What Networking Group is Best for My Company?

I have spent several years in the networking scene trying to figure out which networking groups would benefit our type of business most.  The fact of the matter is, is that just about any networking group can be beneficial.  Granted, there are some better than others and determining that alone can be a tedious task.  No worrries or “No wowwies” is what I like to say….  Shopping for the right group can be a fun and a rewarding adventure.  However in your search try not to over extend yourself (which is all too easy to do) and remember it’s ok to have a life outside of your business…..so keep your commitments within reason.

“When will I see a return in my investment?”  Ahhh yes, everyone wants money.  Hands down without a doubt, networking is a MUST.  I can’t tell you where to cut corners, but this isn’t one of them. 

Once you have found which group(s) fit you best be sure to follow through with it. Attend most meetings if not all meetings and you will see it won’t take you long to establish relationships.  Those relationships will turn into business, either first hand or recommendations.

In my ventures over the years I have found that networking groups that other business owners attend as well as groups that are tailored to our industry works best for us.  We belong to several organizations and I thought I’d highlight a couple of them. 

We are a locally owned business so one group that I found was a good fit is Quality Service Pros.  This group was established quite a few years ago by other business owners.  Whether you need your windows cleaned, house pressure washed, health insurance, landscaping, Website Building&hosting,  remodeling, you name it we have it.  Every member must be a legitimate company, licensed and insured etc.  Visit Quality Service Pros to learn more.

 A large portion of our customer base is the construction industry.  The  Lee Building Industry Association (LBIA) is another perfect fit for us.  Their knowledge of the building industry, their influence and their dedication to the community is phenomenal.  Regardless of what type of business you own, this organization is definitely worth looking into.  visit www.bia.net to learn more.

Good luck in your ventures.  Hope my little words of advice were helpful.  Get to know us a little better too!  Visit us at TMRestrooms.com!

~Jennifer

If you’re like me you LOVE networking and meeting people but you just aren’t in love with the negative people you inevitably run into. Every group, in every town, in every state has at least one Debbie Downer or Grumpy Greg hanging around spreading their negativity to anyone who will listen. Sadly, everyone avoids them and they’re the only one that doesn’t realize it. No matter how much time goes by they still seem to attract an incredible amount of downfalls and depressing life dilemmas and drama. They never seem to run out of things to complain about and they always want you to listen to ALL of it!

I’ll admit to my share of dodging in all my networking around town but what I wish I could do was pull them aside and “wake” them up. I’d like to let them know that EVERYONE has problems and the economy is hard on all of us. The reality is that complaining never solved anything for anyone… not that I’ve heard of anyway.

The truth is that we all have to check our attitude at the door and make sure that we are putting our best face and best foot forward, always. We have to leave our problems behind and embrace optimism and just have faith that everything is going to work out in the end. When I look at the people that impress me the most and make me “feel” like I want to do business with them I noticed something they all have in common: a positive, happy attitude.

No one said life was going to be easy but nothing great was ever accomplish by easy either. The best way to get great results out of networking is by letting the people that will refer us tomorrow see that we’re going to handle that referral with confidence and by doing our best. They need to see that we have everything under control and that even when the going gets tough we just get going and get the job done.

So the next time you’re feeling down and out and have a networking event or sales call to go on, remember to check your attitude at the door and smile anyway. Allow yourself to believe in yourself and know that many people have been where you are and made it out ok – that means you can too!

Implementing the “Two Foot Rule” will change your life.   It’s a great way to network!

Do you find yourself staring straight ahead when you’re in a crowded elevator?

What about when you’re in the line at the grocery store? Do you try to avoid conversation by flipping through the latest edition of the Enquirer wondering if Brad and Jenn are getting back together?

Or who is the latest girl to come forward in the Tiger Woods scandal?

What you should be doing is implementing the “Two Foot Rule”.

I recently had the chance to witness this rule in action…

A good friend of mine, Bryan, a financial advisor in Fort Myers, Florida and I were enjoying dinner at a local restaurant…

When a couple across the way overheard our conversation concerning whether the Miami Dolphins, or the New York Jets, were a better football team.

They screamed “The Jet’s rule!”

At that point, things got interesting…

If you’re like most, you’d probably just smirk, or the shrug the comment off.   Bryan, on the other hand, saw it as an opportunity, and with the lines of communication being opened, grabbed his drink, and continued talking to the couple for about 20 minutes!

The conversation went well beyond who the better football team was, and when all was said and done, Bryan had networked with two more people!

Using “The Two Foot” rule – Bryan says no matter where he is, or what he is doing, he never passes up the opportunity to strike up a conversation.

So, I ask you that the next time you’re:

• In line at the movie theatre.
• Waiting at the car wash.
• In line at the grocery store.
• Waiting for you luggage at the airport.
• Sitting in the bleachers at your kids baseball game.

You remember the Two Foot Rule, and see what you can do with it!

It just might change your life.

Thank you Bryan for sharing such a great tip!

If you have any tips or suggestions we would love to hear them!

- Jason

We all need them and we all love them. And guess what, it’s no mistake that this person knows everyone in town. Because it’s most likely from years of networking and getting to know people on a personal level that they have this endless rolodex of useful contacts and connections.

They’ve spent years cultivating relationships and that’s where the real trust and loyalty come into play.

The reason why I’m sharing this fact with you is that I feel that our success as business people is directly related to the relationships we build in the community.  It really is through networking and passing referrals that people grow to appreciate us more and value our friendship. And hey, let’s face it, nothing builds friendships in business faster than someone saying “Hey, I just referred you to my neighbor who needs to remodel his kitchen” or “Mrs. Jones should be calling you soon, she wants her backyard landscaped”.

So, do you want to pass more referrals? The answer is become a resource to people! Here are five great tips on becoming a great resource.

1. Let your customers know that you know everyone in town and that you have created great relationships over the years with quality companies you can trust with good values.
2. On your business cards put the tagline “need a referral call me, I’m happy to help”
3. Become very active in social networking, this a great way not only to meet great companies but to pass many referrals.
4. When you are talking with your customers or friends ask them the following question “is there anyone servicing your home that you are not happy with?  This is a great way to give out a quick referral, and your neighbor, customer or friend will appreciate it!
5. Follow up on your referrals, show them you really care, they will appreciate it and spread the word to their friends that you are the first person they should call when looking for a new service company.

Follow these steps and I guarantee you will see some great results!!!

After enjoying a few hours at the swimming pool we decided to participate in a bomb fire with all the works, marshmallow roasting and sing along included.

This fine event was kindly offered at the vacation resort we booked. Now I know what you are thinking… there’s nothing more fun than having a bunch of children hanging around a fire with burning lava balls on the end of a stick to get your weekend going right?

Well before you judge me, here me out!

 I was sitting back relaxing dodging the occasional fire ball while listening to some of the old classics, “Jack and Diane”, “Don’t Stop Believing” and “Take It on the Run” by Reo Speedwagon… ah don’t I wish! Ok, the truth was more like Mary Had a Little Lamb and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, but we can keep that between us. Just as the music got good and I was sitting back watching the scene before me, it hit me and I realized how good kids are at networking. Every time a new kid would walk up to the bomb fire my daughter would walk over introduce to herself and ask him or her to play. Emma was the new friend she had just made and they were both sitting in front of me playing in the sand. I listened as my daughter asked “How old are you?” “Where do you live?” “Do you have any brothers or sisters?” “How long are you going to be staying here?” “Do you like Taylor Swift?”… you get the idea.

The thing I noticed most was that she wasn’t talking about herself at all; she was truly interested in Emma and getting to know more about her. I felt she was really building a quality rapport and being genuine. This is what makes networking great and effective because it really allows us to connect to others beyond the superficial level.

I think as adults we lose some of that innocence because we are too busy thinking about the end result, which in most cases is business. We tend to rush through the conversation doing the dreaded 15 second elevator pitch! Come on, have you ever really created a great relationship leading with the elevator pitch? The honest answer is No! You have created quality relationships by asking questions, and truly wanting to get to know someone in a sincere and genuine manner.

So next time you’re sitting at a kid’s birthday party – take a moment to just sit back and watch the dynamic’s of the way children interact with each other. Watch, observe and take it all in so you can remember it and use it the next time you’re out networking. Come to think about it, I’m sure this is why some kids have more friends than their parents… they’re better at it!

Like any relationship, each business relationship you have needs to be nurtured and built over time in order to keep it in good standing and active.

I believe one of the easiest things we can do to show our gratitude is to just send a simple thank you card in the mail. Are you currently expressing your appreciation to your clients? If you are, how are you doing it?

In today’s busy high tech business world, with all the e-mail’s and text messaging going on, there is an obvious absence of that good old fashioned one on one contact with the customer. Now is the perfect time to set yourself and your business apart from the competition by taking your client relationships to a more personal level.

I recently started sending out thank you cards to all my clients, and I have to say the response has been nothing short of incredible! I was amazed at how many people took the time to call me just to say thank you for sending them a thank you card. I have to tell you it felt pretty awesome! At a time when my goal was customer satisfaction and improving customer interaction, that’s exactly what I got. The only difference was they were calling me!

I have to say that I’m still caught up in the virtual world of the internet. I have yet to walk into a store and buy a thank you card. There are web-sites out there, in which you can pick a card for any occasion, fill in a personal message and send it out. All of this done with the touch of a button, conveniently, from the luxury of your own office! Amazingly, you can even have them copy a sample of your hand writing to duplicate it in print and give it an even more personal affect.

Keep in mind that thank-you notes that contain a clear and specific message will appear personal and sincere and they will be appreciated more by the recipient.

As always, your feedback is welcome. I would love to know how you are thanking your customers.

It’s no secret, nobody up sells better than restaurants! Being a waiter for a couple years myself, I learned firsthand the importance of the UP SELL.

I remember my roommate and me sitting on our apartment floor counting up all the tips after a night’s dinner service. I was shocked to see that we had virtually serviced the same amount of customers in the same amount of time, at the same restaurant, with the same menu…  However, our tips were hardly the same! Once again, he had made much more! So I finally asked, “What gives? How are you making way better tips than me?”  He replied “By up selling! I get my ticket price higher therefore on a twenty percent average tip I can make more money.”

If you use this same philosophy in your business today, I guarantee you will see increased profits quickly.

Here are a few examples for up selling your business:

• (Painter) Would you like to upgrade that paint? It’s a little more money but lasts twice as long.
• (Landscaper) Would you like lava rocks instead of the standard mulch? It’s a little more money but doesn’t wash away in a rain storm.
• (Electrician) Would you like an energy efficient light bulb? It’s more money up front but over the year it will save you on your electric bill.
• (Window Tinting) Would you like our impact resistant film? It’s a little more money than the standard tint – however it can protect you during a storm.
• (Pool Cleaner) I noticed the pool gets dirty quickly with all the overhanging trees, I would recommend buying one of our automatic pool sweepers for in between cleanings.
• (Roofers) Would you be interested in any sky lights? It’s very easy to install once the roof is off and would really let the light shine into that dark room you mentioned.
• (Plumber) I know you wanted standard toilets in those three bathrooms; however you may be interested in this new toilet? It’s a little more money up front, but uses half as much water when flushing and will save you a lot of money over time.

You get the idea! So from now on, just remember “Suggestive Sales”. If you don’t offer any than you won’t reap the benefits in the end… after all, what do you have to lose? Only extra sales!

…I can honestly say that successful networking has been the key to my success in business.

Here are a few key thoughts to remember when networking:

• Don’t go to an event looking only for business – you should go in looking to establish a relationship first, once a relationship is established it almost always leads to work… not the other way around.
• Ask questions other than business.
• Make eye contact (don’t be looking over the persons shoulder for something better to come along!)
• Follow up, Follow up, Follow up - Yes, I said it three times it’s that important, really lets the person know you were interested enough to continue the relationship, I do this by (phone call, letter, e-mail, etc…)
• Keep it light – make them laugh.

I know a guy who isn’t the best networker and by no means a standup comic, however, he always has a joke up his sleeve to break the ice.

Don’t be afraid to use this tactic - what I’ve noticed is that many people will bring their friends over to hear the latest joke.

If you are looking to polish your networking skills you should consider a Lee Knapp boot camp held locally in Ft Myers Florida, learn more by visiting http://www.leeknapp.com/services/boot-camp/, or calling Lee directly at (239) 481-8557.