Networking and Today’s Business

Modern Networking and Today’s Business

By C.J. Liu

So, you want to build a new practice area and are wondering how to make it happen. Whether you are a doctor, lawyer, architect, or life coach, the starting point for building a successful business is the same. All these occupations generally rely on referrals and word-of-mouth marketing, which means building up a base of clients and then encouraging them to refer you to others. While not enjoyable for everyone, networking is still one of the best ways to get referrals.

Yes, networking. Unfortunately for most of us, the term networking conjures up an image of some slick-haired guy handing us a card asking us to “do lunch.” Well, networking today has evolved; so much so that it has a new name. It’s no longer called networking but permission marketing or relationship marketing.

What is Permission Marketing?

As a curious student of business relationships, I began reading current and past books on the topic. If you were to read just one book, I would recommend Permission Marketing, by Seth Godin. The key concept in any of these books is that business networking is about building business relationships. So, what does that mean? It means focusing less on quantity, efficiency and results (the task), as we do when working on cases and work projects, and more on building relationships. Yup, think about when you first started dating your spouse, girlfriend or boyfriend. That is what permission marketing is about.

1. Get permission to go on the first date. Permission marketing is something that most men learn in their early years. First, you need to get an “in.” You need to get the girl to say “yes” to a first date. After careful assessment, you contemplate when you’ll make your first move. Once you get permission you move to your next move. The same applies in client relationships. Each time, you are asking your client’s permission to have a deeper and deeper relationship and to get to the next base. For example, you start with a business lunch. At the lunch you get to know what’s going on with your client and their business, and so on. The next “ask” is up to you. Most likely it will be some way for you to have continual contact with them, e.g. a newsletter. How fast you can move and what you ask is based on your assessment of the situation. What can you get them to say “yes” to easily? Start with the first “yes” and then worry about the rest later.

2. Get to know a person with the prospect of marriage. The age-old wisdom from courtship applies in this context, too. It means getting to know your prospective client’s business and getting to know your client as a person versus a piece of meat. During each interaction, remember to ask all those questions and to listen purposefully. Just like when you are trying to woo someone. The same rule applies in courting a client. A rule of thumb is that you are asking questions and listening about 75% of the time and the rest you may be talking about services that are relevant to their issues. Once you know what the client wants and needs, you can make notes in a prospect folder and then be sure to send them relevant articles, news clippings, etc.

3. Be the perfect gentleperson. Remember when you brought flowers or cookies on a third or fourth date? This small gesture was to give the gal or guy the sense that they mattered to you and that you were thinking about them. This same concept applies with a client. Whenever you meet a client ask yourself, “What could I do that would be helpful?” Maybe it is getting them tickets to a baseball game, following up on a question they asked during lunch. Courtesy matters. Remember to send quick thank you notes when someone sends you a referral.

4. Be patient. A solid relationship doesn’t happen overnight. Some take longer than others. I talked to one lawyer who often courted a client for up to 18 months before he landed a case. And sometimes it is not the person you are courting who becomes a client, but the friend or colleague they refer you to. So pay it forward, but don’t expect the favors to be paid directly to you. They may come indirectly. Or they may not come for a long time. Life is a mystery and referrals are no different. Give with a spirit of generosity and then have faith that something will happen.

The above list of tips will arm you with some of the basics of modern business networking. More than anything, remember that it is first setting the goal correctly. It’s about building a business relationship. Next, it is about all the small details that make a relationship solid and will eventually lead to results. Beyond the above basic concepts are the processes and technologies, especially some of the new media, you will use to ensure you are feeding and nurturing the relationship in both a sincere and an efficient way. Coaching can often help you develop the process and systems that will work for you.