Who Ya Gonna Call?
The Most Important Marketing
Strategy for Tough Times
Steven Skyles-Mulligan
Evoke Strategies
We've all heard it too many times to recount: it's not what you know, it's who you know. As somebody who has long prided himself on knowing a lot, I used to be very skeptical of this, figuring that what I know would speak for itself. Many of my professional clients -- CPAs, attorneys, risk managers and financial services professionals -- think the same way. I'd like to talk a little about the value of networking.
Eight years of running a business has taught me a few things, including that I know both more and less than I thought. It has also taught me that the old saw is spot-on. Time and again, the people in my life have brought good things to me -- and my business. Sometimes it's a direct referral of business, sometimes it's an exchange of ideas, but it's always valuable and, when I take the time to be good about being in touch, it's fun.
Networking is a profoundly misunderstood practice. When done right, it can lead to new ideas and new business opportunities. When done wrong, it can leave you with a reputation for being boring, self-centered or even a jerk. It is always a good idea to network, but in difficult economic times it is even more critical. Fortunately, it is an activity that does not carry a large price tag -- simply an investment of your time. Unless you're a CPA facing April 15, you may have more of that on your hands than usual these days.
Common Sense, But Not Common Practice
A few years ago, I reluctantly attended an early morning meeting (even my cats are discouraged from speaking to me before 7:30) where I unexpectedly made one of my most valuable contacts. Networking guru Andrea Nierenberg was speaking that day and I had just started her then-current book. We struck up a conversation and she has been a resource for me and my clients ever since.
Andrea has a lot of good advice about what to do -- and what not to do -- in networking. Good networking starts with wanting to be helpful to the other person, rather than just considering what's in it for you. Nobody likes dealing with someone who is only out for their own interests. You also want to develop a system for staying in touch so that when you do need to make a request, it doesn't come from out of the blue, but happens within the context of an ongoing relationship. Sending articles and cards to your contacts helps them feel connected to you and builds up what executive strategist Dan Schaefer likes to call shelf space in the mind. This in turn can lead to unexpected opportunities.
Kissing Frogs
In addition to keeping in touch with people you already know, you need to build your network by making an effort to meet new people. You may have a specific profile of people who are good connections for you, but you shouldn't let that limit your imagination. On a visit to international business consultant John Grammer, I was surprised to see a stuffed toy frog. John explained that you need to be prepared to kiss a lot of frogs when you're responsible for bringing in your own business; you never know when one is going to turn into a prince.
I had an experience like this a number of years ago when an acquaintance introduced me to CPA David Mond of Adelman Katz & Mond. At that point I hadn't even thought of working with CPA firms and didn't expect much from the meeting. I found to my surprise that I could actually do a lot to help them and that they were, in fact, an ideal client for me. AKM is still a client and working with them led to the development of one of Evoke's signature services. The value of this experience -- and the relationships that emerged from it -- has been far greater than that of the two billable hours I hesitated to spend on the initial meeting. You just never know.
Next month we'll continue our discussion of networking, looking specifically at how to use networking groups to build your list of contacts. We'll also talk with people who have organized some very interesting -- and unusual -- networking organizations.
________________________ Feel free to email with any questions or to ask for more information: steven@evokestrategies.com. I'll be glad to
help in any way I can.
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