The Do’s & Don’ts of Networking ... i.e. Growing Your Business
DO ...
Make friends without business sales pressure or tactics
Join community service organizations like Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions, Women in Business
Join other volunteer organizations https://tinyurl.com/ventura-volunteers
Play in adult sports leagues or take up golf or tennis
Join a fun club … fishing, hunting or the like
Become a community leader (city council, school board, churches, charitable organizations)
Use online social networking sites, like Facebook and LinkedIn to engage with people
DON’T PAY FOR LEADS ...
Bark
A London-based lead supplier who ripped me off for over $2,000. Not one valid lead … many people I called simply hung up on me. The bank refunded my money.
Thumbtack
Another loser. I got two new accounts. One was a Homeowner’s Association which never provided me the requisite information to create their website. A second was a chap in San Diego who cost me an arm and a leg before and after his business closed down.
Alignable
A waste of time.
BNI and Other Such Groups
Watch out for Networking Groups like BNI. They require attendance at weekly meetings. Three misses or tardies and you are 86’d. In a year, I didn’t get one referral.
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I have new procedures in place to weed out these kind of problems ... besides following the script of the do's and don'ts listed above.
I only do business with people who I can meet with face-to-face.
Run a background check, explore online presence including Google reviews, Yelp and social media.
Research their product, service and competitors.
Do a deep drive into their current marketing channels.
Must be well established.
I prefer doing business with brick and mortar businesses, and not home-based operations.
Here’s the bottom line.
I’m addressing this article through the eyes of a marketing consultant, web developer and graphic designer ... at least as a professional services provider.
My best source of new business comes from personal contacts or referrals, and other direct marketing avenues.
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