| |
| |
|
Networking Information |
|
|
|
Five Steps for Expanding Your Customer Base with Guerilla Networking
As a single company, it is impossible to provide your customers with all the services they desire for every aspect of their life; but with guerilla marketing, you can come close. By partnering with companies that provide different, yet complimentary, services to your business, you can create a network of reliable resources for your customers. In turn, your company will gain credibility and strength from the size and stature of the group. The goal of the guerilla network is to expand your customer base by being a part of a diverse web of companies that will appeal to a wide range of customers. Because your company will be the only one in this web to offer your unique product category, every customer who enters into the web will be referred to you for that specific service. 1. Brainstorm To establish a guerilla network, you must first consider what other resources could be provided for your customer outside of the products and services that you have available at your company. Get to know your customers to discover what other services they generally need when considering your products. Could they use a designer to help decorate a home gym for the new treadmill they just bought from you? Or how about pet supplies for the dog they walk when using their new pedometer? Whatever it is, think outside the box! More variety means more customers. 2. Make a list After brainstorming potential additional services, it is time to narrow your search and prepare for the recruitment process. Make a list of the product and service categories that you think will be beneficial in the guerilla network that you wish to create. Then, list specific companies that fall under these categories. Naturally, you should start with companies that you have referred customers to in the past, and who have, in turn, referred customers to you. Expand that list by thumbing through your local yellow pages or searching the internet. Choosing local companies will give you the flexibility of working with partners who are able to make marketing decisions at the local level, without the inconvenience of running it by their corporate office first. Add companies that you instinctively feel may be fitting for your network. Do not forget to continuously update this list, even after you have moved on to the next step. The longer your list, the better chance you have at building a large and powerful network. 3. Do your homework Once you have a substantial list of companies in which you are interested, begin researching them. You will want to know if they are a high-end store and if you want their customers frequenting your business. Determine whether or not the company is one you would like to be associated with. Do they exemplify the values that are most important within your own company? Be selective and remember that you will be sending your best customers to their company. Their service will be a reflection of your company and its values. Look for companies that have taken the time to create and maintain an impressive website. This will give you the opportunity to learn more about their business and will provide countless opportunities for marketing within your network in the future. You should also try to recruit companies with strong brands, so that your brand will strengthen when you co-brand with them. 4. Establish contact After you have learned about the companies on your list, you should begin establishing contact with them. Your means of presentation will vary depending on what you are comfortable with and how you feel you will best be received. A letter is obviously not the most effective means of initial contact. It can be impersonal and easily discarded. It does not demand their attention like a personal visit will. However, it is a simple way to cast a wide net and see what you catch. You should use this method if you simply do not have the time to visit these businesses individually, or if you have enough relationships already established in your community to recruit 3-5 companies into your guerilla network right from the start. I recommend that you simply ask the owner for a few minutes of his or her time. You can initiate this meeting through a letter, by phone or by just walking in. Because you are not selling anything, this meeting should be relatively easy to set up. These few minutes with the owner will allow you the chance to determine if they are the type of person with whom you can work. You will also explain who you are and what you will accomplish through this partnership with local companies. Impress the owner with a professionally designed and bound brief of your strategic plan. These professional packets include company logos on a few conceptual pieces that could be used in a guerilla marketing program. It goes unsaid that this network will generate more traffic for your business, so focus their attention on the benefits THEY will receive from the network. Let them know that you have already noticed that some of your customers would be great referrals for their business. The promise of immediate results will be sure to catch their attention. 5. Follow through After you have established a relationship with the company, be sure to follow through with your arrangement. Everything you and your guerilla partner agree to do needs to be thoroughly discussed and put into writing. You should set up parameters and expectations of the marketing program and agree on a specific date to begin and end each program. When the regulations of the agreement are clear, both parties will be more likely to follow through and benefit from the guerilla network. The ideal partnership is one that remains balanced: each company putting in an equal amount of work and reaping an equal reward. By becoming a part of a strong guerilla network, you will be a major resource for each customer's unique needs. Your company will gain ideas, support and loyal customers from partnering companies and your marketing audience will expand dramatically without the costly risk of traditional advertising. Tom Richard is the author of Smart Sales People Don't Advertise, which can be found at http://www.tomrichard.com, and founder of the online training university http://www.trainactive.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Mary Kay Ash Did It Best... (The Networking Factor) "The Networking Factor, Everyone is important!" This slogan reminds me of another personal credo by one of the country's greatest motivators.. Joining Industry Specific Organizations Has Many Benefits Recently, while providing an up-and-coming Virtual Assistant (VA) and small business owner with some start-up information, she asked me a very interesting question, "Why do you and other VA's join organizations?"I guess I take for granted the reasons why I belong to several industry specific organizations. But, to those that are new to any industry, joining an organization made up of your competitors is a valid concern. How Speakers, Exhibitors, Consultants, and Meeting Planners Partner-Generate More Money and Value ? "Make Every Moment Count" is the title of a CD that a pharmaceutical company gave away at their exhibit booth at two major conferences.Half of the CD covered the company's new product news and "how-to's"; the other half featured tips from a speaker at those conferences. Why Cant I Start A Conversation With You? One out of every ten Americans has a fear of talking to strangers. When you enter a room full of new faces, to start these conversations seems like an impossible task. Why Bother With Social Networking Sites Like LinkedIn? Q: I think I understand the value of networking as well as the next businessman, but for the life of me, I don't really see what sites like LinkedIn, Ryze and Ecademy can do for me. What's the point of these sites other than just as some sort of digital popularity contest?A: My good friend and colleague Liz Ryan, head of the women's power networking group WorldWIT, Women in Technology, has a great answer to this sort of question, an answer that I'm quoting here with permission:I ask people to join LinkedIn, and often they say "I don't want the spam. Plan for the Event or Flounder Rather than being there to eat the food and drink the drinks, planning before attending an event will change your view.Have you ever attended an event and seen all the people gravitating towards the food and the drinks? That is the first thing people seem to go for. How to Turn Water into Lemonade by Giving a Flavored Answer to a Fruitless Question I remember the first time I opened the fridge to get a drink of water and accidentally grabbed the wrong pitcher.. Follow-Up with Your Contacts What happens when you meet a potential client at an event and you do not follow up?So now the event is over and you have collected a number of business cards, taken notes on the best prospects, divided the cards into Y(es), N(o), and M(aybe), now what? It is time to follow up. The best follow-up is immediate - they will remember you best if you go home that night and enter their information into your database and send a personal email or hand-written note. Are You Leveraging Your Business Network? Just yesterday I received an email from a colleague telling me her husband had been laid off from yet another corporate job. Will the downsizing ever stop? I doubt it. Did You Market Yourself Today? "If you build a better mouse trap - the world will beat a path to your door."Do you still believe that?Let's try another one. Sharpen Your Business Networking Skill To Grow Your Small Business Most people become lax at maintaining their professional business network when they've worked with a company a while. With the constant rounds of mass layoffs, having a dead or outdated business network can mean business suicide to even the most skilled expert. How to Get Ahead in Your Career Bigger Better Deal. That's what everyone always hopes will come along. Two-Step Your Communication Ever use someone else to get your message out?For example, big, multi-location companies sometimes make important announcements through local plant or office managers, rather than at head office. Another example: advocacy groups that ask their members to individually write or call politicians. Examination of Discovery - Finding the Right Networking Group Why would I pick this group over another group?How many business leads groups have you heard about? I have heard of dozens and each has a group of 20 or more people. The problem is that they often have restrictions on the number of people in a particular category. Are You Building Relationships Online? How's your relationship?I'm not prying into your personal life, so no need to worry. it'sjust that lately I've noticed something about most network marketerswhich got me thinking. The 7 Habits of Highly Horrible Networkers Networking is a term that didn't exist (academically) until almost 40 years ago. It's a word uttered in and around the business world every day, yet is unclear to most as to how it actually works. Have We Met Before? What to Do When You Cant Remember Who Yourre Talking To You see him from across the room. You know him, but you can't remember how you know him. Getting Leads How many leads do you pass on?As a reminder, you must give a lot before you can expect any leads from the group. You must be able to define your best customer, give your pitch and describe what you do best. Who Are You and What The Heck Do You Do? A few years ago, I was attending a family function when I ran into a cousin of mine. Having not seen her in more than three years, she told me that her son had graduated from law school and had passed the bar examination and was now a lawyer at a very prestigious law firm in New York City. How to Get More Visibility, Increase Your Influence, and Get More Referrals Earlier today I was helping a client develop a better strategy to generate more referrals from local businesses. While that particular client owns an orthodontic practice, the ideas I gave him will work equally well in your business.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2007 |
