 |
 |
 |
           |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
 |
Who Are You and What The Heck Do You Do?
A few years ago, I was attending a family function when I ran into a cousin of mine. Having not seen her in more than three years, she told me that her son had graduated from law school and had passed the bar examination and was now a lawyer at a very prestigious law firm in New York City. "So what kind of law is he practicing?", I asked. "Well....law, The American kind" she replied. "Ok, but what area of specialization? Bankruptcy? Criminal? Real Estate? Personal Injury?," I inquired. "You know, I don't really know, but I know he's a great lawyer, or at least he better be with all the money I spent on his schooling,", she said. "Do you have his business card?" I asked. "Actually I don't have one with me. He never gave me any. He said just told me to have anyone with a legal problem give him a call. I'll give you his home number and you can talk to him about it," she said. I'm sure that many people have heard parents brag about their son "THE LAWYER" or their daughter "THE DOCTOR" or whatever profession they are in. But like my cousin, many of them are not familiar with what their son or daughter really does for a living. All they know is that they paid for their kid to go to medical school, law school, graduate school and in their eyes, they are a success. After the conversation ended, I thought to myself about the many golden opportunities my cousin had missed for her son to acquire new clients. It was bad enough she didn't know what kind of law he practiced, but what made it even worse is that she didn't have any of his business cards with her. As a business owner or sales professional, people need to know what it is you do for a living. Your first step is to educate your immediate "sales force" -- that is your family -- as to what you do. This doesn't mean that they need to know all of the technicalities of what you do for a living. At the very least, you need to train them to listen for key words, or to watch for certain circumstances where they may be able to provide a solution to someone's problem. For example, if you are a chiropractor, tell your family that if they hear a neighbor complain that their back is hurting after doing spring cleaning, that person may be a patient for chiropractic treatment. You may want to train your mom to 1) identify a need, 2) provide a solution to the person's problem and 3) give them a call to action [tell them what they need to do] and 4) make them prospect for future clients by giving out your business card, plus an extra card in case that person knows someone else who can benefit from your services. Speaking about business cards, out of the thousands of business cards I receive each year, I am surprised whenever I get a card that is missing the basics: the address, fax number, email, or title, let alone the person's full name. I'm a firm believer that your business card must also spell out exactly what you do, if it is not apparent by your company's name. For example, if your business is the SUPER MEGA COMPANY, INC. and you clean windows, it should say "SUPER MEGA COMPANY INC" with the words "Commercial and Residential window cleaners" below it. If you have a title in the company, use it on your card. Are you the CEO? The account representative? The Vice President of Marketing? The Developer of Imaginative Ideas? People want to know. The bottom line is that people need to know who you are and what the heck you do for a living. Start training your family members, your friends and clients to get the word out there about yourself. Once you do, you will start to see results: in name recognition, and more importantly, qualified business referrals. © 2005, Timothy M. Houston. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted with permission. Timothy M. Houston is the President of Houston & Associates, a commercial Debt management and business consulting firm based in Staten Island, New York with affiliated offices in Texas, California and Florida, (http://www.houstonandassociates.com). He is also the Area Director for the New York City Outer Boroughs Region of BNI (Business Network Int'l). In 2005, Tim launched SmallBizSaver.com (http://www.smallbizsaver.com) which is dedicated to helping small businesses to stay in business. He can be reached at tmhouston@houstonassoc.com, or Toll Free at 1-888-407-4646.
MORE RESOURCES:
Networking - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
How to Shmooze Definition: talk idly or casually in a friendly way Value: pricelessGearheads like me have trouble understanding that great ideas and hard work aren't enough.. Network Marketing Secret: On Becoming the 'GoTo' Guy For years we've been taught to identify ourselves as reps for one XYZ company or another.~We have our fancy business cards printed, some letterhead, maybe an address stamp. Plan for the Event or Flounder Rather than being there to eat the food and drink the drinks, planning before attending an event will change your view.Have you ever attended an event and seen all the people gravitating towards the food and the drinks? That is the first thing people seem to go for. How to Announce a New Product How can the introduction of new products affect the way I network at meetings?When I have a new product to launch, I make sure that I have a 20 to 30 second pitch ready for the next networking event I attend. I also make sure that I have a supply of product announcements offering a free sample. Client Attraction Technique #2: Networking One of the most cost effective ways of generating leads and referrals. However it's important that you 'work' these opportunities in the correct way. Effective Networking The process of finding out about a job, getting interviewed, and eventually receiving an offer for employment starts with networking. By networking I don't mean sending out hundreds of copies of your résumé unsolicited to H. Mobile Car Wash Companies; Trading Tips If you run a mobile car washing firm we recommend trading for as many products and services as possible. You should trade for both personal and business items. Ten Simple Steps to More Customers with Better Networking Networking is a great way to meet people in a "non-selling" setting. So, don't sell. Small File Box With Resumes to Help Customers I bet you have not thought about it much, but there are many ways you can help your customers in their daily lives. If you have a customer who just got laid off from their job, tell them you will be glad to take a few of their resumes and put them in a file box and when Corporate Executives come into the store you will be sure to put a good word in for them. Networking Skills: Arguing in Context If you're fond of a good debate, you know how to annihilate someone else's position in an argument while still somehow managing to keep a friendly rapport with that person. This tactic is frequently used by politicians and lawyers, and one that will no doubt come in handy in online networking. Are You Sitting With The Right Company? When I walked into Dallas's famous Y.O. Is The Company You Keep Hurting Your Business? When you look at your friends, it's like looking into a mirror. Take the sum of characteristics of the five people you spend most of your time with and you will be the average of that sum. Networking: Strangers, Friendship, and Business Growth You already know that uncomfortable feeling, that knot in your stomach that forms, when you enter a room, a bus, or any other location where only you and a total stranger occupy the formerly quiet space. What do you say? Do you say anything? Do you even dare make eye contact? Do you locate a point exactly 180° away from the other person and make that spot your own?Why is it that we are so uncomfortable with strangers, after all, aren't they just people like ourselves? They simply have the unfortunate luck of also being alone in a confined space with a stranger. 62 Ways to MAXIMIZE Your Approachability If you walk into your local bookstore and pick up any random title on interpersonal communication, the majority of the books will simply remind you to "always be approachable."Wow, you think, thanks for the advice. Networking in the Business world Why is it so important to network with other people when owning a business? Because without building those key relationships our businesses won't grow. See, most of our businesses require referrals to generate more leads and needs. Creating Successful Alliances and Partnerships through Networking Douglas Wilder, former Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the first elected Black Governor in the United States gave me advice that I will never forget. He said, "From this point on, when you walk into a room, walk in that room like you own it, when you talk with people remember to stand on your principles, keep your word, and people will want to associate with you. Networking for Wallflowers: How to Profit from Getting into the Crowd The two most common complaints about networking are: 1) I never meet people I can do business with and 2) I am always so uncomfortable going to networking events. These two complaints are related and can be relieved with a three step approach to networking that helps even the most frustrated networking wallflowers. People Know People I recently entered the keyword "networking" into Google. In 0. Business Networking - Extroverted Web Weaving for the Introvert If you have been in business for any amount of time, you go to networking events. Did your body just seize up? Was there a swelling of nervousness in your gut? Are you about ready to stop reading? I encourage you to stay with me about networking. Social Networking: A Link To Like Minds Not all dot-com dreams died when the Internet stock bubble burst.Amazon.
|
 |