How to get your Network to Advocate You

In 'How to get what you want from your networking in 2010' I wrote about setting yourself targets for your networking activities as part of an overall strategy. The ultimate aim of your business networking is to create a network of advocates who regularly promote you and your services without being asked or paid and when you are not there.

The number one way of getting your network to regularly advocate you is to advocate them first.

Remember habit 4 of Stephen R Covey's Seven Habits of Highly Effective People is think Win/Win. Applying this in networking means developing a giving mentality and becoming an Advocate for others.

In this podcast I explain this and some of the other ways of motivating others in your Inner Network to advocate you.

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Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
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Getting in front of the right people at the right time

Many people in business networking often say that they have no problem selling. Their biggest problem is getting in front of the right person. I feel they often need to add something else. It is not just getting in front of that person, but doing it at the right time.

Business to business and professional services are usually bought when someone has a problem or issue they need to solve. You need to have a very good idea of these problems and issues within your target market. The critical thing then is to educate your network with the signs that identify someone with those needs. They can then advocate you and your services to the right people AND at the right time.

Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
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Is this the ultimate in networking?

In a meeting earlier this week someone was describing how he was developing a new venture with a business partner. He described his partner's approach to building business, "Give me one contact and I will build a business!"

It was very refreshing to hear him describe how he went about this by genuinely building close working relationships. Over time both parties gain substantially from the investment in the relationship. His approach is the opposite of many people who think networking is mainly about meeting new people. In reality they are spending lots of time getting to know very little about the many people they meet.

Most of us will need more than one close relationship to build a business. I think the important lesson is to spend more time getting to really know the people that we do meet. You really can build a business by spending your networking time in developing relationships and growing advocates within the right group of people.

Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
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Advocacy by Penny Power

I was really pleased when Ecademy founder Penny Power asked if she could quote me on Advocacy in her new book Know Me, Like Me, Follow Me - what online social networking means for you and your business.

Penny was at a meeting when I presented and subsequently wrote about here a couple of years ago on networking for advocates. She wrote about this in her book and what she learned about advocacy.

"The greatest aspect of 'like me' is is the power of creating advocates around your knowledge, people who will 'talk about you when you are not in the room'. To me this is real network value. 'Know me' cannot achieve this ... you cannot achieve this advocacy without having a relationship with that advocate."

Read more from Penny at the Know Me, Like Me, Follow Me Blog.

Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
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How many business cards are in that desk drawer?

I was presenting the NRG Business networking Advocacy Model earlier this week when the question of collecting business cards came up.

I was talking about the importance of following up and asked how many in the audience had piles of business cards from events that they had never done anything with. Like most audiences there were knowing and embarrassed smiles from a good number.

I still meet people at networking meetings, who just collect a business card and move on. Sometimes all they do is just give out their own card! Most people are not like this at all. They are genuinely networking to develop relationships, but forget about following up when something else comes up back at the office.

If you don't follow up then you may as well be aiming for 1st prize in a non existent business card collecting competition.

Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success

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Building your Pride

A couple of people recently have asked for advice on selecting people for their Inner Network. At the Referral Institute Conference last week Dawn Lyons and Jill Green spoke about the lessons you can learn from the different roles played by the members of a Pride of Lions in organising around a common goal.

Networking is about helping others as a way of growing your business, but it is important to build your pride with others committed to the same approach and with access to the right markets. People who will share your passion for what you do and who you can be passionate about too.

After the conference Dawn emailed me with some more on the subject of building your pride:

"The key to building your own pride is to first realize you have the right to select your pride members. Select wisely! Select pride members who are:
1) professional
2) they understand how to refer you
3) they believe in and are highly skilled in referral marketing
4) they have a want to and a desire to help you
5) you also enjoy referring them to others

Start slow and build your pride to 4-8 members and watch your referral business grow!"

Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success

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Ways of helping your advocates to refer you

I spoke at an event last night about the NRG Networking Advocacy Model*. The model suggests that effective networking is a result of building trusted relationships with your Inner Network. Others that share the same target market as you and provide a complementary service to yours. Over time you will actively refer and introduce some of these as you get to know, like, trust and rate them. Some of these will form your Advocate Network, the small group of people who regularly go out of their way to find introductions and referrals for you.

The speakers at the Referral Institute Conference last week all reinforced this view of networking. Sarah Owen addressed the subject of helping others to advocate you as you advocate them. The very act of advocating someone else is motivation for them, but only if they know! Unless you educate them on this and what you are looking for they will probably miss opportunities.

In your One2One interactions have you made sure they really know what you do and where? Can they pass on why you are good and what you love about your business? Do they know how you want to be promoted and who specifically you want to meet? Is there anything else that would make you stand out?

They may be saying things about you that you could use yourself.

*My previous post 'The Advocacy Model: Develop Advocates' has more detail and links to further posts on this subject.

Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success

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Networking is still not about selling

I have blogged before that networking is not selling yet I still meet people at networking events that are intent on selling to the room. I was at an event the other day where a couple of people were complaining that they had got clients the first couple of times they attended, but those sorts of people didn't come any more.

What a shock. They were probably put off by people selling to them all the time. As I often write networking is not about selling directly. If you build relationships in the right way then you don't have to sell. Your network does it for you!

Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success

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Something we don't know about you

Have you ever been to a business networking event and left feeling that you didn't really get to know anyone? The conversations at business networking events can be very dull if everyone just talks about their business.

At the more 'formal' part of NRG Business Networking Events we have an aide memoire to help people introduce themselves and their business. This includes the usual business stuff - name, business, target market and ideal connections. It also invites the person to share something about themselves that we would not know in the ordinary course of business. Often this is when people come alive, smile and reveal their true nature. Especially when they talk about one of their passions.

That often is the spark for a conversation with someone and a real connection where you get to know and like each other. It's those connections that lead to follow up and a good business relationship based on trust where you become advocates. That's when networking really starts to work.

Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success

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How does this networking work then?

In a recent three way conversation at a networking breakfast someone asked "how does this (networking) work?" and one of the others, a wealth management professional, told a quick story.

He explained that he had met an estate planning consultant about 6 months ago. He had got to know him and introduced a few people. He was then invited to a conference of lawyers, accountants and other professionals with an interest in estate planning. He had got to know a few of them and made a few more introductions. Recently the Estate Planner had given him a referral into one of the specialist family law firms he was hoping to build a relationship with.

He finished by saying "So that's it in a nutshell. I go to the networking groups where I will meet the right people for me, get to know some of the others, find out what they need and help where I can. Then good stuff happens for me."

Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success

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You don't get fit by joining a gym...

Yesterday I wrote in 'It takes more than just showing up' about the importance of following up and building relationships in effective business networking. Later on I received an email from my colleague Martin Davies with the following quote.

"You don't get fit by joining a gym...
You don't learn to swim by reading a book...
You don't build relationships without meeting people..."

He went on to say that if you follow a good process, however, you will get the results you want, whether it be fitness, swimming or building business relationships. A good networking group provides the process and the environment that allows you to turn contacts into relationships that result in business for you.

For a great story about this follow the link to 'Winning a Major New Client through A Networking Relationship'.

Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success

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The value of networking for advocates

Many people in Business to Business Services report that the cost of lead generation is rising. My colleague Martin Davies was telling me about a conversation he had last week with someone who had calculated the value of Networking for Advocates against paying for leads.

This person had built 10 advocate relationships through his NRG Networking Group. His investment was about £200 per Advocate. His advocates generate about ten leads for him per year each. That's 100 leads for an investment of £2000. In his industry the cost of a good lead is about £100 to £200.

The cost of buying the same number of leads would therefore be between £10000 & £20000. Up to 10 times more! That makes Networking for Advocates a pretty good return on Investment.

Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success

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business networking | business networking events | business networking podcast

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How do you get people to advocate you?

One question that I get asked by people is how to get regular business from networking relationships. Getting other business people to recommend and advocate you is what networking is all about for many people.

This podcast explains how to set about motivating others in your Inner Network to advocate you.

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Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success

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business networking | business networking events | business networking podcast

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Can you explain what you do so others can pass it on?

Many providers of business to business and professional services find it hard to explain their expertise in simple terms. In 'Dominating your niche through Business Networking' I wrote about how Chris Bose did just that.

Chris explained in simple terms the relationship between complex Power Laws and Internet Traffic. He did it so well that others are able to pass on his message and his expertise. I overheard a conversation during a London NRG-networks lunch yesterday where someone was explaining Chris' ideas to someone else struggling with generating enquiries from their website. This was someone who had attended one of Chris' Seminars at NRG a year ago!

If you can find a way that others can pass on your message, no matter how complex, in simple terms it's a real help to those that want to advocate you. Those that have got to know, like and trust you.

Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success

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Who do your potential clients listen to?

According to the survey I wrote about in my column for the National Networker, Reasons for Networking, most people are Networking for more business.

If networking isn't generating the results you want it could be for a whole number of reasons. One reason could be that you are spending time with people with no access to your market and no real understanding of what you do. The likelihood is that many of the people you meet may not have access to your target market or anyone with influence in your target market. It's worth taking some time identifying other suppliers to the people you deal with. Maybe ask some of your clients who they take advice from.

You can then start to go about your networking strategically and ensure your word of mouth is getting to the right people with the right message. This includes joining the networking groups where others work in similar markets to you and building that network of advocates to spread positive word of mouth in the right ears.

Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success

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Taking the guess work out of networking

The primary business networking driver for many people is to generate more business from the people they meet. Not directly but by introductions to other people they know. Many opportunities to make referrals are missed by people because they do not see the possibility at the relevant time.

It takes time to build a relationship where people recommend and refer you as a matter of course when they spot an opportunity. At NRG-networks we call this Networking Advocacy and facilitate this relationship building process.

One of the great advantages of online networks is that they let you see who your contacts are connected to so that you can request an introduction. This means that online networks are becoming increasingly important as a valuable resource for your offline activities.

Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success

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The real opportunity represented by people in the room

If you are new to business networking you may well be looking for opportunities to do business with the people you meet. This can be a very short term view and you may well stop before you really get to the benefits to be gained from networking. Each person you meet knows many more people. In the longer term having that person as an advocate can lead you to repeated and consistent business opportunities. When you meet someone that has the potential to unlock many doors for you then build the relationship first.

Someone asked me today about the types of business represented in the NRG-networks groups. He said "I am keen to join but would like a summary of who your members are ?? Small / Medium or large business ..."

I replied "Mostly Directors & Partners in small (10 to 49 employees).
They are suppliers & trusted advisers to medium & large."

It is the second sentence in my reply that demonstrates the real opportunity. The size and types of business they have dealings and real influence with.

The subject also came up in this blog post recently;
'Having conversations that matter when networking'

Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success

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Seminars and sharing your expertise with your network

For someone to advocate you and your services they will probably need some experience of what you do at some stage. One of the challenges in building your network of advocates is how do you give others this experience when they are unlikely to be customers.

One great way to do this is by delivering seminars and a number of networks include this type of activity. In fact most of our NRG networking events include a member delivered seminar.

In the business networking research we commissioned a couple of years back one respondent shared this:

"I do not do any cold calling - all my business comes from networking and referrals. Networking is not about selling - it's about building relationships. Much of the business is as a result of doing a presentation where I share my secrets..."

Would your expertise lend itself to a good seminar?

Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success

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Building trust in networking

I have mentioned before the NRG-networks research into the process of building trust in business relationships through networking.

Alan Rae has conducted more recent research into the same topic and it's great to read that his findings support our own in his articles, Building Trust Part 1 and Part 2.

We identified a 4 step model for building trust, the Advocacy Model, and Alan identifies some of the key skills required:

- having the right attitude
- being absolutely clear about what you do
- being consistent
- being easy to talk to
- listening a lot
- finding helpful connections for the other person

He also summarises what it takes to make networking work really well:

"Above all you have to be clear about what you want out of it – be it collaborators, referrals, employees, introductions to finance. If you are helpful and you let other people know clearly what you do and what you want, consistently – then the magic will start to occur."

Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success

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Are you crystal clear about what you do?

My colleague Martin Davies related a great story about being clear about your target market in his recent post 'Be really specific when defining your Target Market'. It's great advice and the other really important thing is being absolutely crystal clear about what you do for them. The person in his story was very clear.

To get results and referrals from your networking you want your advocates to promote you and what you do when they spot an opportunity. Are you giving them a clear enough message to help them do this?

If you are not sure then ask a few of your good contacts to tell you what they think you do and who for. It can be a real eye opener and help you adjust your message to something much more effective.

Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success

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