Could smoking be a good networking tool?

That crazy thought entered my head today, and I decided that yes, it could.

If you don't smoke, you won't know what I'm talking about, but if you do, you will.

When attending conferences, there's often a break between speakers when smokers rush outside for a quick puff before the next session. Different individuals choose different spots, so generally there aren't more than a half dozen in one spot, even at a large conference - which makes a perfect climate for talking to each other. After all, you aren't going to just stand there and puff while staring straight ahead. And, since smokers are the current "bad people," you all have something in common, so form kind of an instant bond with each other.

Over the course of a 2 or 3 day conference, you can strike up a pretty good camaraderie - and that could lead to referrals and work in the future.

Where else can you find a small group of people with whom you share such a strong bond?

That's my random thought for the day... I hope you had a wonderful 4th.

Yours for prosperity,
Marte

A New Lead Generation Idea

Sometimes a good idea just jumps out at you - and that's what happened to me when I read a post on Active Rain yesterday.

This was a lead generation tip for Realtors, but any business that provides a "big" service could use it.

After you've closed on the sale of a home (or installed a pool, remodeled a kitchen, landscaped a yard, etc.) throw a party! Let the client invite 25 friends for the celebration, and while they're there, do your best networking.

Hand out cards, of course, but mainly just get acquainted with these folks so they can see how friendly you are and imagine how pleasant it would be to work with you. You can also use this time to learn more about what your potential clients are most interested in about your kind of service, and use that knowledge in future marketing. If you listen well, you might learn something you didn't know about your prospect base.

You could also hand out discount cards. Make it a VIP kind of thing - because they're friends of your friends (clients.)

Let your client choose the kind of party - wine & cheese, beer & pizza, punch and cakes, or whatever fits their personalities and lifestyle.

Now, if I could only figure out a way to use this idea myself. But, all of my clients are long-distance. Hmmm... guess not. Be pretty hard to serve refreshments through the computer.

Happy second half of June!

Marte
writer@marte-cliff.com

Networking, an effective piece of your overall marketing plan

Everyone talks about networking, and about working a room, and a lot of people try to do it but with little success.

I'm one of them - shy and quiet in a crowd. I can hide in a crowd better than anyone I know, in spite of the fact that I love meeting and talking with new people. It's just that reluctance to "butt in" that stops me. So I stand around and look stupid until someone talks to me. Sometimes they do, and sometimes they form an opinion that I'm stuck up so they leave me alone.

My favorite thing is to spot a kindred soul - someone also standing looking stupid - and then I have the nerve to go say hello.

So, I was tickled to find a good "how-to" article today. It's by Ilise Benum, a top expert in the field of self-promotion.

You can read it yourself at: http://biznik.com/learn/articles/business-networking/how-not-to-network

Even if you aren't the shy type, the article will give you tips to make your networking more effective from a marketing / self-promotion standpoint.

Best success!
Marte