Relationship Building: Strategy #6 Network

Go Out and Network
Networking works for all professionals in many fields, but there's more to networking than passing out your business card or placing your business in a directory.  Networking involves consistency and communication.  To benefit from networking you must be organized, proactive, and your business should have a chosen target audience to market to with your products and services.

Inspire & Motivate Them

Give talks related to your area of expertise. You would be surprised at how many people would be interested in all that you know.  Talk to libraries and industry associations  to get placed on their list of presenters for meetings. This can be a process so make a plan and stay diligent.  Write articles about what you know and specialize in.  Contribute to web sites, blogs, and newsletters.  Create you own network and look for other professionals who serve the same clients as you but who don't compete directly with you. Create a time to share business tips, referrals, etc.


Follow up on Leads
All the leads in the world are worthless if you don't follow up on them. Make notes on the back of business cards to help you remember specific contacts. Make the phone calls or send the information you promised. Basically, just to stay in touch. Marketing is following up on leads.  It isn't a one-time hit-or-miss proposition. Building a successful practice takes patience and ongoing marketing.

P.S.  Don't forget to ask for the business. Like it or not, selling is part of any business.

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