How Service Business Owners Can Transform Networking Into A Profitable And Enjoyable Experience

Many business consultants and coaches advise their clients to, "Go live! Get out from behind your computer and talk to some real people, face to face, in person." The truth is:

-- Live networking can jumpstart a business thats in the doldrums.

-- Every so often you will make that one special contact who turns out to be your ideal client.

-- Live networking can recharge your batteries even if you have a full practice and a busy business. If you work at home all the time, you can change your energy by going out, wearing different clothes and meeting new people.

These days you have dozens of networking opportunities to explore. Nearly every city offers meetings of professional organizations, leads groups, or educational events. You will find most attendees are friendly and receptive.

Still, live networking scares many service business owners. They worry about meeting strangers and what to say when asked the daunting "What do you do?" question.

Here are 3 tips to help you transform networking into a profitable and enjoyable activity.

(1) Think of networking as an extension of your website's opt-in page. Most likely you have a page where you invite visitors to subscribe to an ezine or download a free product. You expect targeted leads, not buyers.

Your goal is to meet folks who (a) don't know you yet and (b) belong in your niche. Think of getting them hooked so you can land the sale later.

(2) Spend more time focusing on the problems of others than on presenting your own services. Your goal is to identify what keeps them awake at night.

. Ask probing questions, like:

"What's your biggest challenge?" " Where do you invest time and resources to help?" "What makes you unique?"

(3) Recognize that your self-introduction calls for copywriting.

Do you ever find yourself wincing when you hear people introduce themselves with a life history: "I used to be a corporate writer. Then I tried jewelry design. That didn't work. Then I became..."

Instead, choose from three templates to introduce yourself:

-- Straightforward: "I help people who are struggling to finish their website makeovers, so they finally get their websites completed and attracting clients, with less effort."

-- Hook: "You know how some people say they need a new website, but they never quite get around to it? Well, I..."

-- Story: "Here's an example of Hank, who was able to save time and make more money after we revised his website..."

Comments? Questions? Email Here

© HowtoAdvice.com

How to Advice .com