Posts Tagged ‘networking’

Starting up a business can seem like a survival experience.  It can seem like you’ve been dropped into the wilderness with nothing but a pocket knife and your determination to survive.  In business, like in the wilderness, what you need is often all around you. Adopt the following survival skills and you will find the sustenance that is all around you.

Network

You are not alone. There are brilliant, experienced and successful small business owners all around you. You need to seek them out and make contact. You won’t have to look far. They are meeting for breakfast at neighborhood cafes and for lunch as part of international organizations such as BNI. They are making speeches at Toastmaster clubs. They are serving on the boards of local Chambers of Commerce everywhere.  Start with your local chamber.  Attend a networking event and ask the people you meet where they go to network. If you are sincere, you will receive many invitations.

Listen

Anyone seeking to succeed in an unfamiliar environment should begin by listening.  When you are exploring new territory, it will serve you well to keep your mouth shut and listen.  What are your customers saying?

I had a client once who opened a coffee shop but, concerned about the expense of the equipment, refused to offer espresso.  When customers asked her for double shots she didn’t listen. After months of struggling to cover her lease selling brewed coffee one cup at a time, she gave up, complaining that, “This town just doesn’t want a coffee shop.”

Listen. You customer will tell you what they want.

Ask Powerful Questions

Don’t stop at just listening.  Ask powerful questions. Powerful questions are questions that help the customer clearly articulate their desires.

Ask:

• What do you want?
• What about that is important to you?
• What will you do when you have it?
• What else?

Had my coffee shop client asked questions of her customers she might have uncovered the vision of the coffee shop the town needed.  She might have been able to fill her tables by asking a few powerful questions.

Keep Learning

As you wander through the wilderness of starting up a small business, you will be discovering something new every day. (That exciting possibility is one reason you decided to become an entrepreneur.)  When you stumble across something unfamiliar, don’t ignore it, find out.  There is no end to the unexplored territory of small business development: social media, productivity tools, management practices.  It’s a wonderful, ever changing world.  Explore it.  That’s what Google is for!

Volunteer

As you come to know the territory, you will no longer be a stranger.  When you feel comfortable, take the next step and volunteer.  Find an organization, a club, a service project and take on a leadership role. You will not only hone your own skills but you will enhance your reputation as a trustworthy and reliable community member: all while giving back to your customers and your community.  Volunteer. It’s a win/win.

Keep in Touch

As you make your way through the wilderness and carve out your territory, you will meet many people.  Some may become your customers but many will not be ready – yet.  Keep in touch.  Find a way to provide value and reach out to share: make connections, share resources, just call to say hi.

Follow Up

Finally, when in your foraging you come across a prospect, never fail to follow up.  There is sustenance all around you but you have to gather it.   I have many stories of times I have reached out to another business owner to inquire about their service only to have my call ignored. Nothing will tarnish your credibility faster than a failure of customer service before the prospect is even a customer. Always, always, always follow up.

What else?  Tell me your stories.  How did you successfully make your way through the unfamiliar territory of your small business startup?