firehose

Are you drinking from a firehose?string(33) "Are you drinking from a firehose?"

December 11, 2017
Introducing Yourself, Networking, Networking Prep, Storytelling

When talking about their business with their potential referral sources, I see many entrepreneurs try to get in everything they do in about 30 seconds. It goes by so fast, that they miss most of it; frankly, they tune out after the first few items on the list. They are trying to get others to drink from a firehose,

I encourage you to focus on one thing at a time of your areas of expertise…keep in mind that you are not marketing to your referral sources! You are, in effect, training a sales force. Your networking team is there to keep an eye out for your potential clients. If you “target talk”, that is, hone in on exactly what type of client you are looking for, better, more qualified referrals will result.

If you break your business down into its focused keywords and feature just one keyword each week, you will find that you become much more effective in training your sales force. They will learn more about each thing you do and be able to recognize when they are in front of someone who really does need your product.

This skill set is especially productive when you are meeting weekly with a strong contact network. The difference between trying to say it all each week and focusing on one aspect of your business each week is huge! The impact that this will have on your referral sources is also huge. As you discuss each keyword, share an example with a client story, things you can show and tell that will cement this aspect of your business in your referral sources’ minds.

“Facts tell, but stories sell”

What to Do Before You Start Networkingstring(38) "What to Do Before You Start Networking"

September 12, 2013
, , , Bob, Networking, Networking Prep, Networking Tactics, Video Blog 8

I met a businesswoman some time ago who approached me and asked if she could have a few minutes of my time to pick my brain because she was really having a hard time building her network.  I think the information I shared with her will likely be useful to many BusinessNetworking.com blog readers as well so today I’d like to share this video with you where I talk about what to do before you start networking.

Whether you think you’ve got your networking tactics pretty well nailed down or not, I’m willing to bet you’ll learn a thing or two from this video so take a few minutes to watch it and then ask yourself these questions:

1. Why are you in business?

– What do you love to do?
– How does your business serve others?

2. What do you sell?

– What are the benefits of your products/services?

3. Who are your customers?

– What niche do you prefer to work with?

4. What are your core competencies?

– What do you do best?

5. How well do you compete?

– How do you stand out from your competition?

Also, here’s the link to the video I made last year with Eddie Esposito of the Referral Institute: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgnZuAjFGO8 and, as I mention in this video, I would love to hear your additional ideas and creative tactics for teaching people how to refer you so please share your thoughts in the comment forum below.  And, by the way, this is one of the special videos where Bob is playing his famous hide-and-seek game so for the first ten people who add to their comment where Bob makes his cameo appearance (and get the answer right) during the video, I’ll send them a surprise gift which will help them boost their networking knowledge!  (Note: To ensure you receive your gift, please e-mail your name and complete mailing address to Lransom@bni.com with the subject line “Bob.”)  I’m looking forward to hearing from you!

Build, Educate, Motivate, & Activate Your Network with Paula Frazierstring(73) "Build, Educate, Motivate, & Activate Your Network with Paula Frazier"

February 23, 2012
, , , , , Author, Book, Building Relationships, Networking, Networking Prep, Networking Tactics, Referral Institute, Referrals, Video Blog 7

At a recent Referral Institute conference, I had the opportunity to record this short video with my good friend Paula Frazier, a Referral Marketing expert based in Virginia. 

She wrote a fantastic article in the recent Amazon bestseller Building the Ultimate Network about how to build, educate, motivate, and activate referral sources and that’s exactly what she discusses in this video.

As Paula says, “Whether you’re in front of one (person) or 100 people, you’re always in a position to build your network.”  Watch the video to find out what you need to keep in mind in order to successfully build your network no matter where you are or how many people you’re networking with.

After watching the video, please share your thoughts on Paula’s tips in the comment section below . . .