by Jerry Schwartz
The old adage, “You can’t get a haircut over the phone,” is true for networking also.
The key is to incorporate your social media with your face to face networking. It should be a step by step process depending on which comes first. There is no replacement for the personal process of building a relationship with a potential client or a potential referral source.
One of the reasons that BNI, the world’s largest Business Referral Organization is so successful is it allows members to meet weekly so they can build the trust, learn how they can help each other and find ways to give qualified referrals. Relationship sales is about listening to the needs of your prospect face to face.
Social Media such as Facebook and LinkedIn are great steps in the trust building phase as well. On LinkedIn you can learn more about your connections by looking through their profile; which of course means that you need to make sure your profile is completely updated. It is also a tremendous resource to find people who your connections know from whom you can get an introduction.
Facebook is not just a place to post your dinner or say happy birthday! Look at the friends of your friends. Are they looking for a service that you might make a connection? Is that someone whose business could be a good contact for you? Ask for an introduction!
Some things are just better in person. Networking is one of them. This doesn’t mean that online networking isn’t valuable–far from it. Online networking is a powerful tool in our arsenal of networking strategies.
However, it shouldn’t be the only tool we use because sometimes it’s simply not the best one. For me, the bottom line regarding face-to-face networking vs. online networking is that I don’t think it should be an “either-or” scenario; I think it should be a “both-and” scenario if you want to build a strong personal network.
Jerry Schwartz is the executive director of BNI, a business referral group with chapters world-wide. For more information about BNI contact Mr. Schwartz via email at Jerry@BNI4Shore.com
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