Using Event to Effectively Market Your Business

Written by Caterina Rando


The best way to build a relationship with a potential client and turn them into a loyal customer is to meet them face to face. Choose a place where people can meet some of your current, happy clients. Instead of going out on 30 sales presentations or having 30 no cost consultations, get potential clients together in a room and do a song and dance that will make them two step over to you and sign up for what you are offering.

Open House Some people need to know you well before they will talk business. Invite these people you want to cultivate to your office for a little something to nosh on and a few beverages. (Invite your current clients also, as a thank you.) Provide time for people to drop in, nosh, chat a while, take a look around then leave. Give everyone a small something with your slogan to commemorate their visit to your office- a mug, a glass paperweight, something related torepparttar theme of your business.

Information Events Invite people to hear information valuable to their business and their lives. Serve food and drink anyway, people always enjoy and appreciate something to nosh on. refreshments add an informal atmosphere to an event and shows people how great you and your business are and why they need to begin working with you immediately.

For example successful informational evenings I have seen have include a chiropractor that did a short talk on peak performance, a caterer who held a cooking class, a hotel luncheon hosted by a telecommunications company with a speaker on business growth and a short discussion onrepparttar 120967 services ofrepparttar 120968 telecommunications company.

For these events to succeed they must be value added, not infomercials for a particular business. Make sure you do takerepparttar 120969 time to do some promotion.

Special Guests Once or twice a year you host an event and invite a speaker to sharerepparttar 120970 latest trends in your industry and how these trends can impact your clients and potential clients. Financial services, real estate, and technology companies do this successfully to develop clients. Remember to be establish yourself as an expert, not your special guest.

Workshops Workshops are a great way to boost your short-term income while creating long-term clients. A workshop gives peoplerepparttar 120971 opportunity to be your customer for just a day. This is an easy buying decision to make. In a few hours, you can build rapport with potential clients and make it easier for them to become a regular client. When you give a workshop, ensure that you establish yourself and your company as an expert. As with all events provide more value than was expected.

Networking Know How – Make Your Connections Count

Written by Caterina Rando


Networking is not collecting business cards. Networking is creating a pool of sources from which you can draw clients, resources, referrals and opportunities. This pool of people is called your "sphere of influence."

Weeks after meeting a travel consultant at an event, I received a huge packet of promotional material inrepparttar mail. This costly packet was sent without a hello note, no business card and no follow-up call. What a waste of paper, postage and energy! Attractive, innovative marketing materials are far less important than a smile and a handshake.

Success in business is not about products or services, it is about people -- getting to know who they are and what they do. Your success is not solely dependent on your product or service. Your success depends onrepparttar 120966 width and depth ofrepparttar 120967 people in your sphere of influence.

I attribute my professional success as a business coach and professional speaker torepparttar 120968 people that know me, like me and trust me --repparttar 120969 people in my sphere of influence. These people are my friends, my clients, my vendors, members of groups I belong to, and anyone else I have ever met that I maintain contact with. The people in my sphere of influence send me referrals, are a resource for me, my clients, and arerepparttar 120970 people I call when I have a question. These arerepparttar 120971 people I know, like and trust.

Successful Steps for Creating and Maintain a Large Sphere of Influence o Increaserepparttar 120972 number of people you come into contact with. Go to networking events, join a professional organization or put together a workshop. Set goals for meeting new people each week. Then, create an action list to meet that goal. o Tell people you are interested in expanding your sphere of influence. Ask what they do to meet people, and if they can introduce you to people you would like to meet. o Create rapport. Put your attention onrepparttar 120973 person you are talking to. Make eye contact, smile and give a good handshake. Ask questions about things that interest them, their business, their industry, and their professional affiliations. o People will remember you when you remember them. Make an effort to learn and remember names and use them in conversation.

o Always get a business card from someone when you meet them. After you leave, note onrepparttar 120974 card, write where you met them or something about them that will help you remember them when you look at their card later. Also note any action items you agreed to do, i.e., follow-up with them next week or send a brochure.

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