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I'm Rob Brown - thanks for stopping by!
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So many people attend business networking events, participate in online business networks and have networking meetings. But what do they get back from all of that time and effort? The answer is usually very little. They struggle when it comes to turning networking into business. To explore this, I use the phrase 'CTC' in my many networking and referral seminars. It stands for any of the following:
- Card to Client
- Contact to Customer
- Card to Connection
- Connection to Client
You get the idea. It's about turning a business card into a sale. It's about converting your networking leads into paying customers and clients. It's also the hardest thing for most networking business people to do. Here's why:
Read a useful blog recently on influence by Darren Hardy which reminded me of Jim Rohn's quote: "You become the combined average of the five people you hang around the most. You will have the combined attitude, health and income of the five people you hang around the most." Brian Tracy said something similar: "Your income will be the average of the ten closest people to you."
As Hardy says: "The people we spend our time with determine what conversations dominate our attention, and what observations, attitudes and opinions we repetitively are introduced to."
Great video from top journalist and Eric Schurenberg that came from my good networking friend Jason Jacobsohn. Love its simplicity and passionate message to make business networking fun!
- Make It a Game.
- Make People Come to You.
- Measure Success by How Many Cards You Get.
Learn how to do these by watching this 1min 27 secs video. Happy networking!
Business isn't difficult. People just make it so. After all, who chooses to go after everyone, trying to sell everything using every selling channel? Not you, of course!
Or who spends time on the wrong things - you know - the things you should be doing? The things that DON'T play to your strengths. Not you again?
Likewise, networking should be straightforward. Get out there, meet the right people, have the right conversations, keep in touch. Help, sell and connect. Know and be known. So what goes wrong?
Let's talk about referrals. They are the lifeblood of your business. You know you need them and hopefully you're good enough to deserve them. But you don't ask for them!
One of the four main reasons you don't get referrals is you're not entirely sure of the best and worst times to ask. There are critical moments of truth when you have a 'green light' to 'go for it!'
When you're building your business by referral, you can undo all of your great positioning and relationship building work by asking at the wrong time. So here are four of my favourite, really good, safe times to ask:
On Fri 27 May in Stoke, I'll be addressing hundreds of local business owners, entrepreneurs and professionals at the Staffs Marketing Academy Action for Business: LIVE! event. I'm speaking on the topics of personal branding and reputation. Have you ever considered what a good reputation will do for you?
There are huge benefits of a great reputation, all of which are mentioned in my bestselling reputation book. Once you become just a little more conscious of what others are thinking and saying about you behind your back, you can develop a massive edge over your competition!
As a taster to that session, I'm going to give you three of the major benefits of a brilliant reputation.
I use the phrase 'CTC' in my many networking and referral seminars. It stands for any of the following:
- Card to Client
- Contact to Customer
- Card to Connection
- Connection to Client
You get the idea. It's about turning that business card into a sale. It's about converting your networking leads into paying customers and clients.
It's also the hardest thing for most networking business people to do. Here's why:
There was some research done by Professor Albert Mehrabian many years ago that is trotted out in many training seminars. Trainers will cite that communication is 7% words, 38% tone and 55% body language. ALL WRONG, I'm afraid. It's been discredited many times now, notably here.
I've been saying for some time that the ratios are roughly 'third third third'. Which means that the words you say are much more important than you think.
This brilliant short video shows the power of words. When you ask for referrals, ask for the sale, attempt to persuade somebody or gain buy-in for your idea, choose your words carefully. When you want to get a prospect to say yes, a customer to buy, a networking contact to engage with you, consider the word part of your message. It's vital!
That's why many of my business-building Pocket Guides are about scripts and wordings, for your networking conversations, your sales situations, your referral opportunities, your elevator speech and your rapport building. Check them out here>>
In any profession, industry, sector, walk of life, there is a distribution curve of performance.
There's that 2-3% of people who bring up the rear. They never do anything and they're tough to manage. Like pushing milk uphill. These people sell the least, object the most, create the most problems, take up most of their bosses time and are the least motivated.
Likewise there's that top 2-3% of star performers who are simply world class. These people make the most money, sell the most stuff, have the most influence, get the best results and seem to have the most luck.
Then of course you've got that middle swathe of people who are average. Perhaps slightly above, perhaps slightly below. As well as applying to certain industries, it applies to certain skills. In every team there will be the best performing networker, presenter, seller, typist, coffee-maker etc.
If you want to be a better networker, you can do it. If you want to be world class, that top 2%, here are three world class tips...
Let's talk about referrals. You do all this networking to either win direct business or cultivate relationships that will lead you to direct business. This second strategy is referrals.
The problem is that few people can tell you what a referral is.
Getting terms mixed up can make you sound a bit confusing when you ask for help. What you think is a referral might be a lead to someone else. You can see how it will help to get people on the same page. Would it help you to get a definitive answer on this?
Contact, Connect, Stay in touch
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