Making,Valuable,Contacts,Onlin DIY Making Valuable Contacts Online

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Making Valuable Contacts OnlineCopyright (c) 2003 by Angela Booth Remember the old saying: "it's not what you know, it's who youknow"? It's true. Your contacts determine whether your businesssucceeds or fails, and for reasons of credibility, that's doublytrue online. Many people bristle when someone suggests that they network. Ifthe term networking puts you off, then think of it as makingfriends. People do business with people they know, and yourprospective clients need to hear your name many times before theybuy from you.Networking should be a cornerstone of your business. As mymarketer friend Sally says: "Networking makes all your businessactivities more effective." Sally loves using the Internet to develop new contacts. Shebelieves that you can establish business relationships moreeasily online than you can offline. "I'd rather have someoneemail me a proposal, than phone me. And if I'm the one creatingthe proposal, I'll do a Web search on their business before Iemail them. The more you know about them the more effective yourinitial contact will be. I'm flattered if I know that someone hastaken the time to find out about our business before they contactme for the first time."=> Making new contacts step by stepWith several hundred million people online, no matter how tinyyour niche market, you'll find it easy to make contacts online.Some of these contacts will be people who are in the samebusiness you're in, others will be suppliers, or prospectiveclients.Note: some people hesitate to make contact with competitors. WhenI suggested to a copywriting student of mine that she shouldcontact local copywriters to see they were charging, she freakedout. She didn't want to have anything to do with her competition.This is a short-sighted attitude, because:* whatever your business, it's a small world. People know people,and people talk. If people know you because they've had somecontact with you, then when they're asked about you, they're moreapt to speak kindly of you;* you'll learn what's happening in your industry: who's hiring,who's landed a big new contract, and who's slow-paying;* you've got someone to whom you can refer clients, if theclients want something that you can't provide (and with luck,your contacts will refer people to you);* it's educational: you can swap techniques, suppliers, andshortcuts;* and most importantly, you can find out what other localbusinesses are charging, and why.So how do you start making valuable contacts online?==> Step One: Do a search for people in the same business you'reinYou'll need to know who's doing what you're doing. Check outtheir Web sites, bookmark their URL, and enter the names andcontact details into your contact management program.(Go to Better Whois, at http://www.betterwhois.com/ to get thebusiness owner's contact details.)See whether they offer services or products which arecomplementary to yours. You might be able to form a loosepartnership.If it's appropriate, you could offer them a link on your Web sitein return for a link on theirs. However, be careful with this.Don't go linking here, there and everywhere online for the heckof it. Ubiquitous linking makes it look as if you don't know whatyou're doing.==> Step Two: In what fields do you want to expand your clientbase?When looking for prospective clients, think in terms ofindustries or professions.If many of your clients are doctors, perhaps you want to contactmore doctors, or perhaps you want to contact dentists or lawyers.If you're a writer, maybe you've been targeting health andfitness magazines. What other interests and knowledge do youhave? Perhaps you once worked for a construction company. Trademagazines pay quite well, so investigate construction magazines.Enter the magazines into your database, and send the editors aletter or e-mail message introducing yourself.==> Step Three: Budget time for networkingNetworking won't pay off with instantly, and too much networkingcan eat up a lot of time. So make a networking schedule foryourself. If you're working in your small business fulltime, budget half anhour or so every couple of days for networking, or put in an houra week. If you're a part-timer, try to put in a couple of hours amonth.==> Step Four: Don't be put off by a lack of responseIf you send an e-mail message, and don't get a response, don'ttake it badly. Like most other people, I've got a rapid-firedelete finger, and I'm sure that occasionally I delete a valuablemessage by mistake. Blame it on the spam circus that e-mail hasbecome.Don't badger people, but if you're not getting a response viaemail, send them a fax or a letter.Start making online contacts today, and watch your businessthrive!***Resource box: if using, please include*** Veteran multi-published author and copywriter Angela Booth craftswords for your business --- words to sell, educate or persuade.E-books and e-courses for writers on Web site. FREE ezines forwriters and small biz:http://www.digital-e.biz/ Article Tags: Making Valuable Contacts, Making Valuable, Valuable Contacts