Scientific Networking

… or what to say after you say “hello”

We all have the opportunity to network.  We attend trade shows, civic functions, business conferences, social affairs and sporting events.  We can even create our own networks by establishing advisory boards or mastermind groups. 

No matter which strategy you employ to meet people, the more structured your approach the more successful your results.

People deal with you for one of two reasons; the perception they have of you or the relationship you build with them.   Subconsciously they are asking themselves; do you look like you can do what you say and can I trust you?   Effective networking gives you the opportunity to subliminally answer these questions.

Most networking events have a mix of three types of people who may be of interest.   Prospects are potential buyers of your product or service; influencers mix in circles where your prospects get together; and introducers can personally introduce you to prospects.   They are all potential targets. 

If possible, find out in advance who will be there.  Often it is as easy as phoning the host or organiser and asking the question.  Recently a conference organiser faxed me an acceptance list with 231 names of attendees together with their company details and addresses. 

If that doesn’t work you might be able to find a member of the committee or arrange a mutual friend to help you.   If it is a civic or association event find out who the trustees or committee members are; if it is corporate find out the names of the directors.   You never know who you may already know.

… more on this topic tomorrow

Marketing in the Technological Age

Do you remember the days when marketing was about billboards and the Yellow Pages? If you had a really good brochure you were ahead of the competition.

Today, it’s not billboards, but web site banners and not Yellow Pages, but search engines. Marketing online can reach millions of people in an instant.

That’s the good news …

… and the bad news.

If your messages are strong, then marketing on the Internet can greatly enhance your business. However, marketing on the web needs to support and enhance your current marketing program. There has to be a balanced marketing mix.

To Blog or Not To Blog (and Exactly What is a Blog)?

In simple terms a blog is a website where people can freely exchange ideas and conversation on a selected topic. Depending on the topic, a few may join and “blog” or thousands may log in. Think of it as an interactive speech, but in writing.

The right website with the ability to blog can greatly enhance your business. For instance, perhaps your site has a live blog from 7-8pm every Thursday night where you discuss how you can help your customers protect themselves with the right type of insurance.

This could open an entirely new audience for your business.

But, understand that gathering an audience takes time and persistence, and guess what – marketing. If no one knows you’re blogging, no one will join you.

Like any other product or service you need to send out e-mails, letters and brochures telling potential customers about your blog. Continually monitor it and update the site. It needs to include your offerings and multiple ways to contact you?

MySpace, Your Space, It’s all About Space

When MySpace first appeared on the Internet, it was a way for pre-teens and teens to reach out to their friends. It was a space where kids could express themselves with a picture, description and a blog of what they’re up to. Even with the security concerns by parents who felt that too many people had access to their children’s information, it continued to grow.

Today there is Facebook, LinkedIn, private forums and numerous others each with their own audience.

The significant thing is the way these sites have changed over the years.

Artists can show their creations online and find patrons more easily. Musicians can have their tunes reach thousands of people creating a groundswell of interest. Business people with similar interests can swap their ideas and everyone can reach a much larger audience.

Instead of posting a photo of you on your summer vacation, you might have a photo of a customer of the month. Or links to your website, your brochures, places where you’ll be giving presentations and more.

Where Else Should I Go?

The Internet has opened worlds of new marketing opportunities and there are literally millions of sites where you could post your information.

However, you do want to be selective about where you post and what you post.

In the world of cyberspace, not just a handful of people have the potential to see it, like the billboard of old, now ten or twenty thousand or more could find your blog or web space and be interested in your offerings.

Don’t forget, you must have a traditional marketing plan and materials in place to support the marketing and business generated from the internet. You will maximize your success when the two work together.

Does Your Website Have Integrity?

How many times have you visited a website and thought, “that doesn’t look right”.

In a multi-dimensional world most companies employ several marketing channels to promote their business. There might be print advertisements in the newspaper, maybe some radio spots, a couple of slick brochures that you hand out at your first face-to-face meeting. Even the sign over your door makes a statement about your business. But…

…what’s the point in using colourful brochures, quality stationery and a nice sign people can see from the street, if people log on to your company website and find out-of-date content, sepia photos  (they’re so old), incorrect or unsubstantiated material, or text that’s clearly been ripped (plagiarised) from another site?

Potential clients WILL check your website and Google your company name. This is the new generation of computer user who knows how to gain maximum benefit from online window shopping. Most make some of their buying decisions based on web research. So…

…if a visitor stops by your online channel and sees a dusty, neglected, outdated site, with photos of staff who left a year ago, and outdated or incorrect information, you’re under utilising a great marketing channel, a critical channel to support your company’s positioning.

What you say, what you do, how you look (in print and on the web) all have to be in sync or your credibility vaporises before you start. Just because you don’t look at your website very often doesn’t mean that others don’t. Perception is fragile. And on the web, perception is reality.

The web is a great and necessary resource, and if you’ve laid claim to your parcel of digital real estate, then along with that online property comes responsibilities. And, as a card-carrying member of the online, commercial establishment, you can improve the integrity of the web by keeping your website as upright and straightforward as your real-world business.

The Responsibilities of Site Ownership

As there’s little or no oversight on the web, it becomes each Webmaster or business owners’ responsibility to police his or her website for anything that might be construed as deceitful. Transparency builds trust. (Oh, and by the way, fake testimonials are transparent frauds.)

So, what can you do to maintain a site that adheres to the same high standards of honesty and integrity upon which you’ve built your actual business?

Here are some suggestions.

1. Be an authority. Your web site offers the opportunity to establish your know-how and experience. Write helpful articles available to any visitor. Build a site archive – a knowledge base upon which people depend.That means you don’t make up facts and publish them as reality. You check your math – twice. You check your facts using reliable sources like the dictionary, an almanac or a reputable encyclopaedia. Fact checking is essential in building credibility, which indicates a site with integrity.
2. Deliver what you promise. Teasers and come-ons are all over the web, snookering the unsuspecting and short-changing the slow learners. If you don’t deliver on your online promises, you won’t have a long and expanding list of satisfied clients. You’ll have one-time sign-ups who flee the moment they realised that they’ve been victimised.
3. Keep your content up to date. If you wrote a piece about the future of oil investing back in ’03 and it’s still on your web site, that article is going to smell horrible. A lot has changed in the oil markets since ’03 and the information in your piece is not only useless, it’s actually misleading if someone assumes this is your current position on oil futures. Date all of your posts – blog posts, feature articles, archival content and other timely information. And if it starts to take on a stale odour, toss it and put up something fresh.You’ll see more repeat visitors (a very good thing) and the search engine gods will smile kindly on your site. Fresh content is search engine spider food so keep the news timely and accurate.
4. Say it in plain English. Do you charge a non-refundable fee? Is the initial consultation with the prospect free? What’s your privacy policy – an especially important consideration for insurance brokers, financial advisors, accountants and legal counsel who maintain sensitive personal data on the business’ hard drives. Put it all out there for prospective clients to see.

Business integrity builds trust. In turn, trust creates lasting business relationships. The loss of that trust is almost impossible to regain.So, run your website the same way you run your real-world business – with honesty, decency and with the best interests of your clients always at the fore.