Business development

Use business networking opportunities to build your business

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Do you attend networking events? You should. They’re a great marketing tool. Business networking events help establish you and your business in your area. Take advantage of as many networking opportunities as you can.

There are several business networking groups, starting with your chamber of commerce. Consider, also, lead-generation groups, service clubs (Rotary and such), general networking groups (the Milwaukee area has Funtastic Times) and others.

For maximum benefit, keep these ideas in mind:

1. Show genuine interest in the other person. Sure, you’re there to generate leads. But all long-term business relationships are grounded in mutually beneficial arrangements. Ask the other person probing questions, such as:
A. What is your firm known for?
B. What sets you apart?
C. What sort of customer are you looking for?

The latter question is especially important. It shows that you’re interested in helping the person build his business.

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7 triggers to build rapport

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7 triggers to build rapport with clients Adapted from “The 7 Triggers to Yes: The New Science Behind Influencing People’s Decisions,” by Russell H. Granger (McGraw Hill, 2008). Of all the suggested questions and topics on those three pages, I chose seven to highlight. They are: 1. Leisure time – How do you spend it? … Read more

Principles learned from the Pathfinder mission, #7
Demonstrate passion and commitment to success

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Principles learned from the Mars Pathfinder mission. Adapted from the book, “The Mars Pathfinder Approach to Faster-Better-Cheaper” (Pritchett and Muirhead,1998). Demonstrate passionate commitment to success. Some of the author’s comments: “If we are emotionally flat or intellectually uninspired, innovation keeps its distance. In those situations where a heart gets involved in the effort–or we care … Read more

Principles learned from Pathfinder mission, #6
Be fully trustworthy

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  Principles learned from the Mars Pathfinder mission. Adapted from the book, “The Mars Pathfinder Approach to Faster-Better-Cheaper” (Pritchett and Muirhead,1998). Be fully trustworthy. Some of the author’s comments: “We can’t expect to achieve at the Pathfinder level without special effort. It takes a very effective team. And whether it’s stated or unstated, such high-performance … Read more