.com. or call Jim at 360-314-8691.
I get 80% of my business from referrals. Without the base of referring partners my business would have failed a long time ago.
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