Networking Opportunities are Everywhere – Even within your Family!

Most business owners never really think about the fact that you network every day – not just when you attend a ‘networking event’.

Networking opportunities are all around us…recognizing them is the way to make them work for you and your business. Services-based businesses tend to get a lot of new clients and business from referrals. This is why networking is a priority, in every shape and form. The more people know about you and what you do, the more lines you open up for someone to refer a potential client – or call you directly.

What are some less thought of networking opportunities out there?

  • Volunteering
  • Family events
  • Community events
  • Your online activity on Facebook or Twitter

….and the most often missed space for networking opportunities?

  • Your Email Signature!

The first four make sense to most people – under-used, but it makes sense. You should never be shy about telling people what you do for a living – no matter where you meet them and what event you are at. You don’t want to be over salesy but don’t want be shy about it either. Speak with pride when you tell people you own a business and what you do. Always be prepared with a short elevator speech that can answer the question and one that helps identify your ‘ideal client’. If the contact you talked with can visualize your ideal client, they will remember how you can help their friends and contacts or even themselves.

Now the email signature…

I know it might seem redundant to you but, in fact, your email signature can do a lot to help people understand more about what your business is all about. HOWEVER, it has to be presented in a proper way and in all emails sent.

Yes I said ALL! Every email you send is an opportunity to share your business – even if it is with other parents on your kid’s basketball team or contacts from your church organization or other volunteer groups of people you communicate with – and yes, even your family!

The trick is having an effective signature line AND using it on every email you send. No editing of signature just because you are emailing your sister or best friend or your Dad. Unless you hide your business from people in real life, there is no need to hide it online either.

The more people see and hear about your business, the more it sticks in their mind. This makes them into a good referral source even though they may not know it.

What makes an effective signature line?

Incorporating the following basics into every signature is vital to making it ‘work’ for you on all the emails you send.

  1. Name
  2. Title
  3. Phone Number
  4. Website OR if you have a free report or opt-in for your email list, add this – describe the free gift and then make it a link to your sign-up or opt-in page
  5. Limit images – use links

These are the ones I recommend clients include without getting them too, too long. If they are too long, they are ineffective, as people may not read them.

Here is my signature as an example:

email sig Networking Opportunities are Everywhere   Even within your Family!

You can see that I have my name, title and even two positions I hold – one is a volunteer one but it is a very important one for me and for my reputation, so I added it.

I have my tagline, which tells people a little about what I do and who I help. My contact phone/fax number.

Then I have my free opt-in – but notice it is more than a simple link – it is a Call to Action.

Want to Learn this? Click here… – I am clearly letting people know if you want this, do this.

BIGGEST MISTAKE People Make with Email Signatures?

Adding your email address. Why? Ummm….you emailed me, I can see your email address, and, if I hit reply, I have your email address. No need to point it out in the signature line. A waste of space in a great place you can use to market yourself.

Your homework for today? Go check out your email address, fix it up and follow the steps above to add an effective signature line. People do read them so don’t overlook it as an opportunity to network with people.

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3 Tips for Success after a Networking Event

Networking is one of the top marketing tools available to a small business owner.

After you have been to a networking event, met new people, collected some business cards and made some new contacts and connections, the tendency is to think about the exciting things you learned and the people you met – for a while.

business networking event tips 300x202 3 Tips for Success after a Networking EventAfter a week, you 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 event. After all, why did you sign up to go to the networking event in the first place?

Right! We network to build business!

Don’t let a moment go by, from the time you get back to your office,  that you are not harnessing the power of that meeting. You know yourself that out of sight truly does mean out of mind, and if there is no contact for a while the others you met may also forget what was so great about your connection.

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…

  1. Send an email. 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.
  2. Get involved in online networking. Find your new contacts 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 close contact. Send them a note through these networks as well with the reminder of where you met or again, that tidbit from the conversation you had.
  3. Blog about the experience. Get your readers interested in the event happenings. Share your experiences and any new business takeaway advice you received and mention the name and website of the people who gave you the info. Then let them know on the social networks where you connected. “Hey Jane, thought you might want to read my blog where I shared XXX that you taught me.” This will get them to the site and most likely they will be very appreciative and also share this info with their connections.

What did you learn at your last networking event? Did you do anything with the knowledge? Hopefully you did. If not, use these three tips to reawaken the enthusiasm and create new action items.

 

 

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Being Professional in ALL Situations

I volunteer with several organizations. With some of them I do a lot of the type of work in my business and for some it is something very different.  In all of these situations I am interacting with people on a level that I would do the same as if I were working with clients.

networking meeting 300x210 Being Professional in ALL SituationsAll my dealings with people they end up learning more about me and my business – which makes it even more important that I interact in ways that keep things professional. Over the past couple of months  with one organization I have been part of a group working with many volunteers to plan an event.

It was very interesting watching all the personalities working together and seeing how some people represent and present themselves.  It has made me realize more and more the importance of staying professional in all situations.

When I first started my virtual assistant business, I did some volunteer work with a VA organization … that work got me and my skills noticed by others who recommended me to someone as somebody to hire. The person took their advice, hired me and that truly kick started my business.

If I had acted any less than I would have with a client in my volunteer work, this bump might never have happened.

Now it’s not to say I didn’t relax and have fun with the people I was connecting with – that was definitely a big part of it all. But I made sure this happened at a time and place where it was appropriate.  From it all I built my business and also started many friendships that continue to this day.

As a small business owner, representing yourself as a professional in all your connecting, networking and even volunteering is important, more important than we sometimes realize.  People’s opinions of us are based on many things: Interacting in other situations outside of business is one of them.

So step back and take a check on you and how you act in these situations – make sure it is in a way than will help you grow your business, not have people questioning your professionalism.

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Seven Low-Cost Ideas for Building Your List Locally

local networking tips 227x300 Seven Low Cost Ideas for Building Your List LocallyOne often-overlooked source of subscribers for online businesses is your local community. We can get so focused on the online world that we forget we live in a town or city full of potential customers!

Here are some simple ideas for building a huge list by marketing locally. Start with one or try them all, then keep adding to your methods as you go for the best results.

  1. Write a column for your community paper that offers tips and advice for your target audience. If your topic is of general enough interest (like gardening, parenting, business, etc.), the paper may be interested in publishing it with a link to your website.
  2. Create a simple flyer and print several on brightly colored cardstock. Laminate them and post around town where subscribers can see them, such as on public bulletin boards or in laundromats or the town library. For best results, limit the text to a short blurb and your subscription URL. For instance, if you target crafters, your poster could read, “Free Craft Tips!” and the URL. These will last longer than plain flyers and cost less than printed signs.
  3. Join local networking groups, chambers of commerce, and service groups. Not only will you break the isolation of working mostly online, you’ll also be exposed to dozens of potential partners, advertisers, and customers!
  4. Contact a local radio station and ask if they’d allow you to sponsor a contest for their listeners. Radio stations are constantly looking for promotions and prizes, so your chances of a “Yes” are high! Direct listeners to your website so they can enter the contest and include the stipulation that everyone who enters will be added to your mailing list.
  5. Search for places your target audience frequents and promote your mailing list there. For instance, if you target parents, contact area hospitals and pediatricians and let them know you have a free mailing list that offers parenting tips and information, and ask if they could include a flyer in the packets they hand out to new moms. Don’t forget your local Craigslist or Kijiji. Both are like an online version of the local classifieds – and have become such a huge draw that even Internet newcomers seem to know about it – and visit! Take advantage of these free ad opportunities. Just be sure to list your ads in the appropriate locations and follow all the rules to keep from being flagged.
  6. Get in conversations. We often don’t take advantage of opportunities to tell others about our business, assuming that because it’s online, “ordinary” people won’t be interested or understand what we’re doing. That’s a big mistake – people are people, and you’re as likely to find your next customer next door as you are on the Internet. Get over your hesitation to tell others about your online business. Explain what you do and ask if they or someone they know might be interested in your product or service.
  7. Speak! Local service clubs, hospitals, women’s groups, senior centers, and the like are always looking for low or no-cost speakers. Pick an area of your expertise that will be of interest to the group, and contact them about holding a seminar or talk. Make sure to bring your business cards or promotional items.

Stretching outside your comfort zone is a sure-fire way to expose yourself to new prospects. Think of everyone you come in contact with as a potential subscriber to your list, and realize that if they need what you sell, you’re doing them a favor by solving their problems.

Do you have any other unique ideas for building your list locally? Please share them on my Facebook page.

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What Happens when you ask One More Question!

 
 
Networking.

networking world 300x225 What Happens when you ask One More Question!My business has been built primarily by networking online. You’ve heard me say it before, truly, my business would not have existed 5 years ago – the online world is changing so fast and furious that I have something unique created, and for the most part due to, because of this online and global world we live in. Networking has played a big part in my business growth and is a must to include in your online presence. Networking is how you can be seen and heard in today’s marketplace.
 
The marketplace of the world we live in today has changed and grown much smaller – the world is not as a vast a place as it was once because people can so easily connect to others using the internet, email, social networking, forums and in the last two years this has changed once again with the rise of the smartphone and how easy anyone can find what they need online.
 
The world is truly at our fingertips these days and rarely because of a thick yellow book with phone numbers… it is there with the click of a mouse or finger on a screen.
 
Now… I love talking to people (a far cry from my days of old when I fainted at the thought of talking to people I did not know) and am always trying to figure out if  am connected to people somehow – You know that principle of  Six Degrees of Separation (explores the existential premise that everyone in the world is connected to everyone else in the world by a chain of no more than six acquaintances, thus, “six degrees of separation”)…and with the global networking I do… the world really is very small.
 
A prime example is something that happened in a recent email conversation I had.
 
I was nominated to the Board of Directors on the International Virtual Assistants Organization and during the voting process (online of course) members could check out our CV’s, references and application online. This gave them insight into who they were voting for – in case they did not know the Virtual Assistant who had been nominated.
 
Anyhow … I got an email late one night from a Michelle Campbell who lives in the United States.
 
She had seen from the voting info that I was from Dartmouth and just wanted to reach out and say Hi because she grew up in Dartmouth. 
 
What followed in the emails is a lesson in online networking and how you don’t have to intimately know someone to make a connection with them.  Also, never be afraid to add more to the conversation, to ask just one more question – you never know where it will lead.  Because I enjoy connecting with people so much, I always ask a lot of questions, but I will say I always get lots of results as well.
 
So …  read the conversations below to see what we discovered during this email back and forth. (PS. Michelle’s knows I am writing this blog post and gave me permission to use our string of emails… I don’t want anyone thinking I just post emails willy nilly in blog posts when I feel like it))
 
 

Hi Kathy,

My name is Michelle Campbell. I was just reviewing the IVAA Board nominations and noticed that you are from Dartmouth. Me too! I was born and raised and lived there until my husband and I moved to the States in 1997. It’s amazing how small the world really is.

Anyway, I just wanted to say hello. Congratulations on your nomination, and good luck!

All the best.

Michelle

 

Michelle,

Thanks for the hello!  What a small world.

I was a military brat and born in Alberta, but my Dad is from Yarmouth, NS so they retired here when I hit grade 10. I went to Sir John A MacDonald High … did you go to school here in Dartmouth? We have lived here since 2001 off and on with a little trip to Yarmouth and PEI for a couple years in the middle – I have moved more with my husband than my Dad!

My kids go to XX, XX and XX schools this year (yes! 3 kids 3 schoolsl!) we live near Shubie Park area.

We must know some people in common so rattle off some schools and areas and workplaces for me!

and thanks for the Congrats!


Hi Kathy.

Wow! This feels really surreal for some reason :0)

I have a very good friend from Black Point who went to Sir John A! I attended a couple of school dances there, and had a boyfriend who lived out lived out near Black Point.

I did go to school in Dartmouth. I went to Michael Wallace Elementary as we lived near Shubie Park when I was small…  I went to Caledonia in grade 7. We then moved over into a subdivision called Manor Park behind Penhorn Mall, so I went to Admiral Westphal in grades 8 and 9 and PA for high school (graduated in 1992).

I worked at Wal-Mart (Woolco before it became Wal-Mart) in Penhorn Mall all through high school and after I graduated. I was married in 1996 and left for the States in 1997 when my husband joined the US Army, so I didn’t really work anywhere else.

Michelle

 

OMG!  Soo funny!  I love playing 6 degrees of separation!

We never would have met at the high school dances as you were there after I was out for a good 8 years! My oldest started school at Michael Wallace when we lived on Locks Road!  Very Very surreal!

Anyhow, stay in touch…

Looking forward to connecting more!

Kathy

 

Kathy,

Is Locks Road near the bottom of the big hill? I think it’s Montebello Drive? If it’s where I’m thinking of, one of my friends from elementary school lived there. There are entrances to the Shubie trails there, I think.

I will venture over to your FB page to say hello. I’m on there all the time.

I hope my business works out as well. Doing this is something I’ve thought about for four or five years. I am committed to make it work. I have already invested in a coaching session with one of the speakers I heard at the online summit last fall, Donna Toothaker. Do you know her?

Thanks for chatting with me. It was nice to flashback and think about my old stomping grounds. I’ll definitely see you on FB.

 

HI Michelle,

What a world… yes Locks Road is right at the bottom of Montebello, who was your friend?  One of my close friends Jane Matthews lives there too (in her parents old house!, its the solar type one right near the church.

And Donna I know well, going to meet her in person in April at the IVAA conference. I used to be one of her subcontractor VAs before she moved to VA coaching

Kathy

 

Oh my God! Jane is who I’m talking about :0). I can’t believe she lives in her parents house. I loved her house when I was a kid. It was very cool and modern :0) How is she?

This is really funny! I’m so glad I emailed you. I’m enjoying this trip down memory lane.

 

Holy Cow!  I wondered!

We lived across from her in 2001 on locks rd and she has 2 kids now.  What a world!!! She’s a friend of mine on facebook so connect via that way if you are not already.

I will let her know of this.. . wow.

Tooo Funny!!!

 

 

 Ha! Awesome! She probably won’t know me by my married name. My maiden name was XX.

Tell her I said hello.

 

 

Sooo… how is that for a small world story?? 
 
It never would have gone as far as it did, if I did not take the opportunity to add more than a simple thank you to her initial email.  That is one of the beauties of networking whether in person or online – you can always find great opportunities to connect deeper with the people you meet, but someone needs to take that first step and go beyond the normal – “Hello, so what do you do”
 
Have you any small world stories to share or other tips on networking online?  Feel free to post them here by adding in a comment.

 

 

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