Business development

Business networking events vital to your success

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Do you attend business networking events regularly? If not, why not? They are an effective and inexpensive way to market yourself and your business. You can mingle with other business people in a casual environment, enjoy some food, talk shop, and along the way pick up some new contacts. Some of those folks are right in your backyard, figuratively if not literally.

There are a couple principles to keep in mind about networking events. First, be patient. If it’s your first event for that business networking group, the attendees may not know you. You need time to build rapport and relationships. That will require more than one event, so plan on networking regularly. You will be remembered over time.

Second, like all business relationships, those that are conceived during a networking event should be done so with mutually beneficial intentions in mind. As you will note from the suggestions that follow, you’ll spend a significant amount of time getting to know the other attendees, their needs, and so on. It’s a twist on the old saying, “It is better to give than to receive.” As Zig Ziglar famously said, “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.”

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Ingraining the 7 habits of highly effective people

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I recently had the pleasure of attending a seminar based upon Stephen R. Covey’s landmark book, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” I was intrigued when I heard about the seminar, because I have a copy of the book. Sadly, it sits on my bookshelf only partially read. I found the book a bit challenging; to me, it reads more like an academic text. Fortunately, the presenter distilled the major themes  – the 7 Habits – into material I could understand and digest.

Here are the notes I took from that presentation. You can see how powerful his suggestions are and why Covey’s book is a must read. It’s impossible to do justice to the book with just a few lines for each Habit.  I encourage you to purchase a copy for the complete discussion.

Habit 1: Be Proactive. Stop and think before reacting. Act based upon sound principles, not emotion (which could be heated at the time). Avoid getting sucked into the emotion of the moment.

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Social media becoming more important for business marketing

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You may think you’ve heard all there is to say about social media, but brace yourself. If what commentators say comes true, social media will play an even greater role in our lives in the future. That can mean good things if your business is willing to take a forward position on this issue.

As I wrote in an earlier blog, what gives the loose collection of communications platforms the name social media is its social aspect: the notion that people use those tools to congregate, chat, gripe, compare notes, and otherwise socialize. Businesses that choose to participate have a chance to reach those audiences. They must engage the audience, however, not just promote to them. Traditional advertising venues – print, broadcast, direct mail, and such – still have their place. But today’s marketing is increasingly through social media channels.

A quick Internet search for “social media trends” brings up dozens of pages of articles. I chose two at random to read. Bloggers Bradley Mazeko and David Armano offer their lists of projected trends for 2012, and both predict an enhanced presence of social media as a concept. One big factor is that today’s audiences are using social media while engaged in traditional media (mostly television). Marketers should take note, and adapt their social media strategies accordingly.

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Low-key sales style effective and imperative

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Enjoyed an interesting presentation about Melaleuca on Wednesday afternoon. Mark Boever and Darwin Stowell, Melaleuca distributors from the Milwaukee area, asked to sit down and introduce their products and firm. I know both from networking events and, sensing an opportunity to learn more about Melaleuca and talk about my opportunity, I agreed to the meeting. We met at a local coffee shop. (That seems to be a popular venue nowadays.)

I researched Melaleuca prior to this meeting, and had a basic understanding of the company and product line. I was quite impressed with the products and corporate culture. The firm is heavily committed to its customers, employees, and the environment. Its products are made of all-natural and organic ingredients which are safe for humans and the environment. (You can read my review here. )

Just as important, I liked the way the Darwin and Mark presented themselves. It was a very casual, matter-of-fact discussion, with no hype. Melaleuca offers a rather attractive compensation plan for those who choose to work the business, and they covered that well.

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