networking
Business Referrals – How NOT to accept one
This was the look I got!
For the first time EVER in my life, I was given a referral and was absolutely floored by the response it got! The response was really an eye opener for what people and businesses should never do when someone refers you a client or business.
What happened?
Well, we have been renovating our house and tore down a wall between our kitchen and dining room. The reno has meant we had to look at a few options for filling in the gap where the wall used to be. I was trying to salvage the new flooring laid in the kitchen last year so we were looking for a unique solution.
Since we moved here in 2008, we have been using the same flooring place for everything we have needed. The service has been excellent, the work as well and that has meant we are a loyal customer to this company. Anytime I need flooring or information I head straight to TK’s Carpet and Flooring in Dartmouth and talk to Claude.
This unique solution I was looking for involved getting a custom piece done so they referred me to another local company, close by that specializes in hardwood (I’m going to play nice and not say their name). So off I went this weekend to inquire about me needs.
When I explained what I was looking for, the woman indicated that they actually could not do this type of item and she gave me some other advice about how to go about it as well. As always, if I was referred to a business I like to let them know, most people always like to know why your chose their business. So I mentioned that TK’s had sent me there thinking they would have the skills/abilities to help. The response?
Oh yes, they always like to send people here when they don’t want to help you out.
Now, this might not seem like a big deal when the words are written out, but when you add the change in her facial expression along with the disdain in her voice as she said this the entire tone of the comment changed. I should have commented right there – but I have not always been as quick with retorts as some can be (My sister is really great at this and would have taken her down for sure).
I left thinking “What a rude way to take a referral for business”. No matter what she thought, she should have said something complimentary as opposed to shooting down the business that sent me to her doors in the first place.
As I drove away, heading in fact to TK’s to check out my other options, I was really thinking about how that was such a crappy thing fro her to say. I appreciated TKs giving me a name to check out, but definitely not her reaction to it.
SO… I did what any good and loyal customer would do – I let them know at TKs the response to their referral. I highly doubt they will refer to them again. And I will never recommend them either.
Lesson learned: Always think about what it means to accept a referral.
Someone, no matter who they are, felt you could help the person they sent to you. Accept this complement in the way it was intended, with courtesy and thought. Anything less and you may find yourself losing customers and future referrals because of your attitude.
What referral good / bad stories have you experienced? Please share here by posting a comment.
Delta’s Diversion causes Mass Confusion – Yet is still an Opportunity
Live Event Networking Tips
Well, yesterday I booked myself a seat at a Live Event happening in Washington DC in December – it was very last minute, but an opportunity came up so I grabbed it. I’m heading to the 7 Event hosted by David Neagle, Suzanne Evans, Blue Melnick and Bari Baumgartner in order to learn new business strategies to help transform my business. In fact I am going with a colleague (friend) I originally met at another conference in 2009!)
Now they say that you can’t teach old dog new tricks, but you can teach them something new about business. I try to learn many new things every month to help me improve my business and my service to clients. There is so much you can bring to your business – marketing, sales, organization, management, leadership – and many of these skill lessons are best learned in person at live events.
Live events have a myriad of opportunities, that you almost have to be wearing running shoes to get around to taking advantage of them all. One plus in particular is learning new business techniques. There is not a single person (and that applies to gurus as well) who couldn’t stand to learn a thing or two. In fact, they will probably be the first ones in line.
The person who has stopped learning has also stopped growing. The only limits that are placed on your business are self-imposed. The Internet is a wealth of knowledge for the one who can access it – trust me I have learned this BIG time in the past 3 years! – but did you ever stop to think where that knowledge was received?
At least some of it was gained at live business events. Here, you are exposed not only to people who can expand on marketing techniques that you currently utilize, but also individuals who have found new ways to harness business power.
Stop and think for a moment. Those who host these events are looking for the best and the brightest to entice you to come. These people prove time and time again that there is more than meets the eye when it comes to business.
Here are a few things you can take part in and learn from at Live Events:
- Brainstorming sessions – Imagine the energy in the room when hundreds of entrepreneurs get together at tables to discuss new ways to improve each others’ businesses? Be sure to take copious notes to refer to later and get the names of everyone at the table.
- Visit the Vendor area – This is an opportunity for businesses to highlight their products and services. You can learn about new programs computer programs, business software and get to demo items right there on site.
- Keep all Materials given to you – Within the pages of those handouts are vital information. Speakers may lay out for you how they go about promoting new products, implement new programs and techniques and list online resources for you. You may want to bring a binder, folders, tote bag or a briefcase to hold everything you will get so it is easier to reference later.
- Networking – This has got to be the #1 benefit to attending any live event. The People... you can meet such a variety of people at all stages in their business and each one with something to share.Take advantage of this, roam around, sit in different places each session, open up and say hello. Networking is what will grow your contacts, your vision and your business.
Attend live events with an open mind. Be ready to expect the unexpected and get immersed into business techniques you haven’t tried before. I will be certain to report on the goings on in Washington. I won’t be able to take a White House tour (it seems – you have to book those 5 weeks in advance) but I will be certainly exploring as much as I can.
Any tips on the “Not to be Missed in Washington”? Post them here so I can do a little planning! And feel free to share any Live Event Networking tips you have, either here or on our Facebook Page.
Speaking at an Event – Tips to Shine
There is nothing like attending networking events – whether regular ones or special events. Sometime you may not be as keen to go, especially if you are presenting for the first time. Standing in front of all of those people has great advantages. So put your best foot forward and reap the benefits.
Someone may ask you to speak at a bigger and live event or networking event. Maybe you have done small sessions at your own networking meetings and it was a thrill because you were networking and getting your name out there. Also, someone wanted YOU. Your marketing has paid off in big ways and involving yourself in these activities increases your credibility and expert status.
Now, you are going to take part in a live event where you will actually stand face-to-face with those in the audience, it can be nerve-wracking as well as exhilarating.
Take a deep breath and get ready. You want to shine and the only way to do that is to prepare.
Know the main focus of the event
Share with the group in the session your knowledge and expertise based on what the event is trying to highlight. If it is geared towards a niche then feel free to discuss how you got into your niche, what marketing techniques you use and new ways to expand the niche.
Know the other presenters
Some of them may be sitting in your audience. If they are more seasoned than you, prepare a few questions for them about how they stay calm and at ease before a presentation.
Practice a lot
There is no substitute for this one. The way to avoid those dead silent moments when it seems that all your thoughts fly away is to get up and go over your speech many times. This is also how you prepare to deliver well-timed jokes. The more practice you get in, the more comfortable you will feel going off script when the inspiration hits you.
Have materials in place
The audience will want handouts. Prepare something eye-catching as well as informative for them to read and hang on to. You can create a packet of material including your business card and other pertinent information about how to reach you. Don’t forget to place a sign-up sheet at the door so you can contact them later.
Present your products
Don’t forget to bring along some freebies and priced products so that as soon as the presentation is over, they can get everything they need right away. One tip though, don’t make your presentation a pitch fest. You’ll do better if you remember that it’s about the giving of information and the helping. The rest will happen naturally.
When you take center stage, make sure you TAKE CENTER STAGE and Shine! Use your presentation as a platform for gaining new business partners, new customers and more sales.
Speaking at an event can do lots for your business – whether a live event or even as I have done sometimes with an online event. Have you been a speaker before? Any other advice to pass along? Please share your tips.
5 Tips for Networking Success after the ‘Live’ Event
Do you often attend in-person or ‘Live’ events? Seminars or training events, even meetups – whether local or requiring travel – can be a great way to learn and network with other business individuals. Referrals, contacts and even friendships can develop at events and seminars. After each event you’ll want to take a breath. But, don’t breathe too long. There is work to be done that mustn’t wait. Seize the day!
The tendency is to think about the exciting things you learned and the people you met – for a while. After a week, you seem to lose your enthusiasm and settle back into life before the event. That is the last thing you want to do especially where your business is concerned.
Now, is the time to cement that lasting impression that you believe you made on the people you met at the seminar. Don’t let a moment go by, from the time you get home, that you are not harnessing the power of that meeting. Besides you know yourself that out of sight truly does mean out of mind if there is no contact for a while.
Here are a few tips to help you get the ball rolling on that pocket full of business cards, that camera full of pictures and that briefcase (or tote) full of helpful handouts and resources.
- Create a new plan. Now that your head is swimming with ideas, take out that handy notebook and look at what you’ve jotted down. If you have been putting off a new program or service for one reason or another, this may be the perfect time to get going. Find out a new way to streamline the process and create a plan to get the ball rolling right now.
- Email your new colleagues. Each business card in your hand should contain the website and email address of the one who handed it to you. Contact each person individually and tell them what a great time you had meeting them. To give them a mental picture of you, include your picture at the end of the email. What will impress them is if you can recount one tidbit from your conversation with them and include it also.
- Get involved in online social networking. Find your new connections on all the social networks: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Invite them to be friends or followers (depending on the site) so you can keep in contact.
- Blog about the experience. Get your readers interested in the event happenings. Share your experiences and any new business takeaway advice you received.
- Develop new products. Talk about leveraging! You can turn that one seminar presentation into a wealth of digital products. Create an e-course on your topic. Use the handouts as filler for your monthly newsletter, content for your site or new topics for video media. Those brainstorming techniques you developed at the event will come in handy now.
What did you learn at your last live event? Did you do anything with the knowledge? Hopefully you did. If not, use these five tips to reawaken the enthusiasm and create new action items.
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