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| Simin Foster. (Darren Brown, OBJ) |
By now you've attended the cocktail mixers, done the power lunches, popped in on networking breakfasts and even shot a round on the links with a few clients – congratulations. You're now an official networker.
But when the last martini's been drank and the cleats hung back up in the clubhouse, what then? How do you keep your network going strong, even when the events are long gone?
For the last installment of our networking series, the OBJ spoke with Simin Foster, proprietor of Place Bonbon candy store, for the scoop on how she's handled the sometimes sweet, sometimes sour world of spinning your web and holding it down.
OBJ: How have you been involved in networking over the years?
FOSTER: Networking has helped me in all sorts of ways, through changing my career and country of work, to changing companies and my transition to entrepreneurship. So I've used networking very extensively.
OBJ: It has helped grow you and your business?
FOSTER: Oh, very much. It would be very hard to conduct a business without your contacts and your network, but I view my personal contacts as more than just prospecting tools – they're long-term relationships, friendships, and valuable assets. And I've invested a lot of time and energy in creating them, maintaining them, and my success especially as an entrepreneur has required me to be in touch with other professionals.
And it's helped my business in all sorts of ways, from finding very interesting suppliers, to new business ideas, competitive information, business opportunities outside Canada, new franchisees, you name it.
OBJ: In terms of maintaining your network, how do you do that? It's always easy to meet new people and get new contacts, but what methods do you use to keep your network vital and running smoothly?
FOSTER: One of my main strategies is to bring value to my contacts, and make them see why they should help me. This can be passing on contacts, customers, or information to them, offering my skills or business advice, and things like that. So I do what I can for them, and that way I build a very strong relationship, and in return they work hard to help me. I also make frequent contact with them through common friends or acquaintances, or through passing on information or giving updates through e-mail.
Also, I take an interest in the personal side of their lives – helping with whatever family or personal issues they may have, so if there's an opportunity I offer my help. This also helps to build a very strong relationship. For example, if people are looking for job experience for their kids, I'll try to help them by placing them in one of my stores, or referring them to someone I know.
So, it's not only all about business. It's also about the personal side of things as well, and I really put a lot of importance on this. When there's a strong relationship, and a trust and respect, then they have me in mind when I need them or when they need me. They remember me that way.
OBJ: Is your business network something you see as a long-term tool?
FOSTER: I look at networking not as a direct prospecting tool, where I'm going to get some kind of short-term reward out of it. It's more of a long-term investment, and you need to invest time and effort and be patient to reap the benefits. So that's a big difference between just throwing their name on a database and firing off impersonal e-mails – those things don't work very well for me. I tend to be a very people-oriented person myself, and that's the approach that I've taken with my network and contacts. And that's one reason, I think, why I've benefited so much from them.
OBJ: What are the most important things to keep in mind when thinking about maintaining your network?
FOSTER: I think following through with one's commitments is very important. If you've made a commitment to do something for one of your contacts, you should follow through and then follow up to see if it's been useful for them. And they see I'm taking an interest in them. I think interpersonal skills are very important to maintaining your network – being unselfish, having an unselfish mindset, and going against the "me-first" instinct.
THE EXPERTS SAY
Maintaining a strong personal network creates brand penetration, business growth and profitability. The key is to ensure your network knows exactly "what it is your business does" and who your services and products are relevant to. Armed with this information, your network becomes your business sales force via referrals.
How do you build a strong personal network? Categories and consistency.
First, you need to categorize "who's who" in your network. Who is a key centre of influence in your industry? Who can you develop strategic alliances with? Who would be a strong referral agent? Who is prospective client?
Next, categorizing your network allows you to communicate with relevance – blanket monthly newsletters have little impact when the content is generic. Relevant, personalized communication builds your business reputation and brand penetration.
Consistency: You should make contact with your network three times once every 90 days (three times each quarter) Make the contact diverse. Use the phone instead of e-mail; send something via mail instead of sending an electronic copy, and most importantly make it relevant to them! It doesn't always have to be about you or your business.
For example, if you read an article relevant to someone in your network, send it to them with a personalized note. Or, if you come across a seminar someone in your network may be interested in, send them the information. Connect people within your network who will mutually benefit from knowing each other.
- Kylie Charleston, President, Excellence Training Centre
Back at your office: follow up with the one to five key people who you had a solid connection with at a particular event.
Send your follow-ups a quick e-mail (within 24 to 48 hours max) commenting on the pleasure it was to meet them and that you would like to schedule a one-on-one with them to learn how you can refer them more business, then add a small, content-rich piece about yourself as a P.S. letting them see what you offer.
Alternately, you can call your follow-ups: learn how to have a consistent telephone conversation that respects their busy schedule, gets to the point and moves to the next step naturally.
Careful of "send me a package" – this is their way of nicely saying I'm too busy and you aren't that important on my list right now.
Depending on your business, you can set up a "marketing day" where you pick one day a week, typically Thursdays or Fridays, have a list of 10 names and start your day by contacting 10 prospects met during networking events. After each call, put a post-it on the card with a comment about when you did make contact and where you left it at. File these cards in the next week's marketing folder.
Don't forget to take care of your COIs (Centre of Influence): look for opportunities to continue to build this relationship through an advocate program where you make a valuable touch once a month – valuable to them. These are the people you strategically invite to golf tournaments or longer events – ask them to invite a guest they would like to introduce to you.
When you follow up, if they are not interested in further connections right now, ask permission to add them to your database for updates and valuable tips related to your expertise. This way, when the time is right, they have been receiving regular contacts from you at no effort on either of your parts.
Pauline Fleming, PRO-Active Possibilities Coaching
