I want to bring in more business.
Okay, what’s you’re plan?
I’m thinking of joining a networking group and meeting some prospective clients and/or referral sources.
Sounds good; which one(s) will you join?
I’ve narrowed down my choices to three groups. I’m going to visit all three before I make up my mind.
Makes sense. What else?
I’m looking at their websites to see what goes on at their meetings and what kinds of people attend. I’m learning as much as I can about their leaders and process, and writing down questions.
Nice. Doing your homework. Then what?
When I go to the first meeting, I’ll introduce myself to the leaders and ask my questions. Then I’ll try to meet other members, find out what they do, and see what they can tell me about the group. I’ll be looking for people who might be a good match for me, both in terms of practice area or business and personality.
Very good plan, my friend. Once you decide which group to join, what then?
Then I’ll start going to meetings and introducing myself to more people. I’ll exchange contact information and ask lots of questions about what they do, what kinds of clients or customers they target, and how I might be able to help them. I’ll take notes and see if I have any clients I can refer. I’ll look for other ways to help them, such as introducing them to other people in my network, offering advice, or recommending resources.
I’ll spend time with the people I meet and start building relationships. I’ll connect with them on social media, share their content and promote their causes. I’ll subscribe to their newsletters and blogs and go through their websites to learn more about them and what they do.
At some point, they will ask me about what I do. I’ll tell them about the problems I solve, the services I offer, my target market, and my ideal client.
I’ll also be on the lookout for people who are open to a joint venture. They may want to share my report with their clients and subscribers. They may have something I can share with mine. If they write a blog, I’ll suggest that we can do guest posts for each other.
That’s all I have in mind for now. I’m sure I’ll have more ideas after I meet some people and get to know them.
I know networking takes time and I’m prepared to invest that time. I might start out with ten new contacts and eventually narrow that down to one or two good ones. One or two good contacts could lead me to a lot of new business.
Sounds like a plan. A good one. Simple, flexible, a place to start. Which is all a plan needs to do.
Plan. Do. Review.
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