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Reaching out…to bring in
business!
Proactively reaching out to others is an
important part of marketing your business. Here are some tips and strategies
to help you get the most out of the contact you have with current and
potential clients, and associates:
- Be
present 100% of the time – Do you ever
find that your mind wanders when you should be listening to a client or
contact? Do you sometimes find that you lose your place in a meeting
because you are worrying about something that happened earlier or that
might happen later? We humans are so easily distracted, and yet
professional actors and leaders know that they are most effective when
they are clearly present all of the time. When you are in the moment,
focused and really listening to others, you present yourself with
greater clarity and intelligence. You can develop this skill through
constant practice and diligence, by purposefully refusing to allow your
mind to wander, and by keeping your eyes and body focused on the
conversation at hand. The focusing aspect of meditation is also very
helpful.
- Introduce yourself – Do
you ever falter when people ask you the question, “what do you
do?” Do you suddenly realize
that what you do is complex and you panic a bit as you try to decide
what to say? Get past this by developing a personal mission statement
that describes your business and your niche in terms of outcomes. Then
commit it to memory and you will never feel that discomfort again. You
will also be conveying essentially the same message about yourself to
everyone. This kind of consistency is critical to building understanding
and trust as you reach out to potential clients and associates.
- Ask questions –
when you are at professional development sessions or meetings, make your
presence known to the audience by asking questions or offering points of
interest. Don’t ever just sit passively by – use every
opportunity to demonstrate your skill, your understanding, your
creativity and, in the right context, your wit.
- Collaborate – Find
people you like, trust, and respect as professionals and collaborate
with them on some projects. It’s good for you to work alongside
other individuals and businesses from time to time as it tunes up your
own skills and normally results in new tips, techniques and contacts for
your individual work.
- Network – You
are never too busy or too successful to continue networking. But stop
for a moment and ensure that you are reaching the right people through
your networking. Are you talking only with peers who do the same thing
as you? Or are you talking with potential clients or people who might
refer you to new clients? While it is great to associate with your
peers, and sometimes to work together, business doesn’t always
come from that source. Be sure that your marketing is directed at
sources that are the most likely to be fruitful.
- Make it personal – The
best form of networking is one-on-one contact with people
who can stimulate your creativity or who can offer you insights on new
business opportunities and leads.
Contact of any kind – over
coffee, a phone call, an email, a conversation at a professional
development event or meeting – can make a difference. You should
have a goal of making so many of these contacts each week. Note them in your diary and assess how
useful they were at the end of the week.
- Offer workshops – This enhances your image as
a leader. In addition to enabling you to offer your expertise to
learners, a workshop lets you demonstrate your skills and abilities to many people at once and in a way a brochure never
can. You can offer workshops through organizations or on your own. You
could even offer workshops online and through teleconferencing. Leading
workshops is a way to make money and also to market. One caution: if you
are going to do this, be sure that you have a good presentation and that
your presentation skills are honed.
- Volunteer – Everyone
everywhere should participate in at least one volunteer activity. If you
are using your professional expertise in the activity, all the better.
In addition to making you feel good and making a difference,
volunteering adds to your portfolio of
experiences, demonstrates your commitment to community, and introduces
you to new contacts.
inlsight communications can assist you
with developing marketing
communications strategies to fit your business and your budget. Contact
us for more information at insight@insightcomm.ca.
Contact us
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For more information on
in.sight, phone us at (403) 238-1397 or
visit us online at http://www.insightcomm.ca.
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