Posted By Amanda Collins on March 30, 2010

You plan your week – or month – in advance to maximize your networking, planning three to five events per week, alternating among breakfast, lunch, and happy-hour meetings. (If you’re in Phoenix, I hope you’re looking on NetworkingPhoenix.com!) In short, you’ve done everything you’ve been taught to do to meet new people and generate leads.

Now, if you’re one of the 5% of networkers, once you’ve made the connections, you’ll follow up with your new business acquaintances with a nice e-mail, phone call, or mailed card. If so, that’s excellent! But, wait, it doesn’t end there. The whole idea of going out and prospecting is to build a database of contacts, hopefully establishing and maintaining relationships. To that end, you need to continue the conversation with these new folks.

In my experience, most small business owners are gung ho to attend networking events, eagerly exchanging cards and shaking hands. A few will follow up within a few days to acknowledge the meeting … but, for many it doesn’t even get that far. And, if it does, we never communicate again.

So here’s your training, fellow networkers. Of course, set up a follow-up system to get in touch with your new colleagues within a few days. Then, add them to your drip-marketing campaign. Maybe you use a CRM system like ACT, or maybe you’re old school and use Excel, but you need to be in touch with these people to remain top of mind. I like Constant Contact, which I use to send monthly e-mails segmented based on people’s interests. That way, they hear from me regularly in messages that share useful information and some personal anecdotes about my life with my son. Because of my drip marketing, potential clients see me as an expert and turn into clients.

Remember, people don’t go to networking events to buy, but if you give them a reason to trust you and build valued credibility, you’re much more likely to see that relationship build and transition into a revenue-generating future.

Category: Business Development, networking | No Comments »
Tags: business cards, network follow-up

Posted By Amanda Collins on March 16, 2010

Okay, I’ll admit it – I have a (small) stack of business cards on my desk from a networking event I attended a week ago. I still need to go through them and send e-mails to follow up with everyone I met. On the flip side, everyone I met got my card too – and I’ve only heard from two people. I’d say those are very good numbers given my experience in networking. Typically, I don’t get a follow-up from anyone.

Why do you go out to network? I think most people would say it’s to build up a pipeline and create leads. Okay, so if that’s the whole goal, relationship development is at the crux of that effort. To build relationships, you have to initiate a conversation. That conversation ideally should have started at the place where you met, but it needs to continue. Whether you send an e-mail, note card, or call on the phone, some follow-up is required to begin a relationship.

The other thing you can do to continue that conversation is to put those folks’ names in your database and e-mail newsletter, adding them to your drip-marketing campaign. What I do is to send an e-mail with something personal followed by a blurb about me in case they’ve forgotten who I am, followed by a little “disclaimer” saying I’m going to add them to my monthly e-newsletter, and if the content doesn’t resonate, it only takes one click to unsubscribe. Most people never even respond, but many don’t remove themselves from my list either. That means I have plenty of time to connect with them!

So if you’re not following up now, start doing it! It’s why you’re out there anyway, so start leveraging your efforts!

Category: Business Development, Communications | No Comments »
Tags: Business Development, follow-up, networking

Posted By Amanda Collins on March 13, 2010

As a business owner, there’s not an event I attend where there isn’t a SendOutCards (SOC) representative. In fact, some of my friends rep for the brand. I know a lot of people who use the service and absolutely love it. Their feeling is that it keeps them in touch with their clients – easily – and they likely wouldn’t do so without the online process. I completely understand and am not here to trash a reputable company. For my part, though, I prefer to go old school: I write all my cards by hand.

It seems that each birthday and winter holiday season when I was a child I’d receive stationery. I was trained from a young age to send thank-you cards for everything I got, and as I was growing up, the Internet wasn’t even a thought, so letters had to suffice. I have nice penmanship and, well, I’m a writer, so it’s never been an issue. And, like SOC boasts, who doesn’t like to receive a card in the mail? In this age of mouseclicks and Facebook, it’s much more personal.

My background is in college admissions. I worked at a small school and a large university – and I wrote all my cards by hand. Whether it was a thank you for visiting the campus, a follow-up to a recruiting visit I’d made to their high school, or a happy wish for a birthday, I would go through pen after pen inking nice, personalized messages. My forte is marketing communications; I build and implement communications strategies to turn prospects into clients. Part of that strategy involves a number of touches, and handwritten cards have always been one tool in that box. [If you're a job seeker, remember handwritten thank-you notes following interviews. I have won a couple of tight races just because I sent a card.]

In my own business, if I have your address, you can expect a card after we meet in person, you become a client, or you send along a referral. Even in the advent of online automators, I still pull out my (red) pen and scribe the note myself. I’ve had to go through physical therapy and chiropractic for the issues to my right hand, elbow, and shoulder from all my writing – but that won’t deter me. To me, it’s the little things that matter, and I’m far more impressed when I get a card someone took the time to write over one that was typed on the computer and spit out to mail to me with the obvious SOC envelope.

So if you’re using SOC, good for you! At least you’re making the effort. But I’m going to continue writing out my cards by hand as long as it’s an option. Maybe I’m just old school.

Category: Business Development, Communications | 1 Comment »
Tags: client communications, handwritten notes, marketing communications

Posted By Amanda Collins on March 11, 2010

Okay, I’ll admit it, I’m on the dating scene – online. I’ve never had much luck with the venue, but I figure it’s just one more way to meet people, so no harm, no foul. Yesterday, I received an e-mail from a wannabe suitor who asked if I found him attractive. “You can be honest,” he said.

So I was.

I told him I am looking for someone fit since I’m at the gym pretty regularly and want someone who enjoys similar things (and can keep up). His knee-jerk reaction was to ask why women always judge on looks first. “Whatever happened to starting as friends?” Aha – but that wasn’t his question, was it? He wanted to know if I found him attractive, not if I thought we could be friends.

In your business, are you asking the right questions? Are you ready to accept the answers? Too many business owners are living in a bubble, assuming that the way in which they perceive things to be is the way they are – without asking for feedback.

When I met with a new strategic partner recently, he said he’d heard a lot about me in town. This person owns the #1 executive placement firm according to Ranking Arizona, and he’d heard of me. (Phoenix is a very small big city.) I was, of course, impressed, but the next thing I asked was, “Was it good?” If he’s heard bad things, I need to know because that feedback will help me to improve and take action. Thankfully, he’d heard great things about me (which is why he was sitting in my office), so my reputation is strong – for now.

I encourage you to start asking people in your circle – clients, prospects, and colleagues – what their perception is of your business. You may be surprised at the answers, and they can give you an opportunity to grow.

Category: Business Development, reputation management | No Comments »
Tags: Business Development, reputation management

Posted By Amanda Collins on March 10, 2010

Content. Of all the SEO buzz words, few are as important as good content. Obviously, it’s not a one-shot, simple fix to get your site on the first page of Google, and you need links, the right keywords, etc. But content is king in the online world. Google LOVES fresh content. That’s why WordPress is so popular as a Web site content management system (CMS). Within just a few minutes of posting a new blog on my (WordPress) site, Google has picked it up. Every blog on your site acts as another page, and the more pages your site has, the more dynamic Google recognizes it to be.

Aside from just the SEO components – which are all important – fresh and engaging content draws and keeps potential customers on your site. That doesn’t mean you need to drone on and on to get readers; in fact, in our “Twitter” society, most Web surfers are looking to find the information they want FAST. They also want to feel as if they know the person behind the brand and have a commonality. Humor can be a great way to do that.

Combine content and links by guest blogging on someone else’s site or writing articles hosted elsewhere. Then you’ll gain exposure across a wider audience while directing those readers back to your site through links. You can also post your press releases on various Internet sites to drive the same kind of traffic.

Make it a practice to write something at least once a week, whether on your site or elsewhere. You’ll find that not only does it create a better online presence, but it also positions you as an expert in your field, which typically translates to more clients.

Category: Business Development, seo | No Comments »
Tags: online marketing, search engine optimization, seo, Web content

Posted By Amanda Collins on March 9, 2010

Lately I’ve been attending a bunch of social media training events, and time and again the topic of Google Alerts has surfaced. Of course, I’ve been running alerts on myself for a while now, mostly because I’m a little narcissistic and like to know what people are saying about me. As usual when I go to those kinds of things, I’m amazed at the “Huh?” looks I see around the room. Really? People aren’t running Google Alerts on themselves? If you’re one of those folks, here are just a few reasons you should be doing this.

Whether you’re a business owner, job seeker, or just average Joe Citizen, you want to manage your brand and your reputation. You can run an alert on just about anything: your name, your company name, your competitors’ names, a keyword for your industry; the sky’s the limit. You can have the alerts come “as they happen” or digested, depending on your need to know. Since WordPress and Google have a symbiotic relationship, when I post a blog, I receive a notification within 10 minutes, so it can happen pretty quickly.

If you know what people are saying about you, you can comment back and, if it’s negative, you can do immediate crisis management. I’m always amazed where I come up in searches. Sometimes people quote my blog and never ask, so I didn’t realize. Of course, I’m not the only Amanda Collins in the world, so I see what my namesakes are doing as well.

It’s pretty simple to set up, really. Go to Google Alerts and put in your parameters. Remember that if you want to track an exact phrase, you have to put it in quotation marks (“”). If you want to track a keyword, you can use the results as fodder in your social media communications or cut parts into your blog.

Keep in mind that the name of the game is communications and relationships, so while you’re definitely out there managing your brand, share some of the information you find with your network and you’ll win in two ways.

Category: Business Development, Communications, reputation management, seo | No Comments »
Tags: brand management, google alerts, reputation management

Posted By Amanda Collins on March 4, 2010

Whether you call it a commercial, elevator speech, or presentation, if you’re a business owner, you know how important this little nugget of information is in creating excitement about your company, product, or service. Many folks stumble over what to say and how best to gain listeners’ rapt attention.

Here, a few simple pointers:

Remember the WIIFM Factor. What’s in it for me? is what listeners want to know. If you can’t catch their attention in a hurry, they’ll tune out. How many of us have heard someone say, “Hi, I’m Todd and I am a plumber. I fix stopped drains. I can help anyone with indoor plumbing. Call me if you have questions.” ZZZZZ! There are plenty of plumbers (bankers, Realtors, etc.); why should I give you a second glance?

You only have 30 seconds (or 60, 15, or whatever). Practice a few speeches to be sure you can include your key selling points – quickly. Sometimes you’re told to only say your name, company name, and tagline. If you don’t have a captivating tagline, you’ve just sold yourself short.

Remember your audience. I have two distinct business channels: entrepreneurs and job seekers. If I go to a networking event with fellow business owners, it would be foolhardy to just talk about résumés. Sure, people in the room may know someone who’s looking for a job, but my better approach is to lead with strategic communications and then drop the résumé thing at the end. Be sure that your presentation is targeted to the people who are listening.

Stay focused. Too many people hear that they’re given two minutes and start telling stories and things that are completely irrelevant. If you have something of value to contribute, go for it! However, in my experience, most people “um” and “ah” their way through 30 seconds talking about nothing, so hone that first before moving on to a bigger sharing time.

Category: Business Development, Communications | No Comments »
Tags: Business Development, elevator speech, networking commercial

Posted By Amanda Collins on March 3, 2010

This morning, on a 45-mile-per-hour stretch of road, a group of about 10 cars was joined by a police officer. As you might expect, everyone was hovering around the 40- to 45-MPH mark, hesitant to go too much faster for fear of the wrath of the law. I, however, continued along at my 48 MPH pace, unencumbered by Mr. Police Officer’s presence. A short while later, when the cop turned off the road, a couple of people’s speedometers crept up and they whizzed right by me, while some of us continued at our reasonable clip.

“Okay,” you’re probably thinking. “That’s human nature. Why is that the subject of a blog post?”

Well, it got me thinking about rules and how people try to get away with things. There are many drivers who will go as fast as they can – until they see a cop car (or, in Arizona, traffic cameras), at which point, they will slow down to below the posted speed limit. What does this say about how these people live their lives? Are they constantly thumbing their noses at authority and trying to get away with whatever they can when no one is looking? Shouldn’t they be self-policing and following good guidelines all the time – whether or not they’re being monitored?

I wonder, if this kind of behavior does follow in to other aspects of their lives, are these the people with whom I want to do business, date, or have around my son? No, not really. I want to be around people who follow rules of order because they make sense. What would the world be like if murder wasn’t illegal, then? Would these sometimes-rule-followers pull out guns and shoot people dead for no reason? Laws, rules, commandments … all were created with the greater good of humanity in mind, and we should be conducting our lives in a way that makes sense for all, not just for ourselves.

I’m thinking I might need to go for a drive with any potential business or life partners down the camera-riddled stretch of State Route 51 before signing any contracts. It might just offer a glimpse into how they conduct other aspects of their lives.

Category: Miscellaneous | 1 Comment »
Tags: Communications, human nature, speeding

Posted By Amanda Collins on March 2, 2010

Even though you have your phone with you at all times, do you use it to talk? It seems that most people are using those little gadgets as mini-computers – searching the Web, answering e-mail, or, if it’s the phone aspect, texting. How many of us really use the phone to talk? It seems there’s some kind of negative connotation with calling. Even I am often arrested with the thought that I’ll be disturbing someone if I call, whereas a text or e-mail can be retrieved when the receiver is available.

I was at a presentation recently where the value of a phone call was discussed. SendOutCards folks will suggest sending a card a day or a week to your best clients, but this presenter suggested picking up the phone. “How would it make you feel if someone called you just to check in and see how you’re doing,” asked Sandy Rogers of Face-Time Fridays, LLC. The general consensus was that a phone call makes you feel special; an e-mail has become status quo. Even when Constant Contact offers personalized e-mail newsletters, there’s just something about a phone call.

I suggest you consider how you’re reaching out to your clients. Schedule in time to call past clients or check in with people in your database. Let’s turn around the misconception that phone calls are a hassle and actually start talking again. Most of us grew up in a time before computers were everywhere, so I know we all know how to dial.

Category: Communications | 2 Comments »
Tags: building relationships, client communications, e-mail, networking, phone calls