Marketing Success for Small Businesses- Six Keys to Networking Success
What’s the Best Tactic for Marketing Success for Small Businesses?
Building trust and relationships through networking is one of the best way to get referrals for your business and create marketing success for small businesses. Here are six keys to networking for success in your business… and your life!
1) Be Authentic— You probably heard it back in elementary school that we are all special snowflakes, no two people or snowflakes are the same. It’s cheesy, but it’s completely true. You are an incredibly unique individual with your own distinct role to play in this world. You have a special set of gifts, experiences, talents, and characteristics that make you different from anyone else on this planet. Celebrate that! Become comfortable with the things that make you different from other people, and share those differences rather than trying to hide them in order to blend in! Your unique differences are great gifts that set you apart. Your connection to others will be much deeper when it comes from a place of grounded, confident authenticity
2) Develop and Grow—the best investment you can make is in yourself! Never stop the journey of growth and improvement. Everything on this planet is always in some form of motion, and it is said that if you’re not moving forward, you’re moving backward. Keep moving forward. Continue to learn, develop, and practice new skills. Adopt a beginners mind no matter how much experience you have in your professional field. Be open to learning new ways of doing things. This doesn’t just add to your professional value, it also builds confidence and makes you a more interesting person to interact (network) with.
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3) Show Genuine Interest in Others—find out about them! Many people spend the majority of their interactions focusing on themselves and plotting ways to squeeze more about themselves, their opinions, their success, and their business(es) into the conversation, especially at business networking events. We all want to look good, but if you want to truly make a good impression and build relationships, don’t fall into this trap! Focus on the other person. What do they do? What’s unique and special about how they do it? What do they do for fun? Often the less you talk about yourself, the better you will do with your networking—when they ask about you, they’ll be genuinely interested.
4) Contribute Value— be someone who gives more than they take. If you aren’t already, become a person who genuinely wants to help others by acting as if. Use the simple yet powerful question, “How can I help this person or their business?” to guide your interactions. The answer could simply be providing an open ear and heart to listen with, or it could be something more tangible like sharing a resource, tip, book, or referral.
5) Invite with Abandon—this is key for anyone looking to invite people to an experience, event, or cause. Invite people freely. Don’t let fear of rejection get in the way. Open up the door for people to walk through if they chose. This is especially great if you are talking to someone who needs what you can give. Marketing success for small businesses can be distilled to the art of sharing your opportunity with the right people. Go for it!
6) Show Your Gratitude—my most important piece of advice around networking for small business is to be appreciative. This tip alone will provide you with countless rewards in both your business and your life. Start by developing an attitude of appreciation and gratitude within yourself, then share this with other people. Express your gratitude in concrete ways. Don’t assume that they know you appreciate them. Tell them! Compliment them! Send them a handwritten thank you note! Being appreciative makes you magnetic and is a sure tip for marketing success for small business owners.
There you have it, 6 of my favorite tips for networking and relationship building for your small business marketing success! Which one do you choose to focus on today?
I hope you enjoyed this article and that you put these tips into action. If you have questions or want more help with marketing for your business, feel free to reach out to Coach Jim at Jim@SummitBusinessMarketing.com or call (530) 426-8404 to make an appointment. Summit Business Marketing provides business coaching services, business plans, marketing plans, website design, online marketing services and is a search engine optimization specialist. We serve clients all over the world, and of course love serving local businesses in the Sacramento Valley.
For more ideas on marketing success for small businesses, check out these valuable resources:
http://www.entrepreneur.com/marketing/index.html
Jim Kaspari
Summit Business Marketing
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111 Natoma Street, Suite 111 Folsom, California CA 95630
phone (530) 426-8404 | fax (440) 425-6094
Jim@SummitBusinessMarketing.com
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