Networking, whether in person or online, is still one of the most effective ways for lawyers, accountants, and other service based companies to build their business. However, many of these folks are frustrated by their ability to get consistent results from their networking efforts.
A common scenario that I hear when talking to business owners is that they meet people at networking events, they have a nice follow up meeting (coffee, phone call, lunch etc.) but nothing ever happens after that.
One of the challenges is that in order to get referrals, people have to be thinking of us when they meet someone who we can help. In other words we have to be ?top of mind? before the need arises if we want them to remember us when the need does arise.
Achieving Top of Mind Status
In order to achieve ?top of mind? status with someone you recently met, you need to interact with them at a higher frequency than you do once they have gotten to know you. A good rule of thumb to start with is to interact with a new connection 4 times in the first 30 days after you meet them. Here is a sample schedule of what that may look like:
- Week 1 ? Invite them to connect on LinkedIn
- Week 2 ? Share an article or resource
- Week 3 ? Introduce them to someone in your network
- Week 4 ? Invite them to attend a networking event with you
Some of these items may not make sense for your business or circumstances, but you get the idea.
As you go through the process above, you should be evaluating whether or not this? is a person who should remain in your relationship building system. Not everyone will be a good fit for your business and it is important that you have enough time to cultivate the ones who are a good fit.
Staying Top of Mind
Once you have achieved top of mind status, you must continue to cultivate your relationship if you want to remain there. The good news is staying top of mind requires less effort than getting there in the first place. The key is to be consistent and to continue to provide value.
Two of my favorite tactics for maintaining Top of Mind Status are:
1. Newsletter ? consistently reaching out via a newsletter is a great way to stay top of mind with your strategic partners. People often reply to my newsletter with a message that is unrelated to the content of the newsletter. The newsletter reminded them of something they wanted to talk to me about so they just hit ?reply?.
2. Quarterly phone call ? or some other form of personal interaction is also a great way to remain top of mind. Use your CRM system to keep track of your interactions and to schedule your quarterly calls.
Of course, phone calls are only one way to reinforce your relationship through personal interactions. Here are a few other tactics you can use:
- Lunches
- Personal Notes
- Introductions to people in your network
- Articles
- Special Reports
- Commenting on and\or sharing information via social media
Create a systematic approach to achieve top of mind status and remain there and you will start to generate quality referrals on a more consistent basis.
What are some of your favorite ways to cultivate relationships with prospects, customers, and referral partners?
Bill Brelsford Small Business Marketing Consultant
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