OK, so I hope I’ve gotten you excited about the concept of reaching a tipping point in your network through building relationships based on a know-like-and-trust factor.
But before you rush out there attending all sorts of networking groups and functions, you’ve got to do just a little bit of work so that you’re not wasting your time.
Once you’re clear on who your Ideal Clients are, there’s just one more thing we need to unearth, and it’s a crucial one. We need to know where they “live” and where they hang out.
Why would you randomly network hoping to find your ideal clients when you can find places to “rub elbows” with them in large numbers and at low cost to you? This is much easier and gets you more results.
Your Client Attraction Assignment:
Ask yourself the following questions:
- Where do they congregate regularly?
- What workshops or seminars do they go to?
- What conferences or conventions do they visit each year?
- What trade shows will they attend this year?
- Where do they network?
- What clubs or organizations do they visit regularly?
- What associations do they belong to?
- Where will you find a roomful of these people?
- What organization or group holds a “list” of these people?
For deeper learning, I invite you to check out my 3-day Client Attraction Workshops (see upcoming dates, details and inspiring success stories at https://www.clientattraction.com/events as well as my sequential coaching programs, where I teach my students and clients how to use marketing and systems to go from 5-figures to 6-figures, from 6-figures to multiple 6-figures and then to 7-figures, taking them past the million dollar mark. You can find out more (and get a free DVD with videos of moving and inspirational success stories shipped to you at no charge) by going to http://www.clientattractionwinnersacademy.com
Want to learn more about The Networking Guru System™? It is simply one of the only proven systems out there telling you EXACTLY what to do to fill your private practice simply by networking. Nowhere else will you see such a complete HOW-TO on how to get clients consistently with worksheets, templates, and actual scripts that have worked, not only for one person, but for hundreds of private clients. Learn how to network so that you get great results from it and feel authentically yourself the whole time. I share ALL of them in my FREE Secrets of Master Networkers Manual.
Go here now to download your own copy and start networking like a pro for your business – TODAY!
To make networking even more effective for you (and to quickly increase your results), you’ll want to not only try to meet your ideal clients, but strategic alliances as well.
Strategic alliances are people who share the same target audience or clients as you do, but whose company or service doesn’t overlap with yours. Strategic alliances are usually your best referral partners and, in many cases, you’ll have many different ones.
Here’s an example of a strategic alliance scenario: If you were an Accountant/CPA, these are what some of your strategic alliances could look like:
- Financial Advisor
- Personal Financial Planner
- Bookkeeper
- Attorney
- Insurance Broker
- Small Business Banker
- Business Coach
All of these types of people are possible referral partners to you AND share the same type of client without offering what you offer or competing with you.
The idea is that these people’s contact lists and mailing lists are full of your prospects and in teaming up, you could both help each other spread the word and refer your clients to each other.
Your Client Attraction Assignment:
Make a list of which industries or types of businesses share the same client you do and see what you can do to share your resources. Perhaps you can do a seminar together, combine mailing lists for double the exposure of direct mailings, send a letter of endorsement to your clients about your Strategic Partner and vice versa, etc.
Extra credit assignment:
You can also consider a Strategic Alliance to be an organization made up of your Ideal Client whose mailing list is made up of hundreds of thousands of your targets. This is another great way of aligning yourself. How could you work something out together that would benefit everyone involved and help you both attract new clients?
Want to learn more about The Networking Guru System™? It is simply one of the only proven systems out there telling you EXACTLY what to do to fill your private practice simply by networking. Nowhere else will you see such a complete HOW-TO on how to get clients consistently with worksheets, templates, and actual scripts that have worked, not only for one person, but for hundreds of private clients. Learn how to network so that you get great results from it and feel authentically yourself the whole time. I share ALL of them in my FREE Secrets of Master Networkers Manual.
Go here now to download your own copy and start networking like a pro for your business – TODAY!
Before we move forward in your networking, we need to get really clear on who you want to meet. We’ll first focus on your ideal client. Now, to get clear on who your ideal client is, let’s first agree that there are several things that universally constitute an ideal client:
• Those you really enjoy working with
• Those who need your help, badly
• Those who recognize that working with you is essential
• Those who can easily be identified and contacted
• Those what will happily pay what you’re worth, without negotiating
• Those who will get great results from working with you (and write testimonials to prove it)
• Those who will tell others about you and refer other clients over and over again
Now, be honest with me. Don’t you want a practice FULL of these types of people? (Trust me, it’s a lot more fun and it’s not difficult to get.) To have a practice filled with these types of people, you need to stop networking with anyone and everyone and start targeting a specific target audience.
One of the secrets of masterful networking is knowing WHO your ideal clients are (the ones who’ll recognize that working with you is crucial to solving their problems, pay you what you’re worth and tell others about you), figuring out WHAT their particular issues are, WHY they’re having them and HOW you solve them.
Your Client Attraction Assignment:
Get very specific on who your best client is. To do this, you can start thinking of your most favorite current clients (the ones that fit the criteria we outlined above) and former clients.
Write it all down: For individuals, it can include their age, sex, and income group — even where they live, if it impacts your business. If you cater to companies, write down what industries you want to work with, the number of employees, and specific titles within the company.
Now, write down your ideal client’s particular situation that you can solve, their struggles, and any other common-denominator aspects that would be a requisite for being a “best client” for your services.
Get thinking about these and you’re on your way to crafting your ideal client profile. Once you have that, marketing can be a breeze.
This is one of the most important steps you can take in attracting all the clients you need. Do not skip over this part, even if you think you already-kinda-know who they are.
Note: If you’re not currently working with your ideal clients or need help in figuring out this section (most people do), we go really in depth in forming your ideal client profile and the viability of marketing and networking to this ideal client in the Client Attraction Home Study System™. You can get your copy here: http://www.TheClientAttractionSystem.com
Want to learn more about The Networking Guru System™? It is simply one of the only proven systems out there telling you EXACTLY what to do to fill your private practice simply by networking. Nowhere else will you see such a complete HOW-TO on how to get clients consistently with worksheets, templates, and actual scripts that have worked, not only for one person, but for hundreds of private clients. Learn how to network so that you get great results from it and feel authentically yourself the whole time. I share ALL of them in my FREE Secrets of Master Networkers Manual.
Go here now to download your own copy and start networking like a pro for your business – TODAY!
Now, before you point the finger at me for bashing ALL things about what you already know about networking, let me say there is ONE thing that I believe in very strongly that past networking experts talk about over and over again.
Getting LOTS of people in your network.
The more people you know, and the more people know YOU, the more likely you are to attract LOTS of new clients through networking and referrals.
Think about it. If you’ve got 300 people in your network, and let’s just say, for fun, that 1% of them refer people to you on a monthly basis. Well, that makes 3 referrals per month.
But if you’ve got 1,000 people in your network, and that network generates the same percentage of referrals per month, 1%, then, that gives you 10 referrals per month. In just a few months, you’ve got a solid practice going!
And it’s been my experience that, when you DO have more than a 1,000 people in your network who become advocates of yours, you start getting clients real fast!
The key however, is in how you create this tipping point. And again, it’s not about entering each networking event you go to and throwing your cards at people, it’s about creating relationships that are based on trust. LOTS of them!
Your Client Attraction Assignment:
Make a commitment today to start growing your network to the Tipping Point. My networking is up to many thousands of people now, and you can imagine how many referrals I get from this network and all the networking I’ve done in the past.
If you estimate that you currently know (and are known by) say, 300 people, start working hard to be known and trusted by 1,000 people. When you’ve reached that, start shooting for 2,000, then more. The more people are in your network, the more you start tipping the scales in your favor.
It’ll be a process, and not necessarily a quick one, but the more you work towards this, the more you’ll love networking because of the RESULTS you’ll get from it, consistently. It’s addictive, trust me!
So, how many people are in your network now?
Want to learn more about The Networking Guru System™? It is simply one of the only proven systems out there telling you EXACTLY what to do to fill your private practice simply by networking. Nowhere else will you see such a complete HOW-TO on how to get clients consistently with worksheets, templates, and actual scripts that have worked, not only for one person, but for hundreds of private clients. Learn how to network so that you get great results from it and feel authentically yourself the whole time. I share ALL of them in my FREE Secrets of Master Networkers Manual.
Go here now to download your own copy and start networking like a pro for your business – TODAY!
I can’t honestly remember where and when I first heard about the Know-Like-and-Trust Factor (who knows, I probably think I invented it! Ha!) It’s so ingrained in my way of thinking about networking, Client Attraction and Closing the Sale, that I take its origin for granted sometimes.
But as you can see, I apply it to everything. It just works so well that you too will want to apply it to your way of doing everything from now on.
OK, so what is this Know-Like-Trust Factor and why is it so crucial to effective Client Attraction and networking?
Well, have you noticed that what sometimes stops us or slows us down in the process of working with someone is often that we don’t know much about them, we don’t know if we like them yet and we certainly feel hesitant about working with them because we don’t feel we can trust them yet?
This Know-Like-Trust Factor runs much deeper than you are probably aware of. When you don’t like or trust someone, do you feel comfortable giving them your money and putting yourself in their hands? Nope, I didn’t think so. We give business to those we like and those we trust and never the opposite. Simple as that.
Now, that being said, we have a greater likelihood of attracting lots of new clients and referrals from those who already know us, like us and trust us, and many times this means former colleagues, family and friends, people already in our life.
People who know us, like us and trust us automatically become ADVOCATES for us.
These people can attest to you as a reliable person and can probably rave about your services if they’ve experienced them.
This is extremely valuable and should not be overlooked when building your practice and setting out to attract new clients through networking.
Your Client Attraction Assignment:
Start by thinking about those people whom you know, like AND trust. Don’t you find it easier to send them referrals than those you don’t?
Shift your thinking to create relationships, over the long haul, with the main objective being TRUST. Take every action to make this happen and you’re on your way to becoming a veritable Networking Guru.
Want to learn more about The Networking Guru System™? It is simply one of the only proven systems out there telling you EXACTLY what to do to fill your private practice simply by networking. Nowhere else will you see such a complete HOW-TO on how to get clients consistently with worksheets, templates, and actual scripts that have worked, not only for one person, but for hundreds of private clients. Learn how to network so that you get great results from it and feel authentically yourself the whole time. I share ALL of them in my FREE Secrets of Master Networkers Manual.
Go here now to download your own copy and start networking like a pro for your business – TODAY!
Now that you’ve gotten clear on what networking isn’t and what’s slowing you down, it’s time to redefine it so that you can start taking advantage of it, starting now.
Contrary to what you’ve probably been taught, networking is NOT about pushing yourself on others (or being pushed upon by others) but about one simple thing and one thing only.
Building relationships.
I know, you were probably expecting something more earth-shattering than that. But, the simple truth is, Master Networkers understand that networking is about the long haul and it’s about building relationships, not GETTING something from others or putting something over on others.
Let’s examine building relationships and why that’s the NEW view I want you to take on networking.
Let’s examine how YOU would rather buy services.
When you’re looking for a new service, would you rather open up the phonebook and play “eenie-meenie-miney-mo” or would you rather ask a friend you trust if they know someone who provides that service?
Yeah, me too. I feel much better about asking someone to give me a referral. For some reason, when I know that my friend has had a great experience with that particular service provider, let it be a dentist or a plumber, I’m much more likely to just call and book an appointment, rather than question the expertise of the person
we’re talking about.
And so you see, it all boils down to that relationship with your friend, and the relationship that your friend has with the dentist or plumber. Without the relationship they have, you wouldn’t have ever been referred that person.
Your Client Attraction Assignment:
From today forward, I want you to start approaching the entire networking process with the objective of creating LONG TERM RELATIONSHIPS.
No more, no less.
Want to learn more about The Networking Guru System™? It is simply one of the only proven systems out there telling you EXACTLY what to do to fill your private practice simply by networking. Nowhere else will you see such a complete HOW-TO on how to get clients consistently with worksheets, templates, and actual scripts that have worked, not only for one person, but for hundreds of private clients. Learn how to network so that you get great results from it and feel authentically yourself the whole time. I share ALL of them in my FREE Secrets of Master Networkers Manual.
Go here now to download your own copy and start networking like a pro for your business – TODAY!
There was a time (many say it’s still going on now) that networking was about entering a large crowded room of people you didn’t know, all dressed in stuffy business attire and your goal was to walk away with as many cards as possible, exchanging them frantically and promising to “do lunch”.
And then, you were supposed to follow up and make the sale.
I don’t know about you, but THAT sounds horrible to me! And for the life of me, I can’t even imagine how that would be successful in helping you get clients. It feels sleazy, slick and not the kind of way I want to spend an evening. Besides, it doesn’t fit my personality or my way of approaching life, and if you’re anything like me, it probably doesn’t fit the way you approach yours, either.
No wonder 1) we don’t want to do it and 2) it doesn’t seem to work for us! It’s a totally wrong approach! (Sadly, when you read or hear various networking “pros” talk about networking, some are STILL advocating this grab-as-many-cards-as-you-can mentality and telling you to push your services onto them, asking for the sale on the first meeting. Yuck!)
So, the very first thing I want you to do is to banish what you’ve already learned about marketing and start from scratch. In essence, I’m asking you to UNLEARN all the myths and allow me to show you what it’s really all about and how to approach networking so that you actually get really great results from it and feel authentically yourself the whole time.
Your Client Attraction Assignment:
Take a sheet of paper and list everything you’ve been taught about networking, what it means to you, what your emotions and feelings are around it, and what’s stopping you from doing it. The first key to changing something is to recognize it, then understand where it comes from and then, to make a commitment to changing it.
Once you realize that your feelings around it come from outdated sources, you’ll be ready to implement the steps and concepts I’ve outlined in this Networking Guru System™. However, if you keep reading without changing your feelings about it, you’ll probably see yourself becoming skeptical and thinking it won’t work, most likely because your preconceived notions are still there. So, it’s time to erase the board and start from scratch.
Want to learn more about The Networking Guru System™? It is simply one of the only proven systems out there telling you EXACTLY what to do to fill your private practice simply by networking. Nowhere else will you see such a complete HOW-TO on how to get clients consistently with worksheets, templates, and actual scripts that have worked, not only for one person, but for hundreds of private clients. Learn how to network so that you get great results from it and feel authentically yourself the whole time. I share ALL of them in my FREE Secrets of Master Networkers Manual.
Go here now to download your own copy and start networking like a pro for your business – TODAY!
What I’ve noticed from years and years of successful networking is that there are smart ways to wear your nametag and ways to avoid wearing it. This may seem like a small, inconsequential detail but really it can make ALL the difference in attracting more clients.
The first thing is WHERE to put your nametag or sticker. Most people are right- handed and if you put your sticker or nametag on the left hand side, you make it more difficult for the person to actually see your name. Put it on the RIGHT hand side instead, and it falls right in their line of vision. (more…)
