Networking 101: 11 Tips to 1-on-1 Meeting Success (Part I: The First Five)

It’s scary out there! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve encountered so-called business professionals who simply didn’t get it. They simply didn’t get the fact that business is all about people. They simply didn’t get the fact that people do business with people they know, like, and trust. They simply weren’t willing to invest the time and effort needed to develop strong, mutually beneficial, and enduring relationships. Yet they wonder why this marketing strategy called networking doesn’t seem to be working for them.

These types of business professionals are what I call “surface networkers” and there are literally tons of them out there just cluttering up the networking avenues. The good thing about it though, is the vast opportunity it presents to those who really do know how to play the networking game… “players” so to speak…they tend to stand out like a beacon of light.

So you’re out their networking your tail off at a local networking event and you’ve met what you believe to be a “player”. They’re magnetic. They’re charismatic. They just seem to emanate this vibe that makes them irresistible. You reach out to them after the networking event and schedule a 1-on-1 “get-to-know-you-better” type of meeting. Now what?

You want to impress this person. You want to go deep. You want to explore how you may be able to help each other going forward. How can you make sure you give yourself the best chance of accomplishing that? Well here in part 1 of this 2 part series are the first 5 of the 11 tips that can help you do just that. So here goes: 

1. Come Prepared To Play
For starters, Google them. Check out their web site. Read their current news letter. Do they have any current press releases? If so, read them. In other words find out a little something about them as well as their industry prior to the meeting. This is a sure sign of diligence and respect. 

2. Confirm the Appointment at least 24 hours in Advance
Face it, we’re not perfect. And as busy professionals we can sometimes fall victim to our own busyness. That said… a little courtesy reminder can go a long way.

3. Dress for Success
One rule here; Dress as best you can without making the person you’re meeting with feel uncomfortable. 

4. Make It Easy For Them to Find You
If needed, provide directions to the meeting location. Exchange cell phone numbers. And just in case they may not remember what you look like… and yes don’t flatter yourself, this is a possibility… wear something distinctive and let them know about it (e.g. I’ll be wearing a green tie).

5. Be Respectful of Their Time
Arrive early and wrap it up on time. If for some reason you’re going to be late, give them a quick courtesy call. If the conversation is going so well that it’s about to go into overtime, make them aware of the time and either continue with the meeting (if it’s acceptable to both parties of course) or, break out your calendar and set a follow-up meeting to pick up where you left off.

That about wraps up the first five tips of “11 Tips to 1‑on‑1 Meeting Success”. In part II I’ll share 6 more whoppers that can make or break any meeting. Stay tuned.

© 2008 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then check out Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal' at http://www.MotivationalMarketer.com. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute', -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Dean Mercado, Online Marketing Muscle, marketing articles, networking 101, networking, meeting success, business professionals, surface networkers

Keep a Keen Eye on These to Not Only Survive but Thrive in This Downturn Economy

"If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading." -- Lao-Tzu, Chinese philosopher (604 BC - 531 BC)

Now that could either be a great thing or the scariest possibility for any small business owner or independent professional. Especially with a bit of an economic downturn on our hands… let alone the doom and gloom people seem to be perpetuating around it.

So tell me… where are you heading and how do you know for sure? Is the marketing you’re currently doing working? Is it bringing you a steady flow of new qualified prospects? Is it strengthening your brand? Is it making you money or just draining your precious resources at a time where you simply can’t afford for that to be the case?

Now on the surface you may believe you know the answer to questions like these however, are you 100% positive?

Well one of the most important and tangible parts in determining whether or not anything in your business is working is by maintaining sound metrics.  Yes, I do believe that certain aspects of your marketing are not practical to track and measure.  However, there are plenty of key metrics that are easily gathered.  For example you might keep metrics on things like:

• Number of projected versus actual new Clients each month
• Number of projected versus actual repeat Clients each month
• Number of projected versus actual new prospects each month
• Return on investment for specific advertising or marketing campaigns
• Return on investment for each marketing strategy in general
• Number of web site visits per month and where the visitors are coming from
• A monthly “Profit and Loss Statement” which shows your monthly income, monthly expenses, and whether or not you were profitable during that period. The key here is to analyze and know what the numbers mean and how you can alter your marketing to improve them.

And we could go on and on and on here however I hope you get the point… the numbers simply never lie! And if you know how to read them, they can empower you to make better decisions.

For example, one such way is to look for trends. Compare the most recent month, quarter, and year to the one previous (e.g. August 2007 to July 2007, Quarter 3 2007 to Quarter 2 2007, and the year 2007 to the year 2006). Compare specific months from different years (e.g. August 2006 versus August 2007). Compare specific quarters from different years (e.g. Quarter 3 2006 to Quarter 3 2007).

Additionally look for trends dictating the effectiveness of specific marketing campaigns. And to risk stating the obvious, do more of what’s working and less of what’s not… yes it’s that simple. However, you’ll never know whether a marketing campaign is working or not if you are not collecting and analyzing metrics.

So in closing, remember the numbers never lie. And for small businesses and independent professionals, it’s times like these that separate the “men from the boys” so to speak. So the big question remains, where are you heading and how do you know for sure?

© 2008 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then check out Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal' at http://www.MotivationalMarketer.com. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute', -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Dean Mercado, Online Marketing Muscle, marketing articles, metrics, small businesses, small business owners, independent professionals, economic downturn, economic turmoil

Can Your Web Site Pass the "Triple-I" Test?

Let’s just assume for a moment that you’re able to convince your target market to stop by your web site.

Would they find it cozy and inviting… cozy and inviting enough to want to stay for a moment? Would they find it valuable… valuable enough to stick around… valuable enough to take your desired action… valuable enough to come back periodically for more?

These are all very important questions that anyone who has a web site that expects any kind of positive result needs to regularly think about and continuously ensure. That’s why I put together a simple system that I call the “Triple-I” test to assist web site owners in giving their web site a regular “check-up” so to speak. Let’s begin…

The 1^st "I"… Inviting
It starts with the basics. First off, your web site needs to be welcoming and approachable. How? It needs to be clean, neat and organized. Ace the clutter. It needs to be easy for your target market to find their way around to get what they want. It has to use an inviting color palette that sits well with your target market. It has to load quickly and use a comfortable combination of text, imagery, and multimedia. And most importantly, it has to be consistent in look and feel with your overall brand.

Now this might seem like a lot of ducks to have in a row however, your web site visitor passes judgment on you in a split second. If they feel comfortable, they’ll stay a moment. If they’re not comfortable… gone! They’re gone as quickly as they can click their mouse.

The 2^nd "I"… Interesting
If your target market is comfortable enough to stay beyond that first split-second, you’ve got a matter of about 3 to 7 seconds to grab their interest. How? An attention-grabbing headline would be a great start. And now that you’ve piqued their interest, you have to give them reason to stick around. How? Stretch their comfort zone. Make your web site experiential. Make it interactive. Create a sense of community. Tap into multiple senses by using multimedia such as audio and video. Use your web site to educate. Use it to position yourself the way you want to be seen by your target market. The key components here are to establish credibility and value.

And lastly the 3^rd "I"… Initiative
Bottom line… your web site must cause your target market to do something. It must be able to capitalize on that comfort zone you’ve established. It must get them into the habit of doing the things you ask them to do. How? Tell them what action you want to take. Make it a simple, non-threatening action such as signing up for your complimentary electronic newsletter. Be specific though, don’t leave it to chance. Just make sure you under-promise and over-deliver this way they feel good about the experience they are having with you and will look to deepen their relationship with you.

So in closing… please note that you really want to get some outside, unbiased, honest feedback to really know how your web site stacks up. Yes, some solid web site statistics such as conversion ratios would be effective here also. However, be conscious of the softer-side of proof… the more intangible stuff that tends to play on the emotions of your target market. This in my opinion is where the real power of effectiveness lies.

So… does your current web site pass muster? Be honest now. The only person you would be fooling is yourself. If it did pass muster, go ahead and give yourself a pat on the back… you deserve it. Don’t fall asleep at the wheel though. Keep on doing what you’re doing and more.

Now if it didn’t pass muster or you’re just not sure, get some help. If you’re serious about your business, do yourself a favor and empower your web site to get you the results you need to succeed.

© 2008 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then check out Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal' at http://www.MotivationalMarketer.com. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute', -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Dean Mercado, Online Marketing Muscle, marketing articles, web site, target market, comfort zone