Revamp Your Online Presence – Ramp Up Your Results

Every second ezine and blog I read at the moment is talking about Twitter and Tweeting so I’m not going to bore you with more of the same. Rather, let’s take some time to talk about revamping your online presence on more traditional online business networking sites like, for example, LinkedIn and Ecademy.

 

We’ll look at why you need an online profile (if you haven’t got one yet); how to create a profile that attracts visitors; and discuss some etiquette that needs to be borne in mind.

 

The internet is the place where prospects go to first these days when researching an organisation to do business with. This research extends way beyond looking only at the business website or blog, to Googling the names of the directors or owners while hunting for additional information. It is therefore crucially important for an independent professional to have a strong online presence. There are a number of ways of getting your name out there but the biggest one you can proactively control is your professional profile on business networking sites.

 

Just like with offline networking where you need to be a ‘regular face,’ you cannot join every online networking club or you will never do them justice. Pick one or two and focus on building really powerful profiles and then being regularly visible and active online.

 

Revamp Your Profile

 

I can’t tell you how many profiles I have come across that have little to no information of any value; don’t attract my attention or give me a good reason to connect; and don’t even have a photograph!

 

Of first and foremost importance is putting a professional looking photo up on your profile. If your prospects can’t even put a face to your name how will you build their trust in you? You don’t want them wondering what you are trying to hide. Also, please note that I said a professional looking photo – not candid holiday pics, wedding photos, or an avatar (yes I have seen all of the above on the profiles of supposedly professional executives. I can’t say I was filled with confidence).

 

Secondly, your profile must contain your key marketing message (not your ‘Sales Pitch’). People browsing through your profile aren’t interested in doing business with you yet – they don’t know you or trust you. If you’ve been developing your Verbal Signature,* this is an ideal place to start using the written version.

 

Thirdly, you need to include a sprinkling of appropriately placed links back to your business website and blog and even to third party sites where you have had articles and research papers published. This is a great (and easy) way to improve your SEO or search engine rankings, as well as giving your network ways to find out more information about you. Remember that in terms of the Marketing Relay * once you have a prospect’s attention, the next step is to provide them with more information that builds your credibility.

 

Lastly, and this is closely intertwined with the previous step, is inviting your profile visitors to take the next step in getting to know you, so you need a call-to-action. Asking them to visit your blog and leave comments is a good way, as is requesting them to connect with you or join your network of contacts. You could even suggest they learn more by reading an article you wrote, or visiting your website (hence all those links mentioned above). ‘Call me for a quote’ is not a good call-to-action!

 

Ramp up Your Results

 

Once you’ve got your profile up and running, you obviously need to get out there and proactively expand your network. Of course you can’t do this without having a goal in mind and a clear strategy for achieving it. One idea could be to actively seek out the types of people you would like to connect with (ideally they fall within your target market), but you would also want to see if your clients, suppliers, colleagues (past and present) etc. have profiles and reach out to them too. Please though, bear in mind the same common courtesies that you would in an offline or in-person networking environment.

 

You wouldn’t simply walk up to a group of strangers, interrupt them, and shove your business cards into their hands. That would be rude! Similarly, in the online networking environment you should make a polite approach, take the time to introduce yourself and offer something of value. It’s not ok to just send an ‘add me’ request or click a ‘join my network’ button without including those personal touches.

 

And please don’t fall in to the trap of spamming your contacts either. Some online networking sites allow you to put a tick in a box to ‘re-invite’ someone or ‘remind’ someone on a monthly basis of your outstanding or unanswered request. If the person hasn’t responded to your outreach they have made a choice not to, so don’t harass them!

 

I have lost count of the number of ‘add me’ requests I receive everyday from people who can’t even be bothered to offer me a compelling reason. If you’ve read my ‘Knock Their Socks off Networking’ e-book, or been a Marketing Edge subscriber for some time, you’ll know that I am a strong advocate of the ‘Quality over Quantity’ approach because it works.

 

* Transform Your Networking with a Verbal Signature™ is a 20 minute audio programme and The Marketing Relay is the first of seven principles that govern marketing in a professional services environment. You can download both of these programmes with our compliments (along with many others) in our private subscriber download area at our website. If you’re not yet a subscriber, look at all the free stuff you’re missing.

 

©Vanessa Deakin and Zee2A Limited 2009. Would you like to reprint this article? You may do so as long as you include the copyright notice and the following paragraph: Vanessa Deakin works with Professional Service Executives frustrated and disappointed with their current growth rates, marketing efforts, and business profitability. Through one-on-one and group mentoring programmes she helps them to skyrocket their results and break their own best records. To learn more, sign up for her e-zine, or make an enquiry please visit our website at www.zee2a.com.

Festive Parties: Ideal Opportunities to Network!

Festive Season Parties: Ideal Opportunities to Network?
Seven Ways to Work That Room!

1. Arrive in good time. Slipping in just as the party is beginning is bad manners and gives other guests the wrong impression of you right from the offset. Most of all it also adds to your stress and anxiety (and you want to minimise that, right?). Plan to arrive 15 to 20 minutes earlier. This will give you time to catch your breath and gather your thoughts. You may even have a better opportunity of meeting the host and breaking the ice with them. Don’t be scared to tell them that you are keen to meet many others. You’ll be surprised at how relaxed you feel after telling someone that!
2. Be prepared for small talk. Have some interesting topics to talk about and share. If you regularly read the newspapers and other relevant industry journals you will keep in tune with current or local interest affairs and give you something interesting to contribute to the conversation.
3. Develop your “Verbal Signature™”. When somebody asks “So, what do you do?” this isn’t where you bore them to death with the entire contents of your C.V. Rather it is a brief synopsis or sound-bite of the kind of work you do and who you do it with. A good verbal signature will pique interest and move others to ask you for more information. (Why not download the free 20 minute audio training programme – and workbook – on developing your verbal signature. It’s available to all subscribers of The Marketing Edge!)
4. Share the attention. As much as you like talking about you and what you do, you will be far more effective if you take turns both talking and listening. Allow others to tell you about themselves and what they do. Ask open questions and actively listen. It also gives you the opportunity to clarify whether this is someone with whom you want to explore business opportunities further.
5. Move around and meet people. Your main purpose should be to meet and interact with lots of new people. If you arrive with a colleague don’t hide in their shadow. If they are talking with people you aren’t familiar with, get introduced, otherwise move around the room and talk to others. Likewise don’t get stuck for the entire event talking with the same person. Tactfully mention that you would like to continue circulating and meeting people. You could even ask them to join you as you circulate. If they present an opportunity that you would like to explore further, set up an appointment immediately and then move on.
6. Follow up. This is the number one area where so many folks fail – they just don’t have an efficient follow-up system in place. It only takes a moment to make a call or send an email to say how much you enjoyed meeting. If you promised to call, then call. Not within a month. Not within a week. Do it the next day. If you made any promises then for goodness sake make good on them.
7. Build bridges, don’t burn them. Perhaps you spoke to a number of people with whom you don’t see an immediate business benefit. The event was still fun wasn’t it? Nurture those new contact and build a relationship (that is the greatest point of networking, isn’t it?). Keep in touch. Down the line you may have just the product or service they need. Or you land up needing them. They may even refer you to others in their wider network that are looking for exactly what you offer.

These tips are an edited extract from my e-book ‘Knock Their Socks Off Networking’ available to purchase in my online store.

©Vanessa Deakin and Zee2A Limited 2008. Would you like to reprint this article? You may do so as long as you include the copyright notice and the following paragraph: Vanessa Deakin works with Professional Service Executives frustrated and disappointed with their current growth rates, marketing efforts, and business profitability. Through one-on-one and group mentoring programmes she helps them to skyrocket their results and break their own best records. To learn more, sign up for her e-zine, or make an enquiry please visit our website at www.zee2a.com.

Knock Their Socks Off!

Most Professional Service businesses depend on networking and referrals for a significant proportion of their revenue.

How do we get the skills to confidently develop contacts and close referral business?
My latest eBook is jam-packed with gems of sensible advice on how to ensure that you are networking in the right places, preparing well for networking, and not committing any of the ‘unforgivable sins’ of networking.

Learn more and purchase your copy at Zee2A’s Online Store.

What is Your Verbal Signature?

 

How many times have you stood up at your regular networking event, and given your 30, 40 or 60 second introduction?

Dozens of times?

Hundreds?

Possibly even thousands of times over the course of your career?

 

Have you ever measured just how effective your pitch actually is?

 

Chris Bryan recently followed my advice, and asked the regular members (of one of the networking clubs he visits each week) to articulate what it is that he does.  Guess what they could tell him?

 

Zip.  Zero.  Zilch.  Other than slapping a label on him (“You’re a coach”)

 

Most networkers stick on a label (“I’m an accountant” or “I’m a web designer”) and then natter on about how long they’ve been in business, what their processes are, and why you should be doing business with them.

 

It’s important that I immediately clarify that whenever someone asks you “what do you do?”  the worst mistake you can make is thinking they actually want to know what you do!  What they are really asking is: “What can you do for me?”  The second mistake you can make is labelling yourself.  Labels come with pre-conceived interpretations, and also serve to do nothing more than to commoditise you (“Oh, you’re the 5^th accountant I’ve met today – Let me line you up in a row, you can all tell me what you charge, and I’ll pick the cheapest”) 

 

That is not the space you want to be operating in, is it?

 

 Instead you should:

·         clearly identify exactly who your ideal client is (target market);

·         what problem, issues, or challenges those in your target market are facing (that surprise, surprise your service just happens to help solve);

·          and the ultimate outcome they enjoy after working with you.

 

Since then, Chris and I have worked together and I have helped him to formulate his Verbal Signature™

 

If you would like to work on developing your Verbal Signature, please sign up to my popular newsletter The Marketing Edge.  After you verify your subscription you will receive a FREE BONUS:  a twenty minute MP3 Audio training programme (and accompanying workbook in PDF) entitled Transform your Networking with a Verbal Signature.  please subscribe HERE

 

Happy networking!