Get More Clients & Build a 6-Figure (or more) Business for Women Entrepreneurs » Networking

Audio Biz Tip: Powerful Introductions

Annemarie Cross — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 05:16:19 +0000

Hi! This is Annemarie Cross, Branding, Money Breakthroughs and Business Coach helping solopreneurs get noticed, hired and paid what they’re worth.

Today’s biz nugget is all about how you introduce yourself in a powerful and memorable way.

The words you use when you first meet someone, are very important.

What you may not realise is that you only have 15 to 30 seconds at most, to really capture their interest.

So, rather than stating your job title (which is what most people do) you want to talk about the value and benefits you offer your clients.

For instance: Do you help business owners increase their brands, increase their prospects, and increase their income?

Yes? Then include those benefits in your introduction:

“I support small business owners working in the professional industry build a strong powerful brand so they can stand out from their competitors, get hired and paid well for the amazing work they do”.

Now it’s your turn.

Who do you work with? [Your target market]
What do you do? [Brief overview of your services]
What results and benefits will your client achieve? [The results]

Now use the above elements in your introduction. When you do, you’ll be sure to make a powerful and memorable impression.

Here’s the template to guide you:

“I support [1. target market] [by/in] [2. Brief overview of your services] so they can [3. Results/benefits].”

Pretty cool – yes?! And the best of all is that it’s simple, easy to remember AND stated in a way that will seize the person’s attention and invitation to speak more about what you do.

Bingo – you’ve just gotten their attention.

Did you find this helpful? Please Like, Tweet and share – I really appreciate it.

Until next time, stay inspired

Annemarie Cross

Drawing on her 16+ years' award-winning expertise in branding, personal marketing, personal development and transformation, Annemarie provides 'step-by-step' business- & profit-building processes alongside breakthrough business & money mindset principles so you can stand out, get hired AND paid what you're worth. >>>>>>> IS ONE OF THESE SPOTS YOURS? <<<<<<< Get first-hand breakthrough coaching with Annemarie by booking into one of her powerful Business Breakthrough Strategy Sessions (limited spots available). More information here: http://bit.ly/breakthroughstrategy

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Are you engaging (or disengaging and enraging) your network?

Annemarie Cross — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 09:08:48 +0000

Many business owners can see the value of using social media and other online tools to share helpful and relevant information with their network in order to build their brand and reputation as an expert.

Unlike traditional ‘interruption’ marketing (where businesses continue to push and bombard the marketplace with sales/promotional information) social media marketing (often referred to as ‘relationship’ marketing) is more about building and nurturing relationships with your network. Some of which could very well be your ideal client.

Today’s consumer is far savvier, is much harder to impress, is extremely time poor and therefore less likely to react to a constant barrage of sales messages.

Therefore engagement and interaction is critical and something that you should be doing in order to continue building relationships with people who could eventually become your perfect client.

Here are ten ways to elicit engagement as you continue to nurture and strengthen the relationships with people in your network:

1. Be focused

Be clear and focused on your audience. Who is it that you want to become part of your community? What are their interests? What do they struggle with? How can you deliver value and capture their interest and attention?

When you take time to answer this you’ll find they are far more likely to be interested in the information and resources you share. And, therefore be willing to engage in conversation with you.

2. Be communicative

Avoid the conversation that only goes one way, where you don’t answer questions or respond to comments that people have made. Especially if they have commented on your blog, Facebook wall or Twitter feed.

Take the time to respond to them personally. Not doing so would be considered rude!

It’s also important to realise that communication is not all about talking but also about listening. So make sure you also ‘listen’ to what people are saying.

3. Be resourceful

Become a resource – a go-to person by continuing to add interesting and informative posts, articles, videos etc that will be of interest to your community.

By continuing to add value you’ll soon develop a reputation as a resourceful person, whose information is trustworthy and relevant.

Don’t be the person who constantly sends out promotional material about your products and services – people will just not be interested.

By taking the time to build a level of trust with your community, and by concentrating on relationship building and resource sharing they will be far more open to receiving information about your products and services.

In fact, they may well have approached you already for more details as you’ve developed a certain level of respect in that area.

4. Be compelling

As you continue to write tweets, articles and produce videos, end your segment with a call to action to elicit comments and participation.

I often ask people what they thought about my article, what they found most helpful, whether they are doing something else that works for them as a way to spark participation in the conversation.

Another call to action may include asking whether they’d feel comfortable sharing your article with their community if they believe the content was worth sharing, thus enabling you to get your information out into the wider community.

5. Be polite

Hopefully this step doesn’t need much explanation. Remember what your parents told you – play nice; be nice.

Some people choose to take a more controversial position in their approach. However being overly controversial, direct and rude to people will not inspire people to engage/hang out with you.

People may have different opinions than you – and this doesn’t mean they are wrong. So be respectful of their models of the world.

6. Be constant

Ensure you post and interact with people regularly. Posting once a month or even once a fortnight is not enough. Aim for at least one quality blog post/article per week and regular interaction on your Facebook, Twitter and other social media accounts.

Your followers will be more likely to comment and participate if they know you’ll respond sooner – rather than if your responses are infrequent and delayed.

7. Be trustworthy

Would you keep company with someone who came across as shady and untrustworthy? No? Neither would the people in your network.

Everything you do and say, the conversations you participate in, the groups you join, the photos you share – everything, impacts your brand and reputation.

People like to hang out with people they know, like and trust. So make sure that you are honest in all your communications, interactions and business dealings. If you do the opposite – you’ll find yourself unfollowed, unfriended and possibly banned.

Was this helpful? Are you already doing these things? Yes? Fantastic – then you should be well on your way to building an ‘engaged’ network.

I reached out to my Facebook Community and asked them to share their thoughts on building an engaged community. Here are some of their suggestions – also very important:

Karina Alvela Ask your fans what they’d like you to talk about and do it. Provide fans with free tips and advice, so you look like an expert in your field. Poll your fans for new product suggestions and use that information to manage your service offerings.

Bob Milam Stay in your sweet spot. Don’t pretend to know something if it’s outside your expertise. Also, scrupulously credit your sources – avoiding plagiarism like the plague.

Astra Spider When writing articles or blog posts, share from your heart, share what feels good in your heart, and share from your own experience. Generosity and authenticity count! @abundantheart

James Doan’s Corner Office Exceed expectations. Always under promise and over deliver. Don’t promise what you might not be able to do. The temptation is to promise too much. Be realistic – then deliver just a little more.

Laura Farmer Honesty and integrity always comes through … Always level UP! It’s this standard that engages people every time!

Dr Shellie Hipsky Ask probing questions, deliver intriguing content, encourage others to provide their own expertise, and always remember to thank those who contribute.

Allyn Horne Do not use the community as your billboard. Enagage in MULTI-DIRECTIONAL dialogue rather than “spray and pray” messaging that may or may not engage your audience, and does not foster conversation.

Ali Meehan Be inclusive, add value to what your community are saying, people buy people so engage, engage, engage!

Kristi Jackson Mba Don’t join any community just to sell your widgets- people see a sales pitch from a mile away. Instead, join a group ready to give information, connect people with the solutions they need, and they will come looking for you

Erin Morrow Share 80% of useful information & knowledge-expect to get 20%. This will come back to you ten-fold!

@.l.interpretations Be prepared with useful and relative information and services to draw prospects. You’re trying to make $$$, but prospects are trying to hold onto theirs. What good is it if you can’t be considered a helpful and reliable source? Build trust and reputation first, then the $$$ will come.

Sandy Sidhu Show up. Participate. Interact. Provide value. @Sandysidhu

Jorge Furber The challenge in social networks is not to be connected to thousands of people the challenge is to build relationships. For that we must listen, create value, know and understand the needs of our connections and bring our knowledge and experience to the community. Also be consistent and focus on a few topics to generate credibility.

Natalie McIvor building an engaged community starts with you. You must be engaged and authentically connected to your community not just passing through. Networking is not about seeing how many business cards you can collect but rather it is about taking the time to connect with others, share yourself, be engaged when in conversation, follow up promises and is more about the quality of relationships than the quantity.

The Online Close Ask your followers what they struggle with….then ANSWER them with a helpful tip promptly. Ask, respond.

Guy Hobson Provide value and sincerity in helping your community solve problems. Become their ultimate trustworthy resource.

What about you? What do YOU think it takes to build an engaged community? Share your comment below! And, if you think these tips were helpful, please Like, Tweet and Share with your network. As always, I’d really appreciate it.

Till next time, stay inspired!

Annemarie

Annemarie Cross

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Networking 101 with Ivan Misner

Annemarie Cross — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 03:14:42 +0000

Are you actively networking both online and offline as a way to build relationships, find potential clients, marketing your product/services in order to grow your business?

Networking is an important part of any business; however there are tens of thousands of people destroying any possibility of developing solid relationships because they’re not following the fundamental principles of networking.

To ensure you aren’t breaking the golden rules of networking, join Annemarie Cross and Keith Keller as they interview Networking Guru – Ivan Misner, Founder of Business Network International.

Brent Edwards (BNI – Director) and Julie Bielenberg (BNI – Assistant Director) will also be joining the call to share their knowledge about networking and building solid relationships with colleagues and prospective clients.

What do you think? If you found this tips helpful please share them with your network by clicking the 'Like' button and Tweet buttons below. And, as always, please leave your comments below. I'd love to hear how you are going to implement the tips our guests shared on this week's show.

Till next time, have an amazing week!

Annemarie Cross

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Building Trust with Your Community

Annemarie Cross — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 09:23:48 +0000

It's a well-known fact. People tend to hire people that they know, like and TRUST. Are you building a reputation as a business that is trustworthy with your community?

I recently read an article about how a company increased their level of trust by over 30% with their clients and prospects by including a brief statement in their marketing. Curious as to what that statement was?

Here's a snippet of the article:

[Source: Neurosciencemarketing.com Author: Roger Dooley Link: http://www.neurosciencemarketing.com/blog/articles/ten-words.htm]

Watch this video to find out what that was, as well as 5 strategies you can build trust with your prospects.

What do you think? Were these helpful? If so, please share with your colleagues and friends by clicking the 'Like' button below. And, as always, leave me a comment below. I'd love to hear about what you're going to do in your business to continue building trust with your community.

Have an inspired week!

Annemarie Cross

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30 tips on how to build your network relationships

Annemarie Cross — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:01:01 +0000

As a service-based business owner I'm sure you'll agree with me when I say that building and nurturing relationships with your network is vital to the ongoing success and growth of your business.

I am constantly surprised (and shocked) at the lack of professionalism I witness in people's interactions with their online/offline contacts. So-much-so, that I constantly write and share 'must-do' Twitter tips.

Here is a list of the top 30 Twitter tips on how to build your network relationships.

Fireproof your relationships and enhance our collegial/client interactions by honing your emotional intelligence.
A kind gesture is often priceless. What can you do for someone in your network today?
What have you done for your network today? Reach out and reconnect with someone you haven't spoke to in a while.
#Business owners: a savvy networker carefully plans & follows through on his/her actions. Do you?
#Business owners: a savvy networker knows it takes time & dedication to build a solid network. Don't give up if results aren't immediate.
#Business owners: be social networking/media savvy. Share helpful resources and avoid spam – otherwise you might just find yourself unfriended.
Building your online network? Remember, it's the quality of your tribe you should concentrate on NOT just the number of followers.
Sharing valuable tips help build trust, recognition and credibility with your tribe. Are you regularly sharing with your network?
People do business with people they know, like & trust. How does your reputation (brand) measure up against these?
Building and nurturing your network is an important business building strategy. What can you do for someone in your network today?
Is building strong relationships with your network important? Are you regularly sharing valuable info through social media as part of your communications?
Attending a business networking event? Aim for quality conversations with fewer people rather than rushing round the room to everyone.
Attending a networking event? Remember, the key to building a relationship is in the follow up. How are you following up?
What have you done for your network today? Send someone an article they'd be interested in to support them achieve their goal?
What have you done for your network today? Recommend (or buy someone) a book you know would be helpful to them in reaching their goal.
What have you done for your network today? Pass on a resource that you found helpful. It may just be as helpful to someone else too.
What have you done for your network today? Send someone a 'thinking of you' card, especially if you know they're going through a bad patch.
What have you done for your network today? Volunteer to help out at an event. Your contact will be very grateful for the support.
What have you done for your network today? Do unto others as you would like them to do unto you – & they will.
Building your network? Find out the interests of one of your connections and ask them about this next time you meet.
The value you add comes from the values you hold [Anon]. What values do you add to your network?
What have you done for your network today? Send through relevant articles that you know would be of interest to them.
What have you done for your network today? Introduce two members of your network that you know could benefit from each other's knowledge.
What have you done for your network today? Read an interesting book? Give a copy to someone who could benefit from the information.
What have you done for your network today? Send a handmade, hand-written, personalised note. Make someone feel really special.
A savvy networker regularly sends our electronic and physical 'thank you' notes to their network. Do you?
Nurture your network relationships by publicly thanking someone (and tagging them) on your Facebook wall.
Nurture your network relationships by sending them a gift certificate at a local cafe so they can have their next coffee break on you.
Nurture your network by constantly looking out for opportunities (referrals) you know would benefit people in your network and pass them on.
Nurture your network by constantly being professional in your dealings so that people will gladly (& confidently) pass on your details to their extended network.

So, how many are you currently implementing? Which ones are you going to take action on this week? Let me know by posting your comment below. I always love to hear what you've been up to, or will be taking action on to continue building your business.

Did you find this helpful? If so, please share with your colleagues and network by clicking the 'Like' button below.

Till next time, have an inspired day!

Annemarie Cross

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Social Media Etiquette: Are you developing (or destroying) your online reputation and relationships?

Annemarie Cross — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 06:55:29 +0000

Many service-based business owners are leveraging the power of social media in their marketing and brand communication strategies – which is wonderful to see.

Unfortunately though, there are some unscrupulous (or perhaps ‘uneducated’) users, who are not following social media ‘etiquette’ and are therefore destroying their reputation and any chance of building solid relationships with their network. And as Owen Tripp the owner of a reputation company will tell you, it is extremely important that you keep your business social networking professional.

When it comes to social media, whether you are a novice or a pro, here are 10 DO NOTs and 5 principles you should adopt to ensure you use these technologies appropriately in your online interactions.

When connecting with me on Social Media – DON’T:

1. Post inappropriate photos and/or comments on my Facebook wall or Twitter feeds.

2. Blatantly promote your products and services on my wall.

3. Send me an email about your upcoming workshop/event after having only just connected with me. We haven’t had the opportunity to get to know one another yet.

4. Only post/write information about YOU and YOUR products and services. Just because I am connected to you, doesn’t mean I have given you an open invitation to broadcast your promotions.

5. Tag me in a video/photograph/other post that has no relevance to me because you’re only trying to get my attention. Guess what? You did, but for the wrong reason. I’ve just unfriended and/or blocked you.

6. Include my Twitter handle in a post to get my attention about your product or affiliate link. Again, you’ve got my attention but I won’t be following you OR clicking through the link. Anyway, you’ve probably just had your Twitter account banned for spamming.

7. Ask me to tell you more about myself and the work I’m doing. This shows me you haven’t bothered to read my profile, wall posts or feeds.

8. TYPE YOUR MESSAGES USING ONLY CAPITALS, because I’ll think you’re SCREAMING AT ME.

9. Send me an invitation to connect using the standard request provided by the technology platform. This indicates that you have not taken the time to read my profile.

[Note: I’ve been guilty of this myself so it’s a great reminder for me too, NOT to do this].

10. Use disrespectful language; bullying tactics; or name calling when commenting on my wall. If you disagree with something that either I or one of my followers has said, that’s fine – I respect your opinion. Please respect my opinion and that of my followers.

When connecting with me on Social Media – DO:

1. Be a relationship builder and show me that you care.

Show a genuine interest in what people are doing and saying and take the time to build relationships just as you would with any face-to-face interaction. People are more likely to recommend you, share your information with their network, or do business with you if they know, like and trust you.

2. Be respectful of others’ opinions even if you don’t agree with them.

Social media allows you to connect with thousands of people you would never have had the opportunity to meet if you were just relying on face-to-face networking. And, many of them will probably have different values and opinions than you.

Don’t force your thoughts or beliefs onto others in a disrespectful manner – after all, your opinion is just that – yours. Instead be willing to be respectful of them despite the differences.

3. Be on-brand and mindful of the online footprint you’re creating.

Everything you do and say reflects on you and your brand. Be sure that your posts, comments and interactions are of a professional manner and that you aren’t creating digital dirt that could cause a prospect to ‘not’ hire you.

If you think something could be misconstrued or if you wouldn’t want a prospective client to read it – don’t post it! They’ll surely find it, which may be the reason they hire your competitor rather than you.

4. Be a ‘giver’ and not only a ‘taker’

Social networking is not only about taking. Rather it’s about sharing resources and passing on information that you know would be interest people.

The more helpful and supportive you are in your interactions the more likely others will be willing to extend the hand of friendship and support when you need it.

5. Be honest in all your business dealings.

The technologies we have at our fingertips allow us to do business with people on the other side of the world without ever having to meet them.

Unfortunately, some people misuse these technologies by misrepresenting themselves and misleading people into parting with their hard-earned dollar.

Ensure that you manage all your business dealings with the highest of integrity, service and honour, and that your customers are happy to recommend you to their extended network.

Remember, when using social media, the information you share and your interactions should not be ‘all about you’. Avoid blatant broadcasting and promotion of your products and services to your followers.

Rather it’s about ‘networking’, sharing value-added resources, showing an interest in others, providing support and assistance, and about establishing and nurturing a strong network of like-minded people.

How about you? Do you have any social media horror stories that you’ve seen? Please share these in the comments section below. I’d love to hear from you!

If you found this article useful, please share it with your friends and colleagues by clicking the ‘like’ button. As always, I really appreciate it!

Here’s to building quality relationships with social media.

Have an awesome day.

Annemarie Cross

Annemarie Cross

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Building relationships in business with social media

Annemarie Cross — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:17:14 +0000

Many service-based business owners are using social media technologies to connect with prospects, which is fantastic! However, I am constantly surprised (and shocked) at the way people are interacting with their network – seemingly forgetting their manners and consequently tarnishing their reputation and their brands.

I've recorded a brief video to show you how I am using Twitter and Facebook to build and nurture my relationship with my network. Through regularly interacting with and nurturing my network I have been able to add 4,000 Twitter followers in just a few short months and double the size of my Facebook Likers.

However, don't get too caught up in the numbers. Instead, watch some of these basic relationship building tips I share and ensure you are adopting these within your networking and relationship building strategies.

What do you think? Was this helpful? If so, I'd really appreciate it if you could click the Like button below to share this message with your friends and colleagues. And, if you have some other relationship building strategies you're using – share them in the comment box below. That would be awesome.

Here's to building your relationships through social media.

With deepest gratitude, always

Annemarie Cross

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A proud mum …

Annemarie Cross — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 03:47:26 +0000

DJ Mat Cross

Today I invested (as an interest-free loan) in a large pair of speakers for my 16-year-old son – who’s starting up his own DJ-ing business. [I think the next thing I’ll need to invest in is a set of ear plugs]. He’s been practicing for months on a music mixer and other technologies and officially ‘DJ’d’ a birthday party last weekend, which was a huge success. [The picture on the left is of him in action.]

What’s really impressive is that he’s created a website for himself, has started up his own fan club, is reaching out to his connections on Facebook and his friends at school to promote his business. And you know what? – It’s working. He’s started to generate a lot of interest for his services and has at least four birthday parties in the pipeline. He’s steadily raising his profile and starting to create a buzz about his talents in his area of interest and passion, which is music and technology.

I’m really proud of him (as any mother would be) considering he’s doing all of the things that I constantly encourage my clients (both job seekers and entrepreneurs) to do, when trying to raise their profiles out in the community about their services and expertise.

So, what are you doing to continue raising your profile? Here’s a few things you should be doing:

Meeting new acquaintances on Facebook;
Connecting with your Facebook friends (colleagues) by commenting on their walls; sharing a valuable tip or article;
Sending out a valuable tip to your Tweeples (Twitter contacts);
Connecting with and reaching out to new contacts on Twitter to grow and nurture your tribe;
Writing an informative blog post and sharing that with your connections;
…and the list goes on.

Anyway, I’m off to join my son’s fan page!

Have a fabulous day!

Annemarie Cross

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Top ten effective habits of a highly successful networker

Annemarie Cross — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 00:00:33 +0000

With a tightening and highly competitive market across many service-based industries numerous business owners have increased their networking endeavours with the hope of sourcing their next potential client or business opportunity using this approach.

While networking should be an integral part of your marketing and communications plan (and overall business development strategy) there are some secrets which can make a significant difference between not really generating much success (and the potential for networking burnout) in comparison to building influential and productive relationships that open the doors to potential business opportunities.

To avoid networking burnout, ensure you’re adopting the top ten effective habits of highly successful networkers.

A highly successful networker:

Is clear on their niche, their idea target market and can clearly articulate this when seeking support or communicating with members of their network.
Has a clear understanding of their personal and business brand, their unique selling proposition and can professionally communicate their brand both in person and in online networking opportunities.
Has up-to-date marketing material, (which can include business cards, brochures, website, business blog, and profiles on multiple social networking platforms) that highlights the solutions and benefits that you offer to a potential client as well as successes of your former/existing clients.
Is able to speak confidently (not arrogantly) about their strengths and successes so that potential clients and key stakeholders are able to grasp the WIIFM (what’s in it for me) should they decide to invest in you.
Has a powerful and memorable ‘marketing pitch’ that can be utilised as an introduction to networking events and that question ‘So what is it that you do?’
Has a written strategic networking plan that encompasses regular attendance of both online and offline networking activities that allows them to continually expand and leverage a diverse network.
Utilises a network management system to effectively track their networking endeavours and important information about each member of their network.
Adopts an approach of regularly sharing relevant information with people in their network with a mindset of no expectations in return. They continually nurture their network as part of their long-term business management plan and not just when seeking new business opportunities, so that when they need to seek help from their network, people are far more open to supporting them.
Knows how to frame and deliver the right questions to whom they are speaking to enable ongoing expansion of their network or an opportunity to speak to a key decision maker.
Surrounds themselves with positive and supportive people who continue to strengthen and enhance the enthusiasm they portray during their business development and marketing activities. This is in complete contrast to being surrounded with nay-sayers who can seriously undermine your enthusiasm and ultimately your business development and revenue outcomes.

If you’ve ticked all ten areas, then congratulations – you’re a highly successful networker and are communicating your brand professionally and prominently in readiness for when that ideal client or business opportunity presents itself.

If, on the other hand you haven’t ticked all ten areas, then my suggestion would be to select, work on and integrate one new area each week into your networking plan so that you too can become a ‘star’ networker.

So which strategy are you going to work on this week?

Annemarie Cross

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