Quality Counts

An item here which again describes the importance of knowing how to develop referral relationships. One of the key points the author Paul Yates makes is that quality rather than quantity counts when it comes to referral links. Far better to have two top qaulity one to ones in a day rather than 1o five minute phone conversations.

How, then, do we identify those relationships that are worthwhile if, after all, we are going go for quality ?

My answer to this question is to see how receptive your potential colleague is to what you have to offer, not by judging what he/she offers to you. Next week I will be meeting someone I met at a Speed Networking event. We had a long chat after the event and I followed up with a phone call suggesting that his current business field could be expanded into another sector and that I might be able to offer some insights. Three days later I received an e-mail saying that he didn't feel he could help me in what I was looking for but would like to discuss my ideas for his business.

This is a quality referral relationship in the making. Complete honesty on his part as well as an interest in my ideas. In The Know Like and Trust ethos of BforB, what you give is often of more value in the long term than what you can take in the short. The fact that my friend was absolutely straight with me from the outset is more than enough for me to be getting on with.

How To Fail At A Referral Networking Breakfast Meeting

There is so much advice out there telling us the best ways to maximise our marketing efforts via referral networking. It’s time we had a little fun. So sit back and enjoy this tongue-in-cheek guide to everything you should avoid doing the next time you go breakfast networking.

First of all, don’t go. Instead, kid yourself that you can dispense with early morning referral networking and just stick to lunchtime or evening events. After all, you are a nighttime person, and are not at your best first thing in the morning.

Don’t worry because there’s no chance that the people you are likely to meet later in the day will be caught up in the stresses and strains of their businesses before they get to the networking event.

(While you’re at it, why bother to go to work at all?)

If you do decide to turn up for your referral networking meeting, make sure you talk at, not with, people. After all, the point is to sell yourself and get as much immediate business as possible. It’s OK to listen politely if someone wants to talk about themselves, but make sure you steer the conversation back to yourself as soon as possible.

If you can’t get any sales leads, make sure you get some referrals. Don’t waste any time thinking about referrals you could give to the other group members.

If you don’t get any leads or referrals from this event, make sure you never bother attending again. If anyone is going to do business with you, they’ll decide to on the first meeting.

Member Spotlight: Primary Technologies

"Primary technologies is run by engineers not sales people, We are proud of our no nonsense approach"

This is the first thing you will read on the Primary Technologies website and having enjoyed Tony, Martin and Dave's contributions to two of our network referral meetings here in Hull and visited them at their offices on Reform Street, I can say that no nonsense is exactly what they are about.

Primary Tec cover a large range of services including Network cabling, general IT support and AV solutions. They have worked very successfully with Primary Schools in Hull and are therefore well suited to provide support for any small/ medium sized business in our city.

Here is the website again.

Networking, Some people just get it!

Some people just do, a case in point is David Pickup of Carrington Stanley Media Services. After an enquiry from me to see if he wanted to join our second launch meeting for Business for Breakfast East Yorkshire we had a 15 minute chat this morning. David is actually based outside of Hull and will not be able to attend, but that did not stop him from giving me free advice on how to maximize the effectiveness of my e-mail campaigns pointing me in the direction of Mail Chimp.

An invitation to drop in and see him for advice when I'm in his part of Yorkshire followed.

A Know Like and Trust relationship being established.

Trust, the most important attribute

Picked up this story over the weekend form Phil Hopkins' The Passionate Entrepreneur site. The story is significant because it demonstrates how a lack of trust can undermine anyone's professional credibility and eventually their business.

The business woman highlighted in Phil's story went behind the back of someone to whom she had been referred in order to gain a relatively small financial advantage. Business, however is not just a question of hard cash; as an effective business networker you must think in terms of "Emotional Capital".

Cutting a potential colleague out of the ideal for a few quid is no different to betraying the confidence of one colleague to another for short term gain. A bit of gossip may ingratiate you to someone in the short term but they are bound to be suspicious of telling you anything of significance about themselves as a consequence.

Know Like and Trust relationships are achieved when both parties offer two things, a listening ear and practical help. That help may be no more than encouragement to a budding entrepreneur or a possible lead. But if all you can offer is the cheap thrill of a bit if tittle-tattle your networking relationships will be about as valuable and long term as a chocolate teapot.