The Marketing Mix | official blog of the Marketing Mentor community

Was I a Conference Commando?

In Keith Ferazzi’s book, Never Eat Alone (which, ironically, I read a few years back, almost entirely while I was eating lunch, uh, alone), he advises readers to “Be A Conference Commando.” He posits that conferences are not for gaining information and insight, but instead are opportunities to develop relationships. You must be pro-active, not passive. 

In March I made the decision to attend the annual BRITE conference—Branding Innovation and Technology—sponsored by Columbia Business School’s Center on Global Brand Leadership for two main reasons:

1. Because in 2007 I moved out of NYC to rural central New York state so I needed some mental stimulation, exposure to new ideas, and a good write-off-able excuse to hang out in the city for a few days (not to mention a good, urban, soul-satisfying bagel and lox breakfast).
2. I’m following the 2009 Grow Your Business Marketing Plan + Calendar (veteran’s version) and felt attending this conference would be an excellent networking component to my marketing checklist—along with all the other strategies we’ve been reading about on this blog: research calls, crafting your online bio, blog creation/posting, etc. 

At the conference, through various addresses, breakout sessions, and a fantastic keynote given by Seth Godin, I gained a better understanding of such current catchphrases as ‘crowdsourcing’ and ‘tribes’; was able to hone my Twitter skills on my iPod Touch (in fact, unlike most other public gatherings, this audience was actually encouraged to dialogue with their devices while the talks were taking place, and after each speaker, the MC would field “tweeted” questions); and was exposed to compelling new technologies—my favorite of which is prezi.com, zooming presentation software.

However, according to Keith’s standards, as a conference attendee, I failed. (Well, maybe a D+). 

Did I sign up to volunteer at the conference in order to gain access to its inner workings? No. 

Did I research the VIPs beforehand and set up opportunities to hobnob with the ones I wanted most to meet in person? Uh, no. 

I did not even really set goals for myself, other than that I would go, meet people, and learn a few things.

However, upon returning home to the farm, I did follow up with each of the people I met, with an email that read:

New York Networking April 17th

Marketing Mentor clients, Jezra Kaye and IvanExpert, are hosting a Biznik New York Happy Hour.

When: Friday, April 17th, 6:30-8:30PM

Where: In Good Company Workplaces, 16 W. 23rd Street, 4th floor, NYC

Meet and mingle with 75 other NYC entrepreneurs.  This event is co-sponsored by IGC, and Biznik, and hosted by Jezra Kaye and Caroline Green of IvanExpert ("personal Mac help for NewYorkers").  You must be a Biznik member to attend, but membership is free.  Click HERE to attend.

I'll be there. Will you?

More Notes from a Networker

I jumped into the Darwinian mosh-pit of networking again last week. It’s pretty wild out there!

NYSIA: New York Software Industry Association

I’ve mentioned them before -- I finally got to a monthly meeting. The amenities were sparse -- no food or drink -- but it was free after all. It was a panel discussion, so there was just time before and after to chat. With my usual luck I sat near a job hunter, so got nowhere. However, the panel was quite interesting -- about new cell phone software -- and occasionally quite funny, so at least I was entertained.

SWINY Science Writers in NY

A writer I know has been getting my e-news, and asked me to consider speaking to her group. So I went to their winter party to check them out ($30., some nice wines). They were science journalists rather than marketing writers -- apparently there is a big gap between the two tribes. But I did get to poll people on their feelings about a current client, who publishes scientific journals. I eventually decided they weren’t a good fit for me as audience, but may be good for Ilise -- so I made the referral. One of the advantages of networking is that occasionally I have something of value -- information.

C Squared

Another group I’ve been eyeballing. I went to their charity sector event -- and it was odd. It was sort of a mix of singles bar and business networking, which to me is a queasy combination. There were a lot of people chasing very few prospects. I did talk to a person looking to serve on a board, so I gave some suggestions on ways to research organizations. Other people I’ve talked to who have attended C Squared say that some events have been great --they just can’t say which ones.

Note that even though these events were (kinda) duds, I still had some business cards to follow up with.

One of my goals this year is to do presentations -- so last week I got to do one at an association of non profits in Connecticut. I team up with Howard, a direct competitor, to do these events -- it works out because on our own, neither of us would do these -- it is a ton of work. The audience was a rather glum bunch -- but hell, if I were in their shoes, I’d be glum too! I did get me thinking about expanding seriously into other sectors.

This week among other gigs I went to the NYSIA Sales and Marketing SIG (special interest group), which I have attended on and off for a while now. This was my second early morning meeting this week and I did not want to go -- but after struggling to stay awake during the presentation, I was waved over afterward by the SIG leader -- he gets (and reads!) my e-news. He asked if I wanted to be on a panel discussing marketing at a future meeting -- so you never know…

Anyone else have networking experiences to share? Productive or just peculiar?

Growing Your Business with Marketing, Week 11: Conferences are marketing, too

This is Week 11 of a 52-week project/experiment in DIY marketing. Armed with nothing but a copy of the 2009 Grow Your Business Marketing Plan + Calendar and my bare wits, I'm applying the skills you need to grow a business in real time, day by day, and reporting on them week by week. You can follow along here every Monday; check in with my companion blog, A Virgo's Guide to Marketing, for additional links and information.

Website tasks are still on the calendar, but this week, I threw it all to the winds for the Mother of All Geek Conferences: South by Southwest Interactive. Here's how and where preparation and action coincide...for me.

Full disclosure: this week, for good or for ill, I gave myself permission to go off the plan—that would be the marketing plan (and calendar!)—foregoing my regular, prescribed marketing tasks in order to prepare for and attend a conference that's become a focal point of my working, intellectual and, uh, social life over the past four years.

Today wraps up my third South by Southwest Interactive Festival in four years (I skipped 2007) and it's easily been my best yet, for a variety of reasons.

Keep in Touch Toolbox: The Face to Face Lunch

A couple of weeks ago I started a new blog post series titled “The Keep In Touch Toolbox” where I’ll be suggesting tools and strategies to keeping in touch with your clients and prospects. If you missed it you can read it here.

Today’s tool is called “The Face to Face Lunch.” I’m suggesting this to some of my clients who are wondering how to start getting some more work through the door as their work load seems to be drying up. This tool is not just a quick fix. In fact, as I see it, it’s one of the most important marketing tools you can have in your business. It provides you one on one face time with your clients which is another step towards deepening your relationship. After all, people hire people they like first.

So here is the idea. Go through your contact list and identify as many clients and prospects that you have not seen face to face in the last 90 days.  Pick up the phone and start calling them. Simply ask them for lunch. Tell them that you will be in their area on a specific date and would love to treat them for a quick lunch so you can catch up. Your goal is at least 2 lunch meetings per week. 

And what do you talk about during that lunch? Not much. It’s not about you. It’s about listening to your clients and paying attention to what’s going on with their business. So try to get them to tell you all of that. Ask as many questions as you can. Sometimes our clients just want someone to listen and understand their world. Now if you were like me, you may have some ideas and suggestions on how you could help their business grow. Try to not share those ideas during the lunch meeting. Here’s why.

A couple of days after the lunch, you can call you client back, thank them for the time together and tell them that you’ve been thinking about what they shared with you and that you have some great ideas on how they can grow/improve/market (choose the one that fits your idea best) their business. Ask if you can drop by their office to share some of those ideas. They most likely be open to taking this meeting now that you already had a nice social lunch together.

We are facing some interesting times where business development and marketing require unusual and innovative tactics. This one works. I’ve done it and had great success with it over the years. I’d like to hear from you when it works for your business too!

Where to meet people with money to spend

Although we keep hearing about wave after wave of layoffs, not everyone is feeling the pain right now. And the ones who aren't just might be perfect prospects if you have services and talents that they need.

But where do you find them? That's a question I've been getting a lot lately, from clients and other self promoters.

Here's a recent article from the New York Times called "Aimless Travel? No, It’s Networking in the Sky" about a guy who takes random airline trips to network and meet decision-makers.

It's an expensive marketing tool and certainly not for everyone. But what do you think of it? And what ideas do you have for finding people with money to "invest" or spend right now?

Guest Post: Networking smarter, not harder

Colleen's note: Today's guest blogger, Donna Gordon, is a contact I made via the social networking, specifically the Ask Liz Ryan group (covering the nexus between work & life) on Yahoo. Donna is a shining example of how to use social media well—i.e. be brilliant and helpful, and people will come to you. Her take on networking etiquette was so terrific, I asked if she'd agree to elaborate on best practices here at The Marketing Mix. I think you'll love the very useful stuff she has to share...

Okay. So you're a solopreneur, or a small business with lots to do and you're supposed to NETWORK on top of everything else. As a solopreneur with the gift of gab, I loved the idea of getting out, meeting new people, and building my network..  But while my calendar filled up, my bank balance was shrinking.  Hey wait I'm networking, right? Where is all this new business the networking gurus promised?

Turns out not all networking is created equal. As I struggled to make sense of it all, a book called Business by Referral by Ivan Misner and Robert Davis somehow landed on my desk, and helped me trim the fat from my overly bloated networking calendar. The book argues that you should have a goal for your network; that your contacts should belong to one of 3 categories: information, support or referrals.

• Information contacts are those you can call on the fly when you need to know the answer to 'who should I contact if I need an HR perspective on my problem?'  Information is the lifeblood of any business, especially for a research business like mine, so keeping in touch with those whose expertise complements your business is worth your time.
• Support contacts are those who you can grouse to, cry to, or ask for honest feedback on that new website.  As a small business you can't keep a staff on retainer to vet your ideas, so an informal group of trusted advisors is critical to keep you on the right path. And remember this cuts two ways-don't be too stingy with your time or you might find it comes back to bite you.
• Referral networks are the holy grail for those who are looking to land that next big client or project. While there are marketing experts who claim that a contact that does not produce a referral should be dropped and given voice mail, I don't think it's that simple.  If you list someone as a referral contact, make sure they have the willingness, the tools and the incentive to send business your way, and don't just assume that they will think of you when the right situation pops up. Keep these contacts in the loop, and make sure they understand how much you value them.

Having a goal for your contacts means taking a good long look at how you spend your time. For example, the roundtable group of small business owners that filtered in and out with no stability was taking several hours of my could have been billable time but not producing any tangible benefit. Instead I joined a 'masterminds' group – 6 of us, all small business owners or solopreneurs who meet monthly to discuss our businesses and seek each other's advice. We've been meeting for over four years now, and the group is much more valuable than a packed Chamber event with dozens of people like myself, looking to commiserate but not really do each other any good.

For you, your results may vary. While having information, support and referral contacts are all important, your mix is determined by the work you do and your target market.

• Where do your customers hang out?
• Who do they turn to for advice?
• Where have your previous clients come from?
• What do all of your clients have in common?

If you can answer these questions, you've taken the first step to clarifying how you should be spending your networking time, and which contacts you should go the extra mile for to keep in your network.

Happy networking!

For more than 10 years, Donna Gordon has been dedicated to helping entrepreneurs. As founder and president of Investment Resources, she taps her vast network of contacts and information sources to help businesses start, grow, expand and acquire. She's counseled hundreds of clients in industries ranging from banking to life sciences and is often invited to speak on the topics of profitability and Internet research.

Guest Post: Is BNI right for you?

Business Networking International is what it says: an international organization of business networking groups with chapters literally all over the world: 5150 chapters in 39 countries.

It's a very structured environment that requires commitment from its members, centered around a weekly early morning meeting.

I am often asked by clients whether BNI is the right group to join. Of course the answer is always, "It depends."

After the jump are the pros (and a couple cons) from Patrice Robertie of Acorn Advertising in Arlington, Massachusetts.

Guest Post: Marketing Through a Slowing Economy

Colleen's note: Today's guest poster, L.A. designer Heather Parlato, seriously walks her talk. We've "known" each other online through Spencer Cross's KERNSPIRACY designer's mailing list for years, but it wasn't until this year that we met in person—and we've met now at three separate networking events! (So far—another one coming up next Wednesday, in the Marina; any of you interested Angeleno indie biz types please, check it out!)

With the slow-down in the economy, the question comes up repeatedly—how are you marketing yourself to stay afloat in leaner times? When the latest incarnation of this question surfaced in a KERNSPIRACY discussion today, I circulated a list of ideas I think work well for small businesses and sole-proprietors, and Colleen asked me to share them here.

We all know we’re supposed to keep marketing and stay visible, so I decided to get personal by investing more time & energy in existing relationships, and kicking up my networking circuit to build new ones.

Holiday Gifts – Borrowing from Marketing Mentor’s Designers Guide to Marketing and Pricing, I picked a selection of my favorite clients and sent holiday gifts. To keep them affordable, I made them myself, shopped for cute packaging, assembled personalized elements, and sent them through the mail.

Mine Existing Clients for Referrals – Pick the clients you like working with most and tell them how much you appreciate them [because it’s true] and then ask them if they know anyone else as fantastic as they are who might need your services. If appropriate and affordable for you, offer an incentive for them in the form of a discount.

Mailing Campaigns – Taking the advice I give clients all the time: map out the year and plan a campaign of evenly-timed, seasonally-relevant mailings. It can take between 6 to 12 touchpoints before a company decides to hire you, so put your name & brand in front of them regularly throughout the year.

Chambers & Industry Associations – I decided to expand on my current affiliations by looking into a larger area chamber, and other business-supported organizations that offer regular networking opportunities and referral breakfasts. I tend to target area before industry, but a quick search on the criteria that’s important to your practice can lead you to organizations where potential new business can be found.

Social Networks – Expand your social networks for maximum exposure. Cross reference everyone you know in every community. Scour any communities relevant to your business focus for meetings, mixers & seminars and meet people face-to-face as well [biznik.com, meetup.com, blankspaces.com, mediabistro.com].

Trade Clients – If you can afford to, and are approached by a client who offers a good trade in place of payment for services, consider taking it. A major touchpoint of your brand is the experience of working with you, which can lead to referrals to new business.

Marketing Mentor’s 2009 Marketing Plan – This isn’t a paid plug—the plan just happens to work really well with my style, personality and willingness to market myself. Admittedly, the smaller checkpoints allow you to make a lot of headway in small steps. I feel good when I know I’m doing everything I can to further my business, so this plan keeps me on track.

Try a selection of these strategies and see what works. The mantra in times like these is to get noticed and stay visible, so when you find what works for your business, make the commitment to keep doing it and expand on the ways in which it works best.

Heather Parlato is a freelance graphic designer in Los Angeles enabling small- to mid-sized companies to expand market presence through smart design solutions. She can be found online at www.heatherparlato.com.

Guest Post: Notes from a Networker, Pt. 2

Hello there, Peter Levinson of LevinsonBlock LLC back with another post chronicling my latest networking exploits. In addition to this, I’ve been doing a lot of one-on-one meetings -- catching up with people I meet at these events, and figuring out if there is any synergy. So here are some recent thoughts and then more events and groups I’ve tried. Please post comments if you have experiences with any of these groups also.

One nice thing about going to a lot of networking events is that it takes the pressure off. Since I’m meeting a fair amount of people, there is less at stake with each conversation. This allows me to relax and say anything that comes into my head (well, not everything).

For example, I was at a reception during the Association of Healthcare Philanthropy annual meeting in Philadelphia. My elevator speech? It was about the Mekons, a great band I had seen the previous night at a club. Eventually I got around to talking business. Was it relevant? No -- but it was memorable. I usually try less radical experiments -- for example testing different catch phrases or elevator pitches to see what people react to. I often try tinkering with my pitch during the course of an event -- it makes it more entertaining.

Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce

If you want to meet the political ruling class of Brooklyn, try going to one of the big Chamber events, like the annual meeting. Keep in mind, many act like high schoolers -- there is definitely an in-crowd. For a sense of what regular members are like, try one of their BAHs (Business After Hours). You can probably wrangle a freebie, since they have to make up for around 30% member turnover per year.

Net Impact

Still trying to figure this group out. They are an odd mix of grad students, entrepreneurs and consultants who are interested in sustainability. Some events are very student-y, others business-like. I’ve met some very interesting people in the 4 meetings I’ve attended, and actually been able to refer some of them to other folks.

Random Events and Links

C Squared

Industry specific networking - they are pretty restrictive about who attends. I’m going to one this month. The December holiday party had free admission, rather glitzy -- had to pay for drinks -- and no food whatsoever!

NYSIA: New York Software Industry Association

If this is your target sector, check out NYSIA. Meetings are attended by software company folks and people who want to do business with them. They have special interest groups -- I go to the Sales and Marketing SIG; and there are monthly meetings. Events are mostly free.

Peter Levinson is principal of LevinsonBlock LLC, a marketing and design firm. Our approach is pragmatic -- our goal is help our clients connect with their target audience and make money. We build usable websites; develop brand strategies and brands; create persuasive content; and design print.