To Make More Sales, Get Out There and Network!

Do you have a routine of networking? If you are not reaching out on a regular basis, how will people know about you? You have to show up to networking groups consistently and persistently to build relationships.

Remember, EVERYONE you speak with is a potential client, referrer, center of influence, or joint project partner. Once you start viewing each person you meet as one of these things, it becomes easier and easier to engage in small talk at events.

When people ask you what you do, give them a compelling answer. Don't be shy â€" speak form your heart about what you do. It's what you believe in, so speak with passion. Get out there and TOOT your horn! Why keep yourself a secret?

Join associations and groups where you can rub elbows with your prospects in large numbers. To ensure you are attending regularly, plug meeting times into your calendar for the entire year. Keep in mind, you are building relationships with clients for the long haul. People are mulling your services over â€" just keep reminding them how remarkable you are â€" eventually they will do business with you or refer an associate.

One thing that is important for you to realize is that people aren't waking up in the middle of the night thinking I need a {fill in your profession here}. Instead, they are thinking about their problem: I don't have enough money, I'm in pain, I need to lose weight, I need to get out of debt, I need to save for my kids' education, and so on.

Your products or services provide them with a solution. But, services are generally an investment that people want to consider for a while. And so, part of your role as a remarkable marketer is to make sure you stay in front of them to remind them of the value you offer.

Here are a few ideas beyond networking events to help you stay in front of your customers and prospects:

-Give speeches about your area of expertise at the events your clients and prospects attend.

-Give free educational seminars.

-Write articles that give tips and advice to help your clients. Post these on your website in a resource area, send them in a print newsletter, or slip them in a handwritten note to your client.

-Provide free teleseminars online and send out an e-mail invitation.

-Provide a free ezine or newsletter with helpful advice.

-Create a blog that provides valuable information.

-Attend networking events consistently.

-Ask clients, prospects, and referrers for "coffee dates."

Remarkable networking is not about quantity; it's about quality. It's enjoyable, and it enriches the lives of both parties. If you want others to open the door for you, open it for them first. Building relationships takes time and patience, but it will serve you for life. People trust people who are their friends.

Often when we have a goal of making a sale, we try just once or twice and then give up. We say, "Well, I guess it's just not going to happen." To be truly successful, keep at it! This is true with networking and reaching out to prospects. Successful business owners are not at the top of their game because they are "naturals." It's because they don't give up. When at first they don't succeed, they try again and again and again until at last...they realize their goal.

Ultimately, people buy from people they trust and feel like they know. Eventually, you will get work from your networking efforts because you just happen to be in the picture at an opportune time. Or, it may be they have an associate who is looking for a service or product you have to offer, and who better to recommend than you?!

Keep in mind, you aren't going to stay in business if you keep yourself a secret - so get out there and make sure people know about what you offer when they are ready to buy!

Copyright 2006 Marketing Maven

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About Wendy Maynard

Wendy Maynard, your friendly Marketing Maven, publishes REMARKABLE MARKETING, a weekly marketing ezine for business owners, freelancers, and entrepreneurs. If you're ready to skyrocket your sales, easily attract customers, and have more fun, subscribe now at http://www.gomarketingmaven.com.


And here is another random article you might be interested in...

New Credit Scoring Model Could Help Millions

Mark and Beth, a young married couple in their twenties, established a goal to buy a home within the first three years of their marriage before starting a family. They budgeted and used their money wisely in order to save for the down payment. Whenever they purchased something they always paid cash - no credit cards for them. Why waste money by paying interest to a credit card company ?

Within two years they'd reached their savings goal and began house hunting. They found their "American Dream" home in a new community with lots of amenities that seemed perfect for their soon-to-be family. They were elated that their years of saving were about to finally payoff.

But, they ran into a big problem when they went shopping for a mortgage. Even though they had enough income to make mortgage payments and enough money saved to afford the down payment, they had no credit history. Lenders had no FICO score to evaluate their creditworthiness in order to offer them a loan. Fair Isaacs Co. established a credit scoring system in the 1980's and since then FICO scores have been used to determine if someone will qualify for a mortgage and the interest rate they would pay.

Over 50 million U.S. adults fall into the same category - they have either too little credit history or no credit history at all. But now thanks to a new FICO formula, called FICO Expansion Score, lenders will now have opportunities to extend credit to consumers based on non-traditional credit data that are excluded from credit bureau reports.

FICO Expansion will consider a wide range of financial transactions including payment activities such as rental payments, deposit accounts, payday loans, book or CD club payment plans, and retail lay-away plans.

Who stands to benefit from this new scoring model? Anyone who makes little use of banks, credit cards, or checking accounts. The "credit underserved" claims Fair Isaac Co, which includes young adults, low-income consumers, widows or divorcees, and immigrants.

And while those in the credit card and mortgage industry see this new scoring model as a potential benefit, those in the credit counseling sector foresee potential problems.

Fair Isaac CEO Tom Grudnowski is excited about his company's new credit-scoring resource. "This extension of the FICO score gives lenders and other businesses another powerful tool ..., while expanding service options for consumers who have missed out on opportunities simply because they lack a traditional credit history."

The opposition, namely debt and credit counselors, see both the good and the bad. Some consumers will benefit by qualifying for less costly credit arrangements. However, others could fall prey to becoming overextended unless they also receive some basic credit and debt education.

Tom Hicks, a credit counselor in Chicago, worries that "with the average American household owing $8,000.00 in credit debt, this could open the door to others finding themselves unable to handle credit properly. Ultimately the burden lies with the consumer," he says.

Fair Isaac Co. estimates that at least half of those without traditional credit profiles will benefit from this new scoring method.

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About James H. Dimmitt