Networking events come in all shapes and sizes. For some, these events fill a social need as well as enable them to make specific contacts.

Here’s some suggestions when attending any networking opportunity or event:

1. Check your business card supply and make sure your cards are with you even at social or charity events.

2. Smiling is contagious, so start an epidemic and infect the whole room with yours.

3. Shake hands with those you know and introduce them to others. You are the consummate professional.

4. Plan ahead and get an idea of who will be there and who you specifically want to meet.

5. Look into the person’s eyes when you shake hands and say his name. People love to hear their own name. It also helps you remember it.

6. See and be seen. Everyone watches the door to see who is coming and who is leaving. When you enter, stop for a moment, then step out of the doorway. Get your bearings and head in the direction you want to go.

7. Avoid two people talking together. That is a private conversation and should NOT be interrupted.

8. Recognize your peers. You’ll be appreciated as a team player, but don’t spend time talking with them. Cultivate those you don’t know.

9. Never write anything on the back of a business card in front of the presenter. Walk away and make your notes privately.

10. Be selective. Don’t give your business cards to everyone as if they were flyers at a hardware store opening. It appears pushy and unprofessional.

11. Finally, follow up. Don’t send emals or make phone calls to everyone you meet. Be specific. Don’t waste your time or theirs.

[b]Barbara Bergstrom, owner of Greetings Certified Etiquette & Protool Specialists, can be reached via email at BarbaraBergstrom@aol.com.[/b]

Salespeople often lose sight of their immediate objective because they focus too narrowly on closing a deal.

While that is likely the overall objective, it’s rarely the immediate one. More often, the immediate objective is piquing a potential client’s interest enough that you can talk about your product.

My friend Cathy recently had me listen to a voicemail that a salesperson left for her. The message went on for about two minutes, during which the salesperson talked about some of her products and services and explained how she typically helps out clients and reiterated how some of the products or services achieved that. Finally, she suggested that she and Cathy schedule some time for a 10-minute phone call to explore the possibilities. The last thing the salesperson left on the message was her phone number.

Cathy laughed about the message. The chances of her returning the call were slim. Here’s why:

1. It’s unlikely the meeting the salesperson wants will take only 10 minutes, since she just left a voicemail that took two minutes.

2. The salesperson said her phone number quickly and didn’t leave her name.

3. Only one of the products remotely applied to Cathy’s business, and she questioned why the salesperson would bother calling her company at all.

Here is an objective breakdown to achieving an appointment using this call as an example:

1. The objective of your voicemail is to get a call back, not pressure for a sale. A much shorter, more concise message needs to be crafted that includes all pertinent information.

2. The objective of the return call is to discover if this is a viable prospect. Every person who calls back probably isn’t worth an appointment.

3. After determining whether the product is right for this client, your objective is to help the person understand the value of setting up an appointment.

4. Then the goal is to set time and place.

The salesperson that left Cathy a voicemail put the cart before the horse. Her actions didn’t match a reasonable objective.

Set concrete objectives that are within your control and take suitable actions on them. The sales process is like any journey. It’s achieved one step at a time.

Matthew Neuberger, president of Neuberger & Co. Inc., an authorized Sandler Training licensee in Pikesville, can be reached at (410) 864-8567.

Summer is a time for fun in the sun with family and friends. Because of this, businesses slow way down in the summer.

Notes:
During this slow period when you are not servicing clients, you can take the time to send cards to clients, prospects and vendors. Send Out Cards has thousands of designs so you can stay “top of mind” with a “thank you for your business” or an event reminder card. These are actual cards that arrive by U.S. Postal Service.

Email:
You may also want to remind clients, prospects and vendors of events and specials by email. Be sure this is a helpful email and not just spam advertising your product or service.

Facebook Fan Page:
A Facebook fan page is a great way to keep in touch with people. Don’t forget to invite them to events by clicking on the calendar page under the text box. A daily or weekly update keeps you “top of mind.”

Quickbooks:
Slow times are also great to update Quickbooks. Enter all your business expenses and income into Quickbooks or into an Excel spreadsheet so you have reports and a profi and loss statement for your accountant at tax time.

Phone Calls:
Be sure taht you answer your phone and return phone calls as quickly as possible. No one wants to wait when they need something or when something is urgent. You can also “catch up” with clients by calling to see how their birthday, vacation or event turned out.

Webinars and Teleseminars:
The best way to advertise is to teach something. Find something you know about and record it on a tape or video camera. You can then upload the video to Facebook and Youtube.

Remember, slow times are great times to catch up with clients in many ways.

Cindy Freland
Maryland Secretarial Services, Inc.
www.marylandsecretarial.com
cindy@marylandsecretarial.com

Marketing needs to be a combination of online and off-line to capture the attention of possible clients. Some traditional and new ways are newspapers, magazines, receipts, cards and letters, TV, radio, billboards, newsletters, ezines, social media and many more. Social media is becoming more popular and it is FREE. Therefore, it does cut down on marketing costs, if you use it correctly. You must provide something your prospects want and need to read. You cannot just offer ads. It is called social media for a reason. Be sociable and build relationships with content. Provide tips, tricks, comments, suggestions, articles, quotes and events for your line of business. Be helpful and people will remember you!

April brings lots of bugs. Bugs that fly and crawl and bugs in your operating system. What are you doing this spring to eliminate the bugs in your system? What are you doing to make your business a lean, mean operating machine? Cut down on all the unnecessary expenses. Do you need to use AOL, advertise in the Yellow Book, fax line, external A drive, extra phone line, copier? Do you need someone to do your taxes. Do you need an administrative assistant or are there things that you can do yourself or hire a virtual assistant to do?

Take a few minutes to think about where you can cut back on expenses for your business and you to will own a lean mean operating machine.

With each season comes change. Springtime brings the birds back from the south, the flowers sprout and business owners plan for the upcoming quarter.

Spring is the time to start fresh. If you need new marketing ideas check out the Internet. There are lots of ideas lurking online. You might also check the library and book stores for books on marketing.

If you need more exposure for your business, I suggest the following five ways:

1. Try promoting your services on the back of your business cards. There is a lot of wasted space on the back and the added text doesn’t cost that much more.

2. Surveys are also a good way to communicate with your clients. Send them an email or letter and ask them what services or products they need.

3. Mail a letter, flyer or brochure and a business card to clients and prospects as a reminder of what you offer.

4. Send clients and prospects “Did you know?” letters to suggest other products and services that you offer.

5. Use specific coupon offers in online newsletters or print ads (ie., Get $50 off your next flyer design and printing project over $200.)

Remember, if you do the same thing, you will get the same results. If you do something different, you will get different results.

Cindy Freland, Maryland Secretarial Services, Inc., www.webmss.com, webmss33@aol.com

Spring is the time to start fresh. The snow melts, the birds come back, the flowers sprout. But have you thought about how you can start fresh with your business? 2010 is a new year and a fresh new start for your business. Design a marketing plan for the year and stick to it.

Depending on the products and services that you offer, you should be thinking about the best way to promote your business. Is is offline in telephone books, newspaper, TV or radio? Is it online with Google Ads, Facebook, Twitter, Plaxo or LinkedIn?

Attending business networking events is a very cost-effective way to reach potential clients.

1. Choose Events Wisely: Attend events where there will be business owners or decision-makers to buy your product or service. Don’t waste time attending all events as there will be a lot of events where people are just not suitable to purchase from you.

2. Talk to Strangers: Walk up to people that you do not know and introduce yourself. Introduce yourself with a firm handshake, look them in the eyes and say your name and company name. After they introduce themselves, ask them questions about their business. Make the conversation all about them and not you. People love to talk about themselves. If you allow them to talk about themselves, you will be remembered as someone who took the time to get to know them. Networking is not about the quantity of business cards with which you come home. It’s about relationships. Bob Burg said in his book, entitled, Endless Referrals, “people do business with people they know, like and trust.” Be sure to get their business card. Briefly talk about your business and give them your business card.

Be sure you have your “elevator speech” or your 30 second speech perfected. You should have a short introduction of yourself that you can say in your sleep. Your speech should go something like: “I’m Cindy Freland and I own Maryland Secretarial Services. I do your administrative tasks so you can concentrate on what you do best.”

3. Follow-up: When you get back to your office, send a follow-up email, “snail” mail a handwritten note, or call to make an appointment. The follow-ups should be short notes to remind them of where you met, wish them success in their business, and remind them of what you do. I like to also invite them to other networking events so you are offering them value and not just trying to get them to buy from you.

4. Face-to-Face Again: If you have made an appointment, congratulate yourself. You did a great job in convincing them that you offer value. At the meeting, remember to talk about them and ask more in-depth questions about their business. Find out how you can help them by listening to their concerns. After you have listened and you think you know how to help them, then you can talk about the solutions that you offer.

Remember, business networking is an inexpensive, effective way to advertise your services and products. If done correctly, you will have a steady stream of business throughout the life of your company.

There are lots of things you can do for your business when you are snowed in or you cannot get out of your office. First start by cleaning it. You can take a duster with a handle and dust off all the equipment. Use furniture polish to dust flat wooden and plastic surfaces. Throw away unnecessary items. File and store items you need to keep. If you don’t have a file cabinet, place papers in clearly marked folders and place them in boxes on a shelf in another room to avoid clutter where you work.

After you have cleared the clutter, take inventory of your essentials. Check the stock of your business cards, flyers, brochures, letterhead and envelopes. Make sure you have enough paper clips, ink cartridges, rubber bands, postage stamps, pens, and paper, etc.

Then you can begin working on marketing ideas for your business. Do you have a newsletter, blog, and are you on the social networking sites, including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn? If not, you should.

Take this time to focus on making your office more productive and concentrating on how you can grow your business.

Cindy Freland
Maryland Secretarial Services, Inc.
www.webmss.com

Valentine’s Day is February 14 and isn’t just for lovers. You can woo, or get the attention of, your prospects and clients by sending them unexpected gifts. These gifts can be as simple as sending a postcard or greeting card with your photo from Send Out Cards. You can also send small gifts like balloons or coffee mugs filled with candy. These are just small tokens that cost very little and they will be lasting reminders of you. Your thoughtfulness will go a long way in getting or keeping that client. Cindy Freland, Maryland Secretarial Services, Inc. www.webmss.com

I have a business card binder full and a pile of business cards. What do I do with them now that I have them? I was the best networker and attended the networking events. I spoke to people I do not know. I followed up with an email after each event. Now what do I do with this pile of…business cards? I think I will enter them all into ACT! and then follow up with a personal greeting from Send Out Cards. Do you have any other suggestions? Cindy Freland, Maryland Secretarial Services, Inc. www.webmss.com