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Un-Marketing
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Sep 19, 2006 7:31 pm |
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Being memorable and findable (Knowing who your customer is (re: re: 51 Thoughts on Networking)) |
Scott Allen
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Right on, Gisela. Good networking isn't random. Sure, serendipity happens, and often the best results are unexpected. But the more focused you are, the better your odds are.
And no, you don't have to have business cards - collecting them is certainly one part of making for good follow-up, but so is making yourself findable online. If you have a good brand and make a memorable impression, people will be able to find you, even if they lose your card.
When I meet people, I focus on trying to make 3 things about me memorable:
1. Entrepreneurs 2. The Virtual Handshake 3. Scott Allen
If someone can remember ANY of these three things, they can easily find me:
1. http://www.google.com/search?q=entrepreneurs 2. http://www.google.com/search?q=virtual+handshake 3. http://www.google.com/search?q=scott+allen (OK, here I'm #2, 3, 4 and 6, not #1, but still)
My point is that people will inevitably lose your contact information, or want to refer people to you when they don't have your information handy, etc. If you make yourself a) memorable, and b) findable based on that, you're set.
Want to see some other examples? These are purely off the top of my head:
http://www.google.com/search?q=un-marketing
http://www.google.com/search?q=gisela+mckay
http://www.google.com/search?q=huntington+beach+althea+realtor (if you do local business, your city + your first name + your business should produce a very visible web presence for yourself)
http://www.google.com/search?q=testosterone-free+marketing (interestingly, my interview of Denise is higher-ranked than her own site, but the interview still gets you to her)
How do you make yourself memorable when networking?
1. Wear something distinctive - a brightly-colored tie, an unusual necklace, etc. You don't have to be outlandish (though some people work that quite well), just not the same blah suit.
2. Be fully present - not overly intense, but fully engaged and fully aware of the people you interact with. Many people only seem to be "half there", so being fully engaged helps you stand out.
3. Ask distinctive questions. Bob Burg has some good suggestions in "Endless Referrals", but I think the best questions can't be communicated in a book because they're specific to the person you're interacting with. Do #2 and this will flow naturally.
4. Reinforce your keywords. This is basic NLP. Take those anchor words that you want people to remember about you and work them into the conversation repeatedly (within reason). It WILL reinforce your branding.
5. Contribute to the group conversation. Don't hog it, but say one really smart thing at your table or in front of the whole group and it will make you much more memorable.
Be memorable, be findable, and business cards become irrelevant.
- Scott -Private Reply to Scott Allen (new win) |
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