Networking or Notworking?

Lets start by being honest with ourselves shall we?

We are in business to make a profit and profit comes from firstly getting and then keeping customers. It matters not what your product is, how many staff you have or even the level of I.T you have in your organisation.

Without customers we are sunk, and don't let anyone tell you any different!

Getting customers is what networking is all about. You don't go to lunch to eat lunch, you go to lunch to meet new and established acquaintances and to increase your network of contacts. Networking effectively will eventually allow you to lay to rest the old beliefs that getting business is about calling people cold, hoping you speak with someone who can help, and then hoping they want to see you.

I cannot recall the last time I made a cold call. In fact, unless it is to clean a database or something similar where you don't need to speak to a specific person, I now regard cold calling as an ineffective way to grow a business. At worst, cold calling can be seen as intrusive.

Nowadays with the growth of networking there seems little or no need to cold call. New networking organisations are springing up almost weekly. Here in the Leeds area, we are particularly spoilt for choice when it comes to finding new business over breakfast, lunch or even a footy match. The Business Network, BNI and of course many other Networking events hosted by a multitude of organisations and individuals, are rich with business opportunities for the brave warrior who is prepared to stick their neck out and ask for them.

Over the last two years I have generated over £150,000 worth of business from networking within the Leeds area. More than half of that has come as a result of my membership of the Leeds Chamber. One thing you can be sure of - the business is out there!

It's an old one, I know, but there really is only one letter between 'Networking' and 'Notworking'.

Have you ever wondered...

  • ...how some people are able to create (and maintain!) a successful business with relative ease AND without cold calling whilst others struggle to maintain any sort of 'flow' to their order books or delivery programmes?
  • ...how come some organisations pick up new business from people calling them whilst others spend hours every day cold calling 'prospects' with little or no success?

The answer is simple.

Some people network effectively ~ some people don't!

It's really is as simple as that. Oh I know, some people will tell you it's not as easy as that; they will tell you the business is just not out there; they will tell you the competition is slaying them; if they get desperate they may use the old chestnut "I just never seem to be in the right place at the right time!"; they may even resort to the worst excuse of all "I'm just not lucky when it comes to networking!"

Let's put those sacred cows to rest once and for all.

 
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