However, if you are in a situation where it is not an organized networking event but you get feeling that mentioning your business would fit into conversation, then be as reserved as situation warrants. A social conversation is no place to ramble on. A quick mention would suffice and, if you notice an interest from person you are talking to, by all means continue on. But remember to call it quits when you get a feeling it is time to do so.

Regardless of situation, if you have an opportunity to talk about your business, be sure that one of first things you mention is benefits your product of service offers. Sure, your name and name of your business is important but it is benefits of your products or service that are going to influence your listener and make sale.

Also, networking is like playing piano… you get better with time and practice. Everyone feels nervous (to a certain degree) when they visit networking events, whether they are in start up phase or even after years of running their business. But, more times you attend them, easier it will get. You will be able to calculate what you say that has highest impact on your listener and mould that into perfect infomercial for your product or service.

Networking is a vital and powerful way to promote your business. So, keep your eyes open for opportunities and fine-tune what you will say and soon you will become a master at convincing others of benefits of what you have to offer.

Vocalizing your satisfaction is not only way to get word out. With so many people using Internet to find information, why not include your recommendations on your website. Having a Resources page on your website is a great way to let others know of different things that you would recommend.

Word of mouth can also be in form of a written testimonial and can benefit both company that gave you that great service and recipient. Many companies like to present testimonials for others to see. And, why shouldn’t they? It’s a great way to show people how much others have liked their service. The benefit to you is that each time you say something nice about their service, they may in turn publicize your testimonial on their literature or website. And, they will usually include your name and your company. There you have it… your company’s name is in front of eyes of potential clients, just because you took time to say a few nice words about something else.

Now, let’s flip coin here for a moment. We’ve mentioned about benefits of positive word of mouth. But, what about pitfalls of negative word of mouth? If someone spreads word that your service is fabulous, new business will come your way. However, if you provide a service or product that someone is not happy with, they will either never recommend you or they will tell three times as many people about negativities they have experienced. Providing an exceptional service or product, coupled with “beyond call of duty” customer service, can have a positive effect on your business. But, not providing what you customers deserve can bring down curtain faster than you can blink.

For example, I recently had a run in with a supplier who I would never recommend to anyone, not even my fiercest competitor. This company took over 3 months to provide me with product I needed. Each time I called their office, I would either get an answering machine and have to wait days to get a reply or I would get old “ it will be ready by Friday” response. I was not impressed! In fact, when I did finally get finished product, I was not at all happy with it. Oh, and I never even got an apology for delay or discount I requested because of my displeasure. In short, they seemed to not want my business now or in future. I think I’ll comply.

Word of mouth is very powerful, both positively and negatively. Of course, we should always strive to gain positive referrals… that’s my goal. It can have a tremendous impact on our success. So… get out there and tell two friends about this article… and so on!