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Have You Made Your Business Networking Campaign Checklist?

The tools you need to turn referrals into business.

By Dr. Ivan Misner

What can a business networking campaign do for your business?

People rely on recommendations from trusted sources much more than they do from mere advertisements. The best thing is that the costs associated with running a successful business networking campaign are usually a fraction of a traditional advertising campaign.

However, as the saying goes, “There is no free lunch.”

What you save in dollars spent, you must replace with time and effort. Yet simply saying you’ll “network” does not guarantee immediate success. You not only need to plan and execute a schedule of networking events and activities that will put you in front of people, you also need to build your credibility.

One of the most important ways to do this is to hold yourself to the highest ethical standards: Be fair in your pricing; make sure the work you are hired to do is provided with the highest quality; and, never over-promise and under-deliver.

Also key to running a successful business networking campaign is your arsenal of credibility-enhancing materials. You should always have these at your disposal to make the most of every networking opportunity.

Below is a checklist of collateral materials—some of which you may already have—that can be used to develop your desired image. Please note the following points, and then you’re ready to compile the key components of the toolkit of a successful campaign!

Toolkit of a Successful Networking Campaign

Point 1: This is not a complete list of items needed to market your business. The list is focused on enhancing your networking activities in a face-to-face environment.

Point 2: Also keep in mind the list encompasses a wide variety of items, and that not every item will be used at the first point of contact with a potential client, or even with someone who can refer you clients. Each item will address a specific area of information that you have to share about your business.

While some can be used to build credibility at earlier stages of networking, you will want to save the more detailed items at a further point in the networking process with a particular client or referral source. The first half of the list includes items that you will most likely want or need at the early stages, while the second half includes items you should have ready as the relationship deepens.

A one-page flier
You should have a brief overview of your business ready to pass along at all times – both a hard copy to fax and an electronic copy to email – in case you meet someone while networking who wants to quickly pass along your information to a prospective client she knows.

Question-and-answer sheets
One of the quickest ways to learn about a person’s business at a networking event – and for him to learn about yours – is to make the initial meeting as organized as possible. A sheet with questions that you can each ask each other can ensure you don’t forget to find out the most important information about each other’s businesses—the information that could lead to a referral the quickest!

Testimonial letters from satisfied clients
Testimonials are one of the most effective ways to showcase the quality of the products or services you provide. You can keep hard copies in a binder, or you can post them to your website. If you have a LinkedIn profile, you can ask the clients in your network to “recommend” you.

Photos of yourself, your office facilities, equipment, and/or products
A professional photo, or headshot, is important for promotional opportunities and for your social media profiles. Photos of your office or business operation and products help to legitimize your business and gain credibility.

Current brochures, circulars, and data sheets, and product catalogs
This may seem like a no-brainer, but quite often I’ve noticed that business owners are too busy running their business and neglect their collateral materials.

Items that reflect your “brand”
These items go a long way in building the consistency and recognition of your brand: logos, trademarks, service marks, patterns, designs you’ve used, posters, banners, and display materials used at trade shows.

A list of your key customers
You can put these on your website to show the type of clients you successfully have served.

A list of your memberships and affiliations
This is very helpful when you meet someone for the first time – it’s a great way to see if you have mutual acquaintances or business associates. It may also lead to an introduction to someone in one of your organizations to whom you have been hoping to be introduced.

Photos of awards and certificates you and your staff have earned
These items can rank almost as high on the credibility scale as testimonials.

Articles you have published, or in which you’re mentioned
Writing articles (or being professionally mentioned in them) is a great way to become known as an expert in your field – and people like to know they are working with experts.

New-product or service announcements or press releases
As you network, make sure the people who might potentially hire you – or refer others to you – are immediately informed of news about your company. In addition to submitting these announcements to news outlets, you can also hand these out at meetings, or post them on your website and on your social media accounts.

Items that help you explain your business to your network.
These can include your annual report, capability statement and prospectus; your motto, mission statement or service pledge; or even a written history of your company.

Client or customer proposals, bid sheets, or marketing letters you have written to existing clients
Keeping this information top-of-mind will come in very handy if you are at a networking event and have the opportunity to talk to a prospective client in depth.

Articles on trends affecting your target market
Keeping up with issues and news items that are important to people helps you to be able target your conversation and, subsequently, your products and services more directly to your prospects you want to turn into clients.

Be sure to store your networking materials in a bin or a set of shelves built to make it easy to retrieve frequently used documents. This equipment greatly aids your company’s business networking campaign and ability to respond quickly when necessary.

Called the “father of modern networking” by CNN, Dr. Ivan Misner is a New York Times bestselling author. He is the Founder and Chairman of BNI, the world’s largest business networking organization. His newest book, Networking Like a Pro, can be viewed at www.IvanMisner.com. Dr. Misner is also the Sr. Partner for the Referral Institute, an international referral training company.

Tags: branding, July 2011 Edition, marketing, networking

13 Responses to “Have You Made Your Business Networking Campaign Checklist?”

Brennan Scanlon Says:
July 5th, 2011 at 2:20 pm
Excellent, love the 14 points Ivan. I have sent to all my Education Coordinators!
Marty Werling Says:
July 6th, 2011 at 9:50 am
Great ideas! I recommended our BNI Michiana Chapter members print a hard copy and check the ideas off as they are accomplished.
Carole DiMaggio Says:
July 6th, 2011 at 9:56 am
I am glad to see my years in BNI have paid off. As I looked through this list I realized that our law firm has most of these items on our website!
M. Natasha Reid Says:
July 6th, 2011 at 11:25 am
Really great points!
Joseph Sexton Says:
July 6th, 2011 at 11:52 am
These tools can be used over and over again. Your points are well received. I will pass along to all potential memebers as well. This is what makes BNI the best value in word of mouth marketing in the world.
Suraj Zutshi Says:
July 6th, 2011 at 2:32 pm
All great points and all my education coordinators have them now. Thank you.
alan butt Says:
July 6th, 2011 at 3:43 pm
sometimes the best ideas are the simplest. many great ideas
-i am working on my list now.
Nic Says:
July 6th, 2011 at 5:27 pm
Two tools I use in my networking are an iPhone app called CardMunch, it photographs a business card that gets emailed to a live person who creates a contact record and emails it back to you. The App integrates with LinkedIn (they own the App) so allows you to grow your LinkedIn network and connect potentially with a much wider audience.

The other thing I do which has strengthened relationships transformed the number of referrals I receive is to send Thank You cards. You can do it manually but I use a web based system called Send Out Cards. Check it out by clicking on my name above the comment.

Only last week I received 7 referrals every person giving a referral was sent a thank You card. As I had done previously when they had sent a referral. Funny how when you take a moment to acknowledge someone and reward a behaviour you get more of what you want.

Between BNI & SOC I have not done any paid advertising for a whole year and my business has experienced tremendous growth.
Nancy Sustersic Says:
July 6th, 2011 at 7:50 pm
Terrific checklist Ivan, thanks! I’m printing and checking off now! Love how you keep us focused Mighty Leader!
Sue Henry Says:
July 7th, 2011 at 4:31 pm
Great points for every business, Ivan. These are also great ideas to use on a chapter level for marketing the chapter, it’s members, and the benefits membership brings. Thanks for sharing!
Jenny Stephens, LMT Says:
July 10th, 2011 at 4:51 pm
Great points. I really like #4. I actually use my Spa frontage on most all my advertisements. Thanks for sharing all of these great tips!
Duncan Hannay-robertson Says:
July 14th, 2011 at 4:52 pm
Wow, what a fantastic aide memoire. This is a 14 point marketing plan. Although brief and succinct, it takes a while to gather the collateral. But once you have you have a bullet proof marketing pack. Very impressive.
Chimaobi J. Agwu Says:
July 20th, 2011 at 4:23 am
It appears you had my chapter in mind while writing this article. It is just the perfect piece for us. I have had great challenge stimulating referrals from members. Many are simply hunters and others are just very weak generating great referrals for themselves and for others. Some are too economical with their money to create referral tool.This is not only educative but instructional. I have already made copies for every member and it’s going to be a weekly exercise for us going through the checklist at the end of each meeting. Thanks a great deal.

13 Responses to “Have You Made Your Business Networking Campaign Checklist?”

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