Home > ArticlesHow to Add Relationship Building and Networking to Your Contact List
Communicating with new prospects can take on a number of methods. I am calling it publishing or broadcasting because that is the fastest and most common way of attracting people to your web site or sales offers and relates to how most of the world has communicated in recent years. News and advertising has been relayed by newspapers, radio and then television. Today with the large percentage of people using their computers to communicate, the internet has presented yet another unique opportunity to merchandise goods and services. In total a completely new industry of advertising and loyalty building programs has been created. Publishing can come in many forms each in this case takes putting words together and reaching out for prospects. Internet networking is no different than ground based meetings, you bring together people individually or in groups with common interests and goals by written or published words. Making connections, building relationships by electronic means delivers some very unique opportunities to demonstrate your knowledge, expertise as well as "show off" your products and services. Building credibility and increasing awareness of your business is key to converting the prospects to customers and then maintaining that client base with follow-up before and after any sale. A couple of networking sites that deliver a number of features and encourages links and association of "friendships" is YUWIE and AdlandPro while free to join both offer advanced memberships and benefits. Networking and broadcasting your products and services are not the only benefit of these networking sites, important to your overall success is the contact and exchange with others in your industry. Whether it is additional cost saving measures in production or a new advertising media just starting out your exchange with your fellow e-commerce partners will enhance our knowledge and build your business. Hundreds if not thousand of different groups of people are members and trade information and opportunities around the world. YUWIE is social networking with a Twist, it pays members! AdlandPro has begun an online chat room to which hundreds are joining at different times of the day and night to trade and network Networking programs offer sales opportunites as you become acquainted with interested people and trade ideas and thoughts. It is just like a few years ago and a little today....going door to door displaying your wares....only now it's faster by electronic internet connections. Broadcasting your business, displaying your wares still means going to your prospects where they are...at home or in their places of business. Just a few years ago the cry for business success was "location". It was important to ground operations or your "brick and mortor" store. Then it was location, location, location be it main street with lots of traffic or a convenient "strip mall" with quick in and out parking or the massive shopping mall with anchor stores bringing foot traffic and shoppers for your opportunity to sell them. Without foot traffic, or shoppers, your store couldn't make money. Today it is "surfers", we don't make sales and we don't make money until we have attracted prospects. Just as the sincere approach and purposeful demonstration of your merchandise was the method for the door to door salesman attempting to make sales so is the same need today. Only trust and confidence is a little harder to build in this day and age, but it can and does exist over the internet. The need to build popularity (your product or service over another) and credibility for your brand. Trust that you will deliver as advertised. Your internet promotion will work if your relationship with your customers is solid. Demonstrating your knowledge, sharing your information and generally just building relationships is still in vogue. It is something when worked little by little that will build a customer base for your business and financial security. Only by increasing your reach and maintaining your hard earned contacts will you expand and profit from the cost you spent to make those contacts. In many cases just building a solid connection and personal friendship will deliver big dividends over the long term. A successful salesperson has "bird-dogs" or people to refer them business. Your connections can be a great source of support and testimony of your honest and worthy intentions. Trust and support will build you a working data base with "friends" of "friends" to boost your business relationships meaning more sales and expanded income! Even if you never buy one thing from me, your value as a friend and your possible referral will pay big dividends in financial rewards for me in the future. Customers can be asked to keep in contact for updates and news about the product or service they purchased by subscibing to your newsletters. New prospects can be rewarded something for free to disclose their addresses and joining your newletter. A free offer but giving you their e-mail address and permission to contact them further is an important part of your marketing program. Newsletters will broaden your broadcasting as will Online GROUPS, a well know and massive offering is by YAHOO . While filled with advertising it is another quick way to communicate with a lot of people usually with common interests. Think about starting a group, where everyone can share ideas and keep in touch. Relationship Marketing--build an online family. Hold your best leads...you paid for them. © Harvey Akeson, All rights reserved. Yahoo Groups Social Networking with a Twist Submitted on April 10, 2010 |