Get More From Networking

Most small businesses network. The aim of networking is to get more business.

Let’s be honest, you may enjoy meeting new people, catching up with friends, but at the end of the day it really is all about getting more business from networking.

Referrals are those introductions that help you get more business. It doesn’t really matter what business you are in, having someone give you a referral and a personal introduction is just about as good as it gets.

So how can I get more referrals? How can I get more business from networking?

The Misconception

Most people would happily recommend or give you a referral. The problem is that most of the time they don’t really know what you are looking for, so they don’t give you more referrals.

What makes this worse is that most businesses don’t know what their ideal referral is, so how do you expect anyone else to know?

Take this really common example –

‘What is your ideal client?’

‘Well, we can work with anyone really…’

Sound a familiar conversation? If you have been networking recently then you have probably come across this.

Most people want to have as many options as possible, so they so ‘anyone’ as they think it will give them more referrals or business leads. It doesn’t. Being more specific will help others find business for you.

Try This

We cannot take any credit for this. It came out of a conversation with Clare Chaney of The Alternative Board (North Downs). But it really was too good an idea to keep to ourselves, so here it is!

The theory is if you know what your ideal referral is then you will get more referrals from networking. Once you know what your ideal referral is then tell everyone else!

Download the dummy document here – Ideal Referral Dummy then delete our content and add your own.

The dummy document is based on a marketing company who are really good working with retailers. They could work with anyone, but remember that being specific works.

Use the form, complete it and give it to your networking partners. Honestly, they will appreciate it and you will get more referrals from your networking as a result!

If you want to see more of Clare Chaney’s ideas then click here.

If you want to ask any questions or have any comments about this article then please contact us on 01293 541333 or use the website here. We also have loads of free tools here, so please use them and let us know what you think.

By David Farmer