John Fisher's Business Referral Networking Tips

6 Golden Rules to Win More Business (AUTO PLAY AUDIO)

2012-01-10T19:59:00.001Z

2012-01-07T18:35:00.006Z

Its Not What You say that counts it's your behaviour!

2011-12-18T00:00:00.001Z

When you are looking to grow your business or improve your career then business networking can be one of the best ways to achieve your aims.

However BEWARE!

Its Not What You say about yourself or your business that counts it's your behaviour! People want to know that you are reliable and can be trusted to represent them well should they refer you on to their trusted contacts. So please heed this WARNING!

DO NOT EVEN THINK OF JOINING A BUSINESS REFERRAL GROUP UNLESS YOU ARE 100% COMMITED!

Approach your business networking with the right behaviours like attending on a regular basis, taking interest in people, following up, being on time and this also means commitment to build relationships with your colleagues around the table.

Don't be a superficial business networker who is just out to sell and all talk with no follow-up.

If you join a group then do so with an attitude and determination to "put something back in" and remember its not all about what business you get now, it is also about the lifetime value of the relationships and your contribution to like-minded people who are as equally serious about business.

The Hidden Problem With Networking

2011-12-10T23:34:00.000Z

Networking operates beautifully when you are in the right place at the right time. For example, you are an insurance broker and meet a web designer who has just found out they need professional indemnity insurance. You get along well, and before you know it you have a new client - a lifelong one if you do things right.

It would be great if that's how life worked. However, what is far more likely is that you are in the right place at the wrong time. That nice web designer you have just met? They got their PII sorted out last month. So what can you do?

The answer lies in the long-term connection that you can form with the web designer, or any other business person you meet. By building a relationship based on mutual trust, you lay the foundation for gaining his or her business at a later date. Not only this, but you have access to their whole circle of influence (that is to say, everybody that they know) in due course.

How big is the circle of influence of each person you meet networking? Obviously there is no set answer to this - some entrepreneurs have more social capital than others. (Social capital means not just how many people you know, but who you know). However, somebody who may not be otherwise powerful in business circles may still provide the one vital connection that could lead to your next biggest client. Say you are a financial adviser who wants to carve yourself out a niche working with property developers. The recently setup sole trader you meet who on first inspection does not seem to be able to provide any decent leads for your business may in fact be the brother-in-law of one of the biggest property developers in your area. You can see where this could lead…

It is these indirect connections that is one of the reasons that Business for Breakfast (BforB) is so powerful. Our greatest strength - long-term relationship building - is the answer to networking’s biggest hidden problem.

The Forgotten Fifth

2011-11-27T22:24:00.000Z

According to networking author Rob Brown, every time someone meets you at a business event, there are some common questions that they ask themselves about you:

1. Do I like you?

2. Do I rate you?

3. Can I sell to you?

4. Do I want to buy from you?

Of course, many novice networkers come unstuck on question 3: they think it's all about the immediate sale. Scanning the room for potential clients, they either don't know or have forgotten that people rarely buy on the first contact. So they make the classic mistake of thrusting their business card into the hands of unsuspecting victims, without so much as a "And what is it you do?"

This attitude is incredibly short-sighted. It's like setting out to do your Christmas shopping, then giving up after an hour because you haven't found the perfect presents for all your family and friends in the first gift shop that you visit.

If you have made this sell, sell, sell mistake, don't worry - there is hope for you.

It comes in the form of a fifth question - one that all good networkers ask themselves:

5. Who can I refer you to?

This how can I help you? mindset is by far the best antidote to inappropriate and sometimes aggressive overselling. If you catch yourself getting overexcited when you see that ideal potential client, calm down and start getting curious about what you can do for them - without in any immediate payback for yourself.

In this way you can approach them, find out about their business, then ask them what sort of referrals would be ideal for them. In this way you find yourself forming an immediate connection with them - one that they going to remember far more than yet another business card thrust in their face.

The Hidden Problem With Networking

2011-11-22T19:31:00.000Z

It would be great if that's how life worked. However, what is far more likely is that you are in the right place at the wrong time. That nice web designer you have just met? They got their PII sorted out last month. So what can you do?

It is these indirect connections that is one of the reasons that Business for Breakfast is so powerful. Our greatest strength - long-term relationship building - is the answer to networking’s biggest hidden problem.

Laser Networking

2011-11-13T21:03:00.001Z

What is laser networking? It means focusing your referral networking efforts (hence the laser analogy) to reap a greater ROI from this powerful form of marketing.

First of all you need to decide what you want to get out of your referral networking meetings. More customers? Joint venture partners? Referrals? Maybe you need to actually sell the very concept of your service (The vast majority of Dragon’s Den pitches are preoccupied with doing just that).

Secondly, define your ideal customer be as specific as you can. What is their name, company name? What are their needs? How do you fulfil these needs? What is their turnover? How often would they use your product or service?

Armed with these 2 pieces of information, you can now be clearer about who it is you want to be referred to from your referral networking meetings, who do the other members of your group know. The more specific you are about this the better.

One important point about laser networking: don’t let it blind you to the hidden opportunities that exist within your group. For example, you get chatting to a caterer. He is a one-man band who deals mostly with customers who are not your target market. Don’t dismiss this contact. Who knows, maybe his wife works with the brother of someone who could be next year’s biggest client for you.

Finally the biggest challenge for most people is in the lack of follow-up so make sure you always follow up and keep the dialogue going, remember you can get instant coffee even instant tea at your group.........however instant success or results are usually not available so coordinate an effective follow-up strategy for your Laser Networking!

Networking Works

2011-08-27T19:43:00.000+01:00

Referral networking works, check out this article the result of referral networking in action

BforB opens in Australia

Networking Myths

2011-08-27T19:15:00.002+01:00

Could these 10 Networking Myths be costing you and your business money?

FREE REPORT

How To Vary Your Pitch

2011-06-21T14:45:00.001+01:00

It’s vital to vary your pitch every networking meeting. Here are some ideas to do this without spending hours the previous day reinventing the 60 second soundbite wheel:

Highlight a different aspect of your business each week. This way, people will start to expect to hear something new about you at each meeting. This is great, because it takes you out of the pigeon hole that your company name or tagline might put you in.

Using current affairs is a great way to vary your pitch. In fact, it’s almost prerequisite if your area of expertise has hit the headlines. For example, in September 2010 the news about HMRC miscalculating millions of people’s tax is something that many accountants were probably discussing in their networking pitches that week.

Test having different calls to action at the end of your pitch. I say test because it may be that the first call to action you think of is actually an irresistible offer that can’t be improved upon.

Vary the theme of your pitch. One meeting describe a recent project you undertook, the next read some testimonials, the next give some statistics about how much money you saved/made for your clients – or however you measure the value that you bring to your target market.

These are just a few ideas for varying your pitch. The more you start trying out different ideas, the more of your own you will start having.

2011-04-21T20:48:00.001+01:00

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Doing Business in Salford

2011-02-14T21:43:00.001Z

On January 27th I had the pleasure to attend as a guest to the Business for Breakfast (BforB) Ramada Salford Quays Group at its regular fortnightly meeting. On this occasion they were celebrating the contributions that they made in 2010 towards the success of the group.

All important Recognition, Awards and Thankyou's were made in each of four categories of Top Ten members, Attendance, Introducing Quality Guests & Leads and Referrals passed.

Business for Breakfast is run by Rob Webb, who started the Salford Ramada BforB as a way to connect local businesses. “It’s a well known fact that a business referral generates 80% more results than a cold call and that approximately 70% of all jobs are found through networking,” explains Rob, “Now, more than ever, business people, professionals, decision makers and the self employed need to get out there and referral network with other like-minded individuals – it’s vital as a means of sky rocketing your marketing efforts, meeting useful new contacts, and improving your order book. It’s also a relaxed and friendly whilst being very effective"

Christine Thorpe receives her ‘Best Contributing Member’ award from John Fisher

Mark Burgess, Graham McLeish & Tony Kelly with their Best attendance certificates and John Fisher

Christine Thorpe receives her ‘Best Ambassador’ certificate for bringing the most guests in the year, from John Fisher

Sucheet Amin, one of the groups most popular members receives his award for bringing the most leads and referrals to the group.

John Fisher congratulates the group ‘TOP TEN’ performers

Sean Martins, Gary Crosbie, Graham McLeish, Mark Burgess, (John Fisher),Christine Thorpe, Steve Swinyard, Sucheet Amin, Neil Buckley

Sharing Best Practice is key to everyone's development and Success

So what are Rob’s tips for first-time referral networkers? “It might sound obvious, but you have to be approachable and talk to people – you also need to be prepared and be able to sum up your business effectively in 60 seconds.At the meet, be aware of your body language and try and adopt an open and approachable posture to attract others to talk to you. Show interest in others and don't just start talk about yourself - ask lots of open questions to encourage conversation. Networking is all about building up long-term relationships so after the meet, make sure that you follow up effectively with all contacts you have made and suggest a one to one meeting where you can both find out more about each other’s businesses and how you can work together.

The Sixty Second Challenge

2011-02-11T13:59:00.001Z

Phil Keenan (Centre) of Thoroughly Food receiving a nice bottle of red for the best 60 second soundbyte, pictured with Sam Tuplin (Right) Regional Director and John Fisher (Left) Founder of BforB.

So if you want to know where to buy, where to eat and whats happening on the Lancashire food scene then Phil is your man.

Phil is a member of BforB Chorley who meet every two weeks at the Pines Hotel and secured his prize by being specific in the type of referral and introduction he wants for his Thoroughly Food business.

Sam Tuplin commented "This is a really strong group of like-minded business people who are serious about making referrals work for their businesses. Phil did a great job this morning"

Referral Networking Bores

2011-01-28T17:54:00.000Z

Referral Networking Bores

Have you ever come across Referral networkers who are basically so dull that watching paint dry is a day out at Alton Towers in comparison to talking to them? People whose idea of an exciting Saturday night consists of completing their tax return while pushing the boat out with two cups of cocoa.

The next time one of these walking cures for insomnia corners you at a meeting, don’t make your escape plans just yet. There are things you can learn from these people.

What is it that they are doing wrong? This is the question that you can ask yourself while listening to their pitch or chatting to them.

Is their tone of voice monotonous?

Do they talk exclusively about themselves and/or their business?

Do they concentrate on the features of their product or service?

Is their small talk only related to problems – in other words, are they professional complainers?

Do they lack social skills such as maintaining eye contact, the ability to listen and ask relevant questions about others?

Once you have assessed what causes them to be such bores, you can decide how you would improve their Referral networking skills.

There is also another question to ask yourself – how can you improve on your networking technique? Nobody is a perfect Referral networker, so before you mentally write someone else off for their lack of skills in this area, take a long, hard look at yourself and work out how you can do better.

What Referral Networking Is Not

2011-01-07T10:28:00.001Z

It's very, very easy to make mistakes when Referral networking. Here is a list of common Referral networking minefields to sidestep:

1. Referral Networking is not about sell, sell, sell. We've all been approached by aggressive businesspeople who thrust their card into our faces, extol their virtues are about 10 minutes, before prowling the room for more prey to irritate and bore. These walking nightmares are pretty easy to spot. The question is, are you ever guilty of talking when you should be listening?

2. Referral Networking is not a quick fix. Of course there are people who make very profitable connections the first time they attend a Referral networking group, but it is not something that you should expect. The real gold is in the long-term mutual beneficial relationships that you form. You never know where where one conversation that you have in January could lead - don't be surprised if it's made you thousands by the end of December.

3. Referral Networking is not about telling the whole story of your business. The point of the pitch or indeed those initial conversations is to stimulate people's curiosity. You can give them as much information as they need -or you feel they need - at a later point. We are all overloaded with too much information as it is in the 21st century - this is even worse at a Referral networking event. So do people a favour and favour simplicity over detail.

4. Referral Networking is not about boring people. Steer away from highlighting features - talk about the benefits instead. If you get into a conversation with somebody who comments I feel so tired I just can't be bothered to be honest are you really going to try to discuss business with them? Everything you say you say should be relevant to the needs of the other people in the room.

This is just a small not to-do list for Referral networking. Always observe the successes and failures of others’ Referral networking efforts. There is a lot to learn from them.

Plan For The Perfect Referral Networking Pitch

2011-01-05T23:55:00.000Z

Imagine you have a very important meeting to pitch to a prospective client tomorrow. Are you going to roll up with minimal preparation, and just hope for the best?

Obviously every time you go referral networking, you don’t need to invest the same amount of preparation. However, you do need to do some preparation. Don't worry - this doesn't have to take up a lot of time. The more you do this, the better you get, and the less you have to prepare.

If you feel your pitch could be better crafted, follow this simple process and watch the results:

Firstly put yourself in the shoes of your prospective clients. What problem does your product or service solve? There may be multiple answers to this question, so think about this issue over a few days. If you feel stuck it may be a good idea to ask friends and colleagues. People are less close to your business may come up with more objective answers.

Next, list all they benefits that your product or service provides. Be aware that benefits are not the same thing as features. For example, a feature of your vending machines could be that you have a lot of branded products. So what? thinks your prospective customer. Reframe this feature as a benefit: the famous brands that fill your vending machines will result in more sales.

Now write out your pitch, making sure you only include three key pieces of information. Don’t overload the audience with too many facts and figures.

Finally, test out your pitch or someone you know - someone who is honest and is not going to say Oh that's good just to please you. You are looking for constructive criticism rather than blind moral support.

Now go out there and practice, practice, practice!

Stealing Is Good!

2011-01-05T23:49:00.000Z

Q: When is theft a great idea?
A: When you steal other people’s concepts, change them and apply them to your own situation.

In referral networking this means analysing the most effective communication and marketing strategies of successful referral networkers that you come across, then making them your own and adapting these concepts to your own situation. As long as you are not parroting another networker’s exact words, this is completely ethical.

The trick is to retain the concept, but change all the other elements. Here’s an example of what I mean:

You see a web designer called Web Wonders use a diagram of a spider’s web as part of her pitch. Around the spider’s web she has written the key benefits of her service.

You steal the concept in this way: Your business is called Green Fingers Gardening. You get an oversized plastercast gardening glove and one each fingertip of the glove you place an icon that relates to an area of your business.

If Web Wonders was in the same referral networking group as Green Fingers, it would be wise for the gardener to wait a few months before using the plastercast glove, and not to use it every meeting. The more subtly you can alter the original concept and the more time that has elapsed between the original idea and the altered one, the better.

One thing to note: only ever ‘concept steal’ from businesses in different fields to yours.

Ensure you have the the edge over your competition in business

2011-01-02T21:56:00.002Z

Click Here!

2011-01-02T21:47:00.002Z

Click Here!

The Irresistible Offer

2010-12-20T23:10:00.000Z

Ending your networking pitch with a call to action is always a really effective way to start doing business with new contacts at your Business For Breakfast Referral meetings.

Making sure that you use an irresistible offer will give your call to action a lot of leverage.

What special bonuses or free gifts can you entice other referral networkers with? Here are a few suggestions:

• Free 1 hour consultation

• Free report

• Free video

• Free event (make it fun – for example chocolate and wine tasting)

• Free raffle ticket with high value prize

Sick of the word ‘free’ yet? You should be – it was inserted in each sentence above on purpose. There are very few words more powerful in marketing than ‘free’. (Of course, it is also a word that arouses suspicion for some people - what’s the catch? – in which case you need to prove your expertise and trustworthiness. Which is of course what referral networking is all about.)

Make sure you give your irresistible offer a monetary value, or it will be seen as worthless. Make it a sizeable sum, but don’t go overboard. Unless your surname happens to be Gates or Jobs, who would believe that your free 1 hour consultation is worth more than £200?

Not sure of what you could give away as an irresistible offer? Ask your existing customers, friends and colleagues for ideas. They often will supply ideas that you would never have thought of.

Try it out I'd love to hear your feedback.

WINTER REFERRAL NETWORKER TIPS

2010-12-07T12:20:00.001Z

Getting out and about at the moment is typically different this winter. Snow and treacherous black ice on the road are making driving in particular more challenging than usual. Here at BforB, we can share few of our experiences and tips to help you get going this winter.

1. Keep Warm – we all do this naturally but as a networker, the one accessory we thought you should remember to wear is gloves. Nothing beats a good handshake with your warm hands as you walk in the room. It makes you presence felt, and as if you have prepared a lot for the session.

2. Keep up to date about the weather in your target area. When planning for

one-to- one meetings, the best person to tell you about the temperature and forecast for the day is someone who either lives or works there. We know the weathermen get it wrong at least some of the time! Make a back up call and confirm your appointment - including a quick check of the local weather - by asking the person you are having a meeting with.

3. A box of mints or Strepsils, etc in your pocket or handbag is a useful thing to have on you. Nothing beats a good old mint when you accidentally bump in to somebody struggling to clear their throat. The gesture can create a good conversation to break the ice. As referral networkers, we speak to everyone, in the lift, or a queue, in buses or in trains and trams. Be ready.

4. Aim to arrive at the location early. As successful business people, we generally think about this anyway. However, what we mean here is additional time to give you the chance to compose yourself before entering a meeting room full of potential customers. Scraping that snow off your windscreen, as well as the usual traffic, can make you forget any meeting agenda. This could mean you do not have enough time to run through your objectives in your mind during your journey.

5. Make time to think how you can be of help to other businesses this season. For example, offer a lift to colleagues on way to work, a referral meeting or networking event. This way,h if you are stuck on the road you have help at hand and vice versa. Nothing beats a good laugh en route to work or any event this winter.

6. Be safe. Good Luck and enjoy doing business.

The Missing Ingredient

2010-11-10T15:45:00.000Z

Think back to your last networking pitch. Did it have a clear CALL TO ACTION ! (CTA)?

Having a CTA is really important when you are pitching. Let’s take a look at the world of advertising to understand why.

There are 2 types of marketing: brand awareness and direct response. Brand awareness marketing is for example a poster for Coke. It doesn’t want you to do anything except absorb the message that this particular cola drink is fun and a must-have part of any celebration.

Direct response marketing has the aim of getting the target market to take some sort of action: ring for a brochure, sign up for a free trial, get an introductory consultation etc.

Most big brands concentrate on brand awareness marketing. (Disney and AOL have been notable exceptions - remember their free DVDs and Internet trials?).

We smaller businesses should be dealing only in direct response marketing.

What does this have to do with networking? Just as we SMEs need direct response marketing because we are not well known enough to rely on brand awareness campaigns, neither can we rely on just brand building networking.

So at the end of your next pitch, think of some action that you’d like your audience to take. And take advantage of the most powerful marketing tool at your disposal: yourself. Make the prospect come and collect a voucher or similar from you. This will enable you to start building that essential relationship with your prospective customers.

How To Use Current Events In Your Pitch

2010-11-07T18:28:00.000Z

What’s going on in the world is often a rich source of material for your networking pitch. Why is this? Well, open the paper or turn on the news and virtually every story you encounter is a problem of some sort.

What do our products and services do? They solve our customers’ problems.

I’m not suggesting that your range of natural skin care products is going to solve the national deficit – but you can use current events as a springboard to discuss the benefits of what you offer. Here are some examples:

A business coach might take a cutting of a newspaper with a headline such as ‘Survey reveals that 67% of employees suffer from work-related stress’. This is the lead in to discuss her latest course in reducing stress at work.

In August 2010 the Prime Minister’s wife went into labour 3 weeks early whilst on holiday. Anyone who offers a service where time is of the essence – such as a courier – could use a picture of David Cameron with his newborn to illustrate how they excel at delivering precious packages on time. (This one is a bit corny, but far more memorable than a boring spiel reeling off the same old features of a company).

If your business in any way supports the local community, then a story about yet another British manufacturing plant relocating to the Far East can be the springboard to highlighting the benefits your company brings to the local area. It doesn’t matter if you specialise in an intangible such as marketing, as long as there is some link to the original news story.

These are just 3 quick examples – the more you keep up with the news and try to come up with similar ideas, the better and more creative you will become. Using current events also sends a subtle message that your business keeps up with the times, and can evolve along with your customers’ changing needs

How To Use Humour In Your Pitch

2010-11-04T16:45:00.000Z

Humour is one of the most powerful ways to not only sell your service or product, but raise your profile within your networking group. It is also a potential social minefield – get it wrong and you risk offending any number of your audience. People don’t easily forget inappropriate comments.

So, just how do you get it right? What ways can you ensure that your humour supports - rather than sabotages - your network marketing?

The important thing to understand is that there are 2 types of humour – shared and exclusionist.

Shared humour is where every member of your audience can share in your point of view when you make a funny comment or joke. A good example of this was just after volcanic ash brought the airlines of Europe to a halt in the spring of 2010. At the end of a networking meeting I attended, there was a round robin for announcements and testimonials etc. One gentleman piped up: ‘Thompson are doing a great deal at the moment. I’ve just come back from Spain where I got 2 week’s holiday for the price of one!’

This works because we were all preoccupied with the volcanic ash at that time, and the joke pokes gentle fun at a big company. As SMEs, we could all have a bit of a laugh at their expense – no harm done. In any case everyone knew that the only culprit for this situation was an unpronounceable volcano in Iceland.

Compare this to an exclusionist joke, which might be a printer who stands up and as part of their presentation makes a joke about how he can’t stand customers that are late with their payments. This might seem innocent enough – and is something that many business owners will empathise with.

However, just think about the message he is sending out: his customers are annoying. He may well have customers who are good friends with members of the audience, or - even worse - be part of the audience itself. If any of them are having cash flow problems they may assume he is making a backstabbing comment towards them.

Am I taking this too far? Possibly – but the point is that you cannot ever assume that a comment like this won’t backfire on you. If you’re not sure, then don’t use it.

Networking Bulldozers

2010-11-02T17:07:00.000Z

There are a certain number of people who possess the requisite social skills for almost every area of their lives. They have a happy family life, work well with their employees and colleagues, and have a full social circle. They may even contribute to a good cause.

There is, however, one area of their working life where all these social skills go out of the window and they become single minded bores with the single intention of having their own needs met and nobody else’s.

Yes, you guessed it: networking.

We can even give these creatures a name: networking bulldozers (NBs). Crushing everything in their path, the immediate sale is the name of the game for them, and they don’t care who they bore or irritate in the process.

If you suspect someone you know – or heaven forbid, you – might be a NB, here are some questions to determine if they are behaving themselves:

#1 Do they start a conversation with a statement about themselves?

#2 Are they able to remember (without looking at their business card) the name of the person they just finished speaking to?

#3 Did they even take the card of the person they were speaking to?

#4 Do they ever make small talk?

#5 Do they consider networking to be a valuable marketing method? This question is the clincher. Anyone who thinks it’s a waste of time is working directly against the spirit of giving and building relationships that characterises any effective networking group. They won’t stick around for long.