Question #1 - What have you done so far to market your business? Set aside ten minutes, grab a pen and paper, or a keyboard and write it out. Writing out what you have already done is key. Once you write down what you've done, you may see overlooked techniques you can implement.

Question #2 - How many leads do you get each week?

If you have a store or website, your leads are your visitors. Many business owners don't know this critical number. They assume that if they have low sales, they just need to build traffic. They could be throwing money away. Here's how:

Imagine spending money to bring visitors to an online store that looks unprofessional or where visitors can't find what they want. Most, maybe all of visitors leave without buying. The same money that is spent on bringing more traffic would be better spent making website work or look better.

Question #3 - How many leads become your customers each week?

The problem is that most people think that networking consists of telling as many people as possible what they do, and handing out as many business cards as they can. They waste few precious moments they have with new and existing contacts by focusing on themselves.

Its possible to meet someone in airport, hand them your card after a brief conversation, and have them call you to request your services, but this random approach is like playing lottery. You can’t count on it to produce results. It is a Push and Pray technique: you push your information out to others and pray that they respond.

It rarely works. Your contact loses your card or simply forgets about you, or timing wasn’t right, or, in spite of connection you thought you’d made, a single conversation usually isn’t enough to launch a client relationship.

That initial conversation should be about understanding your prospects’ problems, needs and concerns, and collecting their contact information. The objective of networking is not to expound on your credentials.

Spend time you have with prospects (or people who might know a prospect) asking questions and collecting information. Then you can determine whether they would have any genuine interest in/need for solutions you provide. Use this client problem centered networking strategy to initiate and build profitable relationships.