By Elizabeth Ferris, Ferris Consulting
Last week I wrote about how developing your
Core Message is the first step to increasing awareness.
This week my message is about developing relationships to
help spread the message.
Word of mouth marketing is one of the most effective ways to
grow your collaborative practice. There are two ways to
increase word of mouth marketing: first, you must provide a
remarkable service (something that is worth commenting on)
and second, you must accelerate awareness of who you are and
the value you provide.
To accelerate people's awareness of who you are and what
value you provide, it is essential to build relationships
with other collaborative professionals and referral sources.
One strategy for building relationships is through
networking.
Unfortunately, when people hear the word "networking" they
do not respond with excitement and enthusiasm. Images of
forced conversation, wasted time, phoniness, collecting
business cards and attending functions you do not want to
attend come to mind.
In truth, the essence of networking is none of the above.
The true meaning of networking involves building
relationships by giving to others and helping them succeed.
To be successful at building professional relationships, it
is critical to focus on cultivating mutually beneficial,
give and take, "win-win" relationships. The focus is on
helping the other person to meet his or her goals. The
mistake many "net workers" make is focusing on their own
success and how the other person can help them meet their
goals.
Networking is absolutely essential in building a
collaborative practice since a large percentage of referrals
result from established relationships. Think about your top
referral sources. In most cases, top referrals come from a
relationship you have created by getting to know someone.
All things being equal, people will more frequently refer to
professionals they know, like and trust.
Here are seven steps you can take to increase your networking
success:
1. Get involved with organizations, committees or projects
in which you have great interest or skill.
2. At any networking event, show an authentic interest in
the person or people with whom you are conversing. Once the
awareness shifts away from you and your goals to them and
their goals, a connection is made with the other person and
trust begins to develop.
3. Ask questions. When you have an encounter with other
individuals, you have two options -- make a statement or ask
questions. By choosing to ask questions, you can learn
valuable information about others and help them to open up.
4. Listen actively. The best way to understand and meet the
needs of the people with whom you are talking is through
deep, genuine attention to what others are saying. This
means keeping an open mind even if you disagree with what
the person is saying. It also means keeping the focus on the
other person's words, not formulating in your head what your
response will be to their comments.
5. Make a contribution. Volunteer for a committee, host a
meeting, offer a presentation, provide leadership. Trust is
built when others have an opportunity to experience your
skills and strengths. By making a contribution you provide a
low risk way for people to evaluate your skill, talent and
value.
6. Relentlessly follow up. After meeting with a prospective
referral source from a networking activity, make the follow-
up calls, schedule the lunch meetings, email the article you
discussed. If you are on a committee, do what you say you're
going to do in the time frame to which you committed.
7. Be selective about your networking activities. Your time
is limited, and you cannot be all things to all people.
Select the networking activities that interest you the most
and that give you access to people who have the
characteristics of your top referral sources. For example,
if you do not get a lot of referrals from the general
business population, it may not be a good idea to attend the
monthly Rotary club meeting. You would receive a greater
return on your time if you participated in a local
collaborative training or practice group meeting.
It's not enough to read articles and tips. Great networking
requires action:
1. Get involved in your collaborative community. Participate
on a committee, join a practice group, or offer to chair an
important project.
2. Make a list of key networking opportunities and schedule
them in your calendar. Make it a priority to attend.
3. Make a contribution to others- send more referrals, offer
to provide information that will help others, mentor new
collaborative professionals.
Networking is a fabulous tool to open up your sphere of
influence and connect with more people. Your ability to
truly focus on people is at the heart of building strong
professional relationships. Go out and talk to others, take
an active interest in them, listen, feel and sense what is
going on around you. Get involved, participate on boards,
make a contribution to targeted groups. By doing these
things you will be creating the foundation for growing a
successful collaborative practice.
END
Learn more about the upcoming Core message tele seminar
If you want to learn more about how to create your core
message or other practice growth strategies email me at
[email protected] or call me directly at 414-332-8452.
Elizabeth Ferris, founder of Ferris Consulting, specializes
in assisting attorneys, mental health professionals and
financial specialists to grow their practice through
results- oriented marketing and practice development
strategies. She has worked with attorneys, collaborative
professionals and mediators across North America to implement
effective strategies for increasing awareness and demand for
their services. Elizabeth can be reached at
www.ferrisconsult.com
© 2006 Elizabeth Ferris. All rights reserved. You are free
to use material in whole or in part, as long as you include
complete attribution, including live web site link. Please
also notify me where the material will appear.
