Referrals Need Time

A funny thing happened this weekend. I often mention the large number of people on my database, some of whom I connect with on a regular basis and many I connected with once...a few years ago.

A current connection emailed requesting a referral to "someone who..." and I was able to draw on a connection from a few years ago. It worked!

Again in conversation today I remembered someone who would make a great referral partner/alliance for someone and made the referral. It so happened we only ever had a couple of telephone conversations and exchanged emails, but I kept the contact information on my data base...just in case.

You never know!

Annual Activity

This is another comment on the subject of "How Much Work"
How many times have you heard about an event you wanted to attend or participate in as an exhibitor, but found you had missed the deadline, or it is too short notice?
Plan Ahead! 
Annually, look at "Hallmark Dates", Community events, Business events, and your networking groups, and schedule them  in.  Decide what you want to do with them, and time line them and schedule the timeline.
You can assess the big picture for maximum effect, you will experience fewer missed deadlines and avoid the last minute scramble and better assess your effctiveness.
This gives you the opportunity to schedule more appropriate activities and increase your bottom line.

How Much Work...

Blogging seems to get away on me.  Between helping clients and planning the next Guelph Business to Business Network Meeting, Blogging about my business takes a back seat.
Balance, and how much work do I have to do?
On of the ways of gauging how much work is to look at your ratios.  Marketing and Sales are a continuum, and there is a definite sales process as you move people you meet from suspects to prospects to clients.  Think of it as a funnel, with lots being tossed into the top and a select few dropping out of the bottom as clients.
Where do you find these people to begin with and what exactly do you have to do?  Action gets reaction or clients.  There is an analysis that can be applied and it determines just how much work you have to do...depending on the ratios!
As for me - I'm off to the TableTop Trade Show: I usually get a good reaction - see you there!