How the 3 Levels Of Networking Can Help Your Business

3 Levels Of Networking

This Blog Post was the talk delivered to the Centre Wellington Chamber of Commerce Networking Breakfast  on February 29, 2012

Good Morning,

Thank you for inviting me  to speak here this morning.  I am excited about being in front of the businesses in Centre Wellington so we can get to know each other better. 

I find it’s a ‘face time’ community and people really want to know what kind of person I am and do I really know what I am talking about, and then they talk with me. 

I would like to expand on the 3 Levels Of Networking and how it can work for you, and throw in some marketing theory so you have a reason and a basis on which to make decisions when you are networking.

You know, I didn’t set out to be an expert in networking.  In fact, when I was doing it originally it wasn’t called that.

When I was growing up in Richmond Hill and the community was about the size Fergus and Elora are now, we used to have a family joke that we couldn’t go out and do the usual family Saturday stuff – the library, groceries, shopping at the Canadian Tire – we didn’t have a mall – without Dad bumping into someone he knew from School Board or Parks Board or related to work, and talking about something happening or an issue that needed seeing to. 

Sound familiar?

Did you know that was networking? 

We called it politicking! 

After a lifetime in business on the Yonge St. Corridor, moving here was a huge change. 

I had worked for a National Broadcast Company with tons of people; I had national responsibility for blue chip accounts, and was well known in my industry internationally.

On the social side, I was a member of tennis clubs, a health club, and the Toronto Junior Board of Trade; all great networking opportunities – but I just saw it as getting to know people and pursuing my hobbies and interests and finding people to play with.  More Networking – establishing relationships!

Now I was up here, in a new career in a new community, in business all by myself (originally as a Financial Planner), and I didn’t know a soul, except my parents, and they were here only 18 months ahead of me!

SHOCK!

So what did I do?

I started out trying to meet as many people as I could – through Chambers of Commerce from Orangeville to Cambridge, and other network groups as well.  I tried to meet the Councillors and Mayors because they know a lot of people and were a shorter route to who I needed to know.

Centres of Influence

I networked and found centres of influence who knew a lot of people and could introduce me to people I needed to know and take me to networking events with them.

Alliances

 I set up some Alliances with people who had complementary businesses and were working the same areas of business as I was so we could work together to help our clients.

That is something you could do that would save you a lot of time and energy.   Alliances mean that you are working as a team, and in effect selling for each other.  Real estate people do it all the time.

Let’s look at some Marketing Theory

PUSH VS. PULL MARKETING and COLD VS. WARM TOUCHES

PUSH is where you put stuff out there, and have no idea if/when/how it will come back.  Advertising!  Direct Marketing – you have no control.  This is a “cold touch”. 

It takes 7-10 warm touches to get ppl to come to you to BUY.  People buy from people they Know Like and Trust.

It can take over 18 cold touches!  They don’t know you!

I takes 24-30 months for people to come to you when you start up a business.  Warm touches can shorten that time period – a lot!

Warm touch is when you have control.  You actually make face to face contact and start a relationship. It’s PULL Marketing.  Do you know how to take just one warm touch and turn it into 4 or 5?  That’s close to 7 – a sale!

Level 1

How many of you have shared your sugar, or borrowed flour, and swapped school pick up duties with a neighbour?  Your neighbour solved your problem and you solved theirs– that’s Level 1 Networking. 

In business networking – networkers attend events with the idea of finding customers.  It’s a small market limited to the attendees.  It’s PUSH Marketing.   It’s also selfish.

It’s the most common form because people don’t look beyond that 1 on 1 connection.  I think it’s because of time and there is just so much going on. People don’t want to get involved or feel it’s not their job if it’s nothing to do with them.  It is your job!  It actually doesn’t take much more to go to the next levels.

You know – people really do want to help and appreciate being helped.  So please, go beyond the familiar!  Go ahead and offer to help, and accept it!  It makes everyone feel good.  Studies have proven it!

Level 2

When we moved here, our snow blower decided not to work, so Dad went to Home Hardware and asked for a referral to someone who could fix it for us – and got one!  That was level 2 Networking.  It worked because the snow blower mechanic had networked with the owner of the hardware store. The dealer was a Centre of Influence and he made a REFERRAL

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One of your networking colleagues is in a meeting with a client and mentions a problem he has to solve.  You say “I know someone who can help, let me introduce you.”

Do you see a tree branching thing starting, with more exposure for your business, and more opportunity?

What is the most famous question that signifies Level 2 networking?  Do you know someone who can__________________ fill in the blanks!    Or….. If you have a friend who has just said they need something and you meet someone and say: “I know someone who could use your service. “ Or the reverse: “You need to talk to­­­­­___________"

 

Level 3

The Goderich Tornado created a Level 3 Networking situation.  Those folks needed everything and the C W Chamber of Commerce helped the businesses by asking us for help and - Level 3 - we all asked our connections for donations.  The B2B network Group donated some office supplies.

More tree branching in a wider circle, involving more people and more networks with more people which implies more opportunity!

Example A

You want to get your services into a particular company.  So you put it out to your network and ask if anyone knows anyone there.  Al says – I have a contact there, his name is Bob, I will ask Bob who the best person to speak with is.  Al goes to Bob and asks for help.  Bob says “he needs to talk to ___________.”  If things work properly, Bob makes the introduction, or at least provides the phone number and email for you.  (4 ppl)

Example B

You are driving in the south end of Guelph and see a new building going up, and you know they will really need window film, or someone who can build counters!  You stop by the construction shack and talk to the site super and find out who to talk to.  This requires that you are well aware of your network’s businesses and can talk intelligently about them. You need to meet your connections on a regular basis to keep up to date on their business offerings. You say “I have a colleague who does that type of work.  Let me pass the contact info along and they will get in touch with you”.  Use email and pass along the contact info and a brief description of what you saw as the situation and opportunity. This is level 3 because in effect you are selling for your connections.  You are finding the need. (4 ppl)

You need COI and Alliances to make level 3 really work.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Social Media is an excellent networking tool particularly in a Rural Area with small business.  Like any automated media, in many ways it is PUSH Marketing, but you can also make it PULL Marketing.

I am on FaceBook, LinkedIn (which shows 7 distinct networks), and have 2 accounts on Twitter – one for my Business and one for my Network Group - The Guelph B2B Network Group.

If you use Social Media be very careful – what ever you put on there is there forever.  Make sure you are presenting the image you want associated with your business.  There is one business person who comes across as childish – I can’t recommend her.  So it does show people what kind of person you are as well as your expertise. 

Lisa Kember – Constant Contact person recommends 60/40 split – 60% personal, 40% business.  If you comment relating to who you are – in other words personal, it tells people what kind of person you are.

How to make it useful?

Someone gives a ‘shout out’ (it’s like a heads up) – they have a need, and all sorts of answers appear.  I have actually done this. 

Start a conversation.

Make announcements about events,

Make announcement about my business with a link to one of my websites.

Make comments about topics/events

I have used it to do a straw vote…got some feedback that counted.

Talk about the weather, things going on around town.

Do a Retweet

Comment on other Tweets

People do business with people they Know/Like and Trust, and Social Media helps people know you.

Quick Level Review!

If you had a networking situation that involved 2 ppl, which level would it be?  Level 1

Example?

If you had a networking situation that involved 3 ppl, which level would it be?  Level 2

Example?

If you had a networking situation that involved 4 ppl, which level would it be?  Level 3

Example?

POSSIBLE EXERCISES

1

Exercise - Right now everyone in the room think:

In your business, what do you need that you can’t source at the moment?

Can anyone help? 

2

Knowing who is here, who do you know who isn’t here who could use their help?

1.   We have talked about the 3 levels of networking, and how it expands your circles of solution providers, but it also expands your circle of potential business.

2.   We have touched on some marketing theory:

A.  Push and Pull Marketing

B.  Warm Touches and Cold Touches – do you see the warm touches working in networking and finding solutions?

C.  Centres of Influence

D.  Alliances

3.   We have also touched on Social Media as part of Networking

…and how it all contributes to getting the real you known so people will do business with you….after all, people do business with those they Know, Like and Trust!

I hope that now you know me a bit better, you will do business with me, or better yet – make some referrals to me!!

The Dead Brown Days of Winter Can Be Productive

It’s tough to believe that it’s still winter when the weather is looking more like April, and the scenery is the ‘dead brown’ colour.

Having recovered from the evil virus that was “going around”, like many people, I am catching up and putting steps in place to move ahead.

Recently, I have had morning meetings with Clients for a quick review and to focus on specific issues.  This one off reality check meeting works out quite well because we are able to address the situation and strategize a solution that fits right now.  I would like to do more of this.

COI, Alliances, About...

Centres of Influence
Who do you know?  Who do they know?  Who listens to them and who do they listen to?  A few people?  A lot of people?  Tons of people?  You might just know or even be a Centre of Influence.
People buy from people they Know Like and Trust and if they don't know who to buy from, they are likely to tap into their network and find out who to buy from!  Get known by Centres of Influence so they can refer to you...It's Good for Business.

Alliances
Knowing everything and doing everything for your customers can be exhausting, and let's face it, you probably can't do everything really well.  Look at what you do well and like doing, and find  someone(s) else to work with who does what you don't do well or like doing, or you just don't have time for.  Sometimes it's better to work with someone because being self employed can be lonely, as well as exhausting.  Working in Alliance with someone can add new energy, a new perspective, and put the fun back into it.  You can expand your offerings, work on larger projects and tag team for each other.  So check your network.  Who can you work with? 

Networking - Which Level Are You?

Networking can be mystifying at the best of times if you just don't 'get it'.  You attend functions where there seem to be a lot of people standing around, seemingly all talking at once, flashing business cards and writing things down.

Wonder what they are doing? Are they really getting anything out of it?

You  try networking, but you seem to be missing something, because there don't seem to be any results from it.  Maybe you just don't understand about the levels.

There are 3 levels of networking:

First Level – 2 people meet and can do business

Second Level - 2 people meet and know someone who needs the service and tell each other

Third Level – 2 people understand each other’s services and as they go about their day to day business, perhaps they see a building going up and stop and find out who the other person should talk to, and tell the other person.  

In the course of doing business with a company, you see a need your connections could solve, and suggest they could use the services of your connections, and make an introduction (i.e. via email).

Level 3 networking is where you really want to be in terms of skill and activity.  It's about relationships with your fellow networkers.

What does it take to be a successful networker?  Consistency, being front of mind, creativity and imagination, staying in touch, supporting those around you, attending events, presenting a consistent professional image, and giving, even if you don't get to start with.

So think about it and figure out how you can become a level 3 networker.

Should You Have More Than One?

Website, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Yahoo, Google, MSN etc.?

My answer would be a resounding YES!

The more Websites and Social Media Pages you have, the more you can take advantage of key search words for Search Engine Optimization.

If you have more than one business, you may want to present a totally different image for each site consistent with your branding and separate sites allows you to do that.

Different Market Segments may be interested in different areas of your business and when they are using a search engine, they use keywords particular to their area of interest.  You can only use so many keywords and metatags for each site, however, the more keywords you use and the more Geographic areas you list, the more likely your business will be found; multiple sites allow you to use more key words, increasing the likelihood of your business being found.

Multiple sites are a great way to showcase your values and personality which are becoming so much more important in making a decision to work with a professional.  It answers the question of “What are they really about and do I want to be associated with this company?”

Link the sites together to give a complete picture of you and your so searchers will completely explore the possibilities of your services and research has shown you will gain more business.

How Do You Know That?

I have been challenged many times in a conversation when I state what to me is a fact, with “How do you know that?”  The answer is simple “I read it” or “I saw it when I travelled to...”

I read voraciously.  I read books and not just for recreation, newspapers, magazines (More Magazine is a favourite), flyers, ads, tourist information, whatever I can get my hands on.  I spend time in the library scanning parts of the new books.  I am a regular at the nearby discount bookstore where the staff are so used to seeing me browse, they discuss the latest books with me.

I have found some really useful and interesting sites on the internet and download articles to save “in case I need them”.  I have articles saved on the computer, in a binder, and in a file to put in the binder, when I get a ‘round tuit’.

The point of this is to encourage you to read and to let you know there is a wealth of information available to help you with your business.  The most useful sites I have found include Entrepreneur.com which has some great “how to” information for your business.  I recently spent an afternoon browsing through Sbtv.com (Small Business TV) which has informative and helpful articles, and a menu of webcasts in a wide variety of business areas.  The websites of other groups and companies are also useful; check out Company of Women, Womenentrepreneur.com and Art of Marketing for some good business tips

There are many more helpful sites, and yes you may ‘borrow’ my articles!  Let me know how I can help.

Telephone Messages

Do you know who Richard Rice is? 

Neither do I! 

He left a message with a phone number on my cell phone on Friday evening (?) asking me to call him. 

He has a hint of an Irish accent, the soft kind with a bit of a lilt from around Dublin.

The problem is that the phone number does not exist.  I don't recognize it.  I can't find the number in any reverse number search.  I tried to Google him, and searched LinkedIn and FaceBook.  No Joy there either!

I think we have a lesson in phone message ettiquette.

If I knew what he wanted to talk to me about, or how he got my CELL Number, I might be able to track him down and return the call.

I can only hope that if it's important, he will call me back.

When you leave a phone message, please listen to the message upfront (have you even called the right phone number to begin with), speak clearly, leave an accurate return phone number and a brief message with the reason for the call - who are you and why you want me to call you back.

Of course, check the message on your phone systems and make sure people can hear who they have called (in case it`s a wrong number).