Nov 05, 2015 Written by  Guest
Small to medium-sized businesses typically come with a small sales force, many times it's just the owner. It's important to know how to encourage your network to generate sales for you with limited time and resources. Often your own network can be the greatest source of sales if you just create advocates for your business. These sales advocates will sell for you and be your walking testimonial.

The first step is to think about who can be your advocates. Current customers, business and personal acquaintances, and even people you may not know, but wish to add to your network.  To get started you must reach-out and connect.
Grow Your Business Without Selling


Connect

There are three ways I prefer to make connections: LinkedIn, networking events, personal and professional connections, and current customers.

If you do not have a LinkedIn profile, or your current one needs some attention, get to work.  This is a fantastic place to professionally connect with people you know and to create new connections. The great thing is that once you make a few connections in your target market you are able to more easily expand your network.  When reaching out to new contacts, avoid using the standard LinkedIn greeting.  Send a personal message that shows you have actually read their profile and share something about yourself and why you would like to connect.  

Networking events can be a great source of new connections, but you must pick the events your target market attends.  It may take some time to find the right groups.  As you exchange business cards and contact information, connect on LinkedIn and, if you have a CRM system, add the people you have met to the system as soon as you return to the office.  Do not wait, or you will forget.

Best of all is your own network.  Think broadly past your work associates, vendors and business contacts.  Also, think of your more social contacts such as those people at your place of worship, recreation groups, such as your kids friends' parents, your weekend cycling groups or book club. For your current customer base, thank them for their service and stay in-touch regularly.


Give

Every relationship is successful when both parties give to the relationship. Find ways to help others and they will do the same.  Here are a few ideas:

            Bring others together - If you know someone who is needing a CPA and you have a  good CPA, help make the connections.  Bring people together not only helps                       your  connections, it will help you in the long-run.

            Share Ideas and Articles - When you see and article or an idea that you feel would be helpful, share with your contacts. It is always helpful when they feel you have                   their best  interest in mind.

            Share Your Expertise - You don't have to give your services away to share some of your  knowledge. There is a very successful photographer in California                               who allows others to accompany her on photo shoots.  They actually pay to learn from her, it is both good   business sense and helpful to her industry. She also has                 such a strong brand that this help will not jeopardize her business, if anything to reinforces her brand as people say  they learned from her.

            Develop Content - There are so many great reasons to create content, but one is to help your audience.  What hacks, new trends and helpful ideas do you have that               you can  share with your target market.

            Tim Thompson, one of my connections on LinkedIn, is a CPA.  He shares timely content  directly with business owners about what and when they should be doing for               their business financial needs.

            You don't have to have a sexy product to be helpful and share ideas,

Ask

Now we get to where networking makes a difference.  You've developed a network, you know who they are, you have built that relationship, now you ask. Determine what you want, do you want that person as a client, to make referrals, to be a repeat buyer?

Ask for what you want.  If the answer is not yes, stay in touch so your are there when the time it right.  A no is often really a 'no, this is not the right time'.


Stay Consistent

The way to counter a 'no right now', is to stay in-touch until the time is right.  Use electronic direct mail, personal emails, events and content as means to stay in touch.  Remain consistent without being annoying.

Building a network, creating relationships and staying in touch takes a bit longer than direct sales, but will help you build a residual business that does not require selling. 
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