August/September 2002

Relationship Construction

By Laurie Kendall-Ellis, PT

You decided you could do a better job than the therapist next door. Before you know it, you are in business. Now, how do you keep the business alive? How do you get those first patients to come through the door? How do you hire your first employees? How do you continue to grow and maintain your business? Networking is the answer.

Networking, simply stated, is the art of relationship building. It is talking, sharing ideas and information with other people. But what is important about networking is where it take us, who it links us to, and what we do with that link. Networking is such a part of our life that we usually do not even think about it; however, by analyzing our strengths and weaknesses in it, we can maximize this most natural form of marketing.

WHO YOU KNOW

Developing and staying in business are both about who you know. You need to take the time to learn about your customers, your employees, your colleagues, and your competitors.

One common business networking activity is attending events where business professionals gather to meet. The whole purpose of making meetings is to transform these possible one-time contacts into long-term relationships. These relationships may possibly lead to business opportunities. As a business professional, seeking out people who understand and may want to promote your business is imperative. Identify activities that you should be attending or organizations you should belong to in your community. Join the Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club, and merchant associations. Volunteer your time for the local road race or clambake. Be willing to devote time and be available over and over and over again. Relationship building within your local community does not happen at the first meeting.

To be successful at networking, attend every meeting and be on time. Develop your skill in remembering people’s names and what their business is. Let members know that you are reliable and can be trusted. If you have referral sources as fellow members, do not wait for the next meeting. Use that opportunity to connect outside of the meeting so they remember who you are and why you called. Letting members know that you are thinking of them goes a long way in building that relationship. Provide the best service you can. Be creative with your ideas and in following through for the organization. Return all calls promptly and deliver on your promises.

By demonstrating your personal core values, you are projecting the values of your business. People will be more willing to try your services because of the personal values you have demonstrated. A commitment to public service can be one of your best marketing tools.

CALMING THOSE NERVES

You understand the importance of networking—the advantage of word of mouth advertising—but you are nervous about getting out into the community. You wonder how you are going to enter a room full of strangers and make yourself feel comfortable enough to not stammer over saying hello. I had those same feelings when I first started networking. I would walk into a room and stand there by myself. If no one came over to me, I thought this meeting was not where I needed to be and I would retreat back to my office. However, I soon realized that retreat was not the answer, but rather, taking the offensive was. I needed to identify my strengths and “attack.”

I started thinking about how business networking was similar to personal networking. I have always felt comfortable interacting with people and playing the hostess. How could I turn this strength into business networking? Was it really so different? I started by practicing how I would introduce myself. If you have a planned introduction that is clear, interesting, and well delivered, you are armed with the starting phrases of a conversation. Once conversation is initiated, the relationship building will start to flow.

What you say about yourself will depend on the nature of the event you are attending. At a Chamber of Commerce event, for example, you should say your name and what you and your business are all about with enthusiasm. Keep this introduction to about 2 to 3 seconds, bringing out the key words that you want people to remember.

With your introduction in hand, walk into the gathering and look for a person standing alone (he or she is probably as nervous as you are) or a group made up of no more than three people. Try not to approach a group of two. Two people having a conversation are usually intent on each other and not as willing to break up their conversation to include you. A group of three is an odd number and will usually welcome a fourth.

Extend yourself and make others in the group feel comfortable. Do not wait for people to approach you or introduce themselves first. Armed with your introduction, extend your hand and start speaking. Do not be fearful of rejection. This can sometimes become a self-fulfilling prophecy and the group will sense your trepidation. If you approach a group and find them less than willing to include you, move on. This has happened to all of us. Never take it personally. Remember, they don’t even know you, your timing may just have been bad.

Now that you have taken the plunge and introduced yourself, you need to get people’s attention. Show interest in them by asking questions like: where are you from? and what do you do? People love to talk about themselves. Respond to the answer but resist the temptation to move the conversation to you until the individual asks you the same questions. Continue to elicit more information. Involve yourself in their responses with phrases like “I know how you feel,” “What an interesting business you have.” Make eye contact as you respond. Now you are beginning to connect and build a relationship.

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