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By: Sue Clement
Are you frustrated by your lack of networking results? Maybe you're not doing enough to develop strong relationships with the people you meet. Read on for three key strategies that can easily turn your contacts from names on your Rolodex to connections that might last for years or even a lifetime.
First of all, realize that it does take time and regular contact to build relationships. So here are a few tips to help you with the repeated contact aspect, and as you follow up, the time factor will take care of itself. If you keep this up, you will soon find yourself with a strong network of contacts.
1) Referral Follow-up
When someone refers you to someone else, there are two things you must do immediately: 1) Follow up with the referral right away. Introduce yourself and ask how you might be able to help him or her. And 2), call or write (preferably both) the people who made the referral to thank them. In addition, be sure to keep them posted. Not only is that good manners, but it will remind them on a regular basis to refer even more people to you.
In fact, make a point of expressing your appreciation for referrals even if they don't lead to any business. That will distinguish you from the majority, who may thank referrers for leads that have led to sales, but forget to acknowledge those that have not.
2) Connect regularly
Regular contact is the key to turning a casual contact into a long-term relationship. And there are a variety of ways to make that connection.
You can send them something that would interest them. Whether it's a newspaper clipping, a magazine article, or a link to an online resource, it will signal to your contacts that you thought of them and thereby strengthen your relationship.
You can also ask for help. If you call them for advice, it will make them feel valued, and since you will owe them a favor in return, it will provide you with yet another opportunity to follow up. You should also let them know what happened, especially if you took their advice. And the thank you note you'll be sending them is another point of contact. In this way, asking for help can lead to an entire series of contacts.
Of course, you can also promote yourself and your business. Send your prospects short notes with any newsworthy information pertaining to you and your company, especially if it's relevant to their own business. Just don't overdo it. Make sure that your promotional messages are just a part of your overall points of contact.
3) Keep records
Create a file or a data base (or a notebook) to keep track of the people you meet. Jot down when you met them, who made the connection, and whatever it was you discussed at your first meeting. Also make note of all the follow-up you did. For example, if you send cards, you want to make sure you don't send the same card to someone twice. The same goes for promotional emails or materials, and for requests for help or follow-up mails.
As you can see, building strong connections is not rocket science. But it does take a bit of work to achieve business networking success.
However, if you follow these three steps, you'll soon see results. So let's recap: Don't let new acquaintances fall by the wayside -- nurture them by keeping in touch and watch how quickly you'll get new clients!
Author Resource:->??Ready to get more clients fast? Join Sue Clement at her FREE webinar on effective networking at http://sueclement.com/teleseminar and get ready to take your business to the next level.
Can't make it? Sign up anyway -- Sue will be happy to send you the audio download link and an action guide too. http://www.sueclement.com
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