by Lillian D. Bjorseth
President Duoforce Enterprises, Inc.
www.duoforce.com

It is far easier to build a better mousetrap than it is to let the world know you have built one. Entrepreneurs through Fortune 100 companies wrestle daily with how to come up with the best marketing strategies, those that garner attention and also sell product.

When you can succinctly articulate … right on the spot … the answers to the following questions, you will have made a solid start toward selling more services and products … or yourself when looking for a job or promotion to enhance your career success.

What is your/your company’s competitive advantage?  The objective is to identify specifically what sets you apart from others who sell the same thing or have the same educational or work background. In formulating your answer consider your:

1. Availability
2. Background
3. Customer service
4. Expertise
5. Price (salary requirements)
6. Quality of work

By: Christie Ruffino
Dynamic Professional Women’s Network, Inc.
www.dpwomen.com

How to create and build strategic relationships that will help you get the results you deserve with your referral network.

Networking is about leveraging your business and personal connections to help you make and build relationships that will provide you with a regular supply of new business. The key word being “Relationships”

The thing about networking unlike other business skills is that although it is necessary to thrive, it is not taught in most schools or universities. Yes we can all jump into the networking game, join a chamber of commerce, register for an event and order a stack of business cards, but will we get the desired results?

I made the mistake many years ago doing just that. I had always been naturally prone to connect my family and friends to the amazing resources I discovered and I felt great sanctification in helping them out. In addition I was also happy to help spread the word for those businesses whom I felt offered an amazing product or service. So isn’t that enough? Unfortunately after many years of unsuccessful networking, I learned that my networking needs to be intentional and result driven.

How connected are you?

11 Tips to get the results you want at your next networking event.

1. Set a goal - Plan to meet or reconnect with a quantified number of people. Weather it is one or more, when you set a goal to connect with a certain number of business professionals and challenge yourself to not leave without having met that goal, you will be more successful. Do not make your goal to large as quality is better than quantity.
2. Plan to bring a buddy or two – Regardless if you are an introvert or extrovert, this is an excellent way to make great connections. Plan to introduce each other to the new people you meet which will not only help your buddy make more connections, it will make you appear as a great connector and an influential person to know.

If you are not getting the quality and quantity of referrals from your network, stop lying blaming and take charge to get the results you want.

By Christie Ruffino
President and Founder of the Dynamic Professional Women’s Network

It is a well known fact that we all would rather do business with people we know, like and trust. The problem arises when we don’t already have a specific connection established when we need help so then we ask someone we know, like and trust who they know, like and trust.

Then when we focus on trying to grow our business, we assume that all we have to do is to meet as many people as we can, join a chamber of commerce or another professional networking organization, pass out a numerous business cards and the business will start pouring in. Some of us even join a referral group designed to build stronger relationships and generate business and are disappointed with those results also. They blame the people in that network for not doing their jobs.

The truth is that if you are not getting the results you want with your referral network, only you are to blame. This is the time to quit thinking about what you are not getting and think about what you are not giving them and how you are failing to provide them to tools they actually need to help you.

“My network is not motivated to help me.”
Maybe so, but what are you doing to enable them to refer you? Do you communicate with them on a regular basis? Have you scheduled time to take interest in what they do, or are you more concerned about how interested they are in what you do? In other words, are you helping them in the same way you want them to help you?

“They don’t really know my business.”
What have you done to educate them about what you do? Do you keep them abreast of new products or services you’ve added? Have you given them digestible information so they’re able to retain the vital points needed to promote your business? Finally, ask yourself if you’ve provided them with the right amount of collateral material–brochures, pamphlets, and web-based information–so they can not only educate themselves, but also educate those in their network.

“They don’t have the contacts I need.”
If you’ve gone through their entire database of contacts and disqualified every one you may have underestimated your network’s contacts, not to mention who their contacts’ contacts and so on. By doing this you’re missing out on an exponentially growing number of possible buyers of what you have to sell. With the explosion of internet marketing, the world is a lot smaller. Take advantage of contacts your sources may have not only in another city, but also in another state or even another country.

“The referrals are weak and don’t lead to repeat business.”
You may think their referrals are weak, but turning that sale into a regular, loyal client relationship is your responsibility? Did you contact the prospect in a timely manner and really listen to what their needs were. Did you do everything you could to ensure that the client saw the best you had to offer? Did you follow up with your referral partner to keep them in the loop about this new valued client?

“This is just not producing the results I expected.”
One of the strengths of a referral network is that everyone becomes friends. And one of the weaknesses of a referral network is that everyone becomes friends. Only those groups and individuals who recognize the need for responsibility and accountability will make this process work. Those who think that it is only necessary to “show up” may build great friendships but will not gain substantial business with this referral network.

The bottom line is that the results of your referral-marketing program will be directly guided by effort you make to ensure its success. Not only is it your obligation to invest in your referral partner’s success it is also up to you to effectively teach your fellow networkers how to send you the business you want. It’s up to you to choose the right people, set the tone for your business, educate your referral partners, demonstrate competence and integrity for those representing you, and maintain the effectiveness and strength of your referral relationships. If there’s a breakdown in your referral system, you’re probably not looking in the right direction.

Find the closest mirror and reflect!

My good friend, networking expert Bob Burg, has 10 questions he personally uses when networking that he believes every networker should memorize.

Bob explains that these questions are not designed to be probing or sales-oriented in any way; they are all friendly, fun to answer, and will tell you something about the way the person answering them thinks. You’ll never need or have the time to ask all 10 questions during any one conversation but, still, you should internalize them. Know them well enough that you are able to ask the ones you deem appropriate for the particular conversation and time frame.

Here are the 10 questions:
1. How did you get started in the (______) business?
2. What do you enjoy most about your profession?
3. What separates you and your company from the competition?
4. What advice would you give someone just starting out in the (______) business?
5. What one thing would you do with your business if you knew you could not fail?
6. What significant changes have you seen take place in your profession through the years?
7. What do you see as the coming trends in the (______) business?
8. Describe the strangest or funniest incident you’ve experienced in your business?
9. What ways have you found to be the most effective for promoting your business?
10. What one sentence would you like people to use in describing the way you do business?

Like Bob says, you’re not going to get to ask more than a few of these questions during an initial conversation, so don’t worry about sounding like you’re conducting an interrogation. These are feel-good questions people enjoy answering, and they are meant to establish an initial rapport. So next time you’re at a networking event, try using a few of these questions and then come back and leave a comment about how using them worked out for you; I’m more than willing to bet you’ll be pleased with the results.

http://networking.entrepreneur.com/2010/10/07/bob-burgs-ten-networking-questions-that-work-every-time/