Lesson 2
Where to find your Ideal Prospects - Live and In Person!
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By now, you’ve gained some important clarity on which prospects are truly perfect for you and
your business. You may have decided to focus on a handful of ideal prospects (working moms,
baby boomers, college students?) or you may have narrowed your focus to just one super-
specific target market. In either case, the most immediate benefit that comes from narrowing
your focus to working with ideal prospects is you’ll find it’s now much easier to find these exact
people, in large groups!
For example, it’s hard to find a LinkedIn group that caters to “everyone” – but if pharmaceutical
reps are great prospects for you, now you can find groups made up of these specific people on
this very website. Likewise, trying to find a conference or trade show that caters to “everyone”
might be a bit tricky, but if “brides” are one of your ideal prospects, it’s easy to locate many
bridal tradeshows and create an opportunity to showcase your weight loss products here.
Bottom line – when you know specifically WHO you’re looking for, then WHERE to find them
becomes a whole lot easier!
In this lesson, you’ll learn how to locate the “ponds” where you’ll find your ideal “fish” or
prospects. You’ll find out how to find these groups on the internet (through social media
platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, etc) and also through live, in-person networking events. Both
approaches have their own advantages, but the relationships you create when connecting with
people face-to-face are ALWAYS the most powerful, so let’s start with these kinds of
opportunities first.
Why Networking Live Is STILL the Most Powerful Way to Build Strong
Relationships with Prospects!
Even though I use the internet a lot to grow my business, my best business relationships come
from getting out and meeting people live. Sometimes I attend events that are purely for
networking. Other times, I’m attending conferences or tradeshows, or speaking at these kinds
of events. In every situation, I add valuable connections to my network (and often make some
great new friends in the process).
You too should never underestimate the power of connecting with people “live”. When you
meet prospects face to face (even during a short meeting) people get an immediate feel for
“who” you are. You can create the kind of personal relationship that easily segues into a
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professional relationship (and even if it doesn’t, you can make a new friend who may possibly
refer business to you at some other time).
It’s interesting to note that the value of these live connections comes about (at least in part)
through the way we communicate with each other. Studies show that people communicate
using 3 main forms of expression:
The WORDS you use (the ideas you share, concepts, written text, etc)…
Your VOICE (quality, tone, fluctuation, etc)…
Your BODY LANGUAGE (how you come across physically including gestures, facial expressions,
etc).
Your words alone are only worth 7% of the overall impact of your
communication.
Your voice (38%) and body language (55%) make up the other 93%.
Since your prospects experience all three of these forms of communication when connecting
with you live (versus on the internet where you are usually only using your “words” when
communicating) the result is often a much more personal and intimate connection right from
your first introduction.
There’s also something more subtle, but extremely important that occurs when you meet other
people in person. People get a sense of “who” you are very quickly. In addition to the ways you
communicate, your “presence” or being-ness comes across, which creates a deeper connection
and relationship with others.
For these reasons, I encourage you to take full advantage of whatever opportunities you can
to connect live with your prospects, especially at events where can meet several of them at
one time!
Most people you meet in a networking setting aren’t in the mode to buy products or take a look
at your business (and you likely won’t have time to give a detailed presentation anyway). These
are great opportunities, however, for you to meet interesting people, make new friends and
expand your network.
To make networking activities fun and interesting - consider making it a goal to create a large
“life network” for yourself (made up of interesting people you just enjoy having in your life).
Having a large “life network” can generate all kinds of opportunities for you (some business
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related, some more social or personal. It also makes getting out and meeting new people a lot
more fun).
A percentage of your “life network” will evolve into your “business network” and become
new customers, referral sources, etc. Creating a life network takes the pressure off feeling like
you have to make EVERYONE you meet a new customer or business partner. You can relax and
enjoy the process of meeting people and making new friends, while keeping your eye out for
people who fit your “ideal prospect” profile.
The Two Kinds of People to Look For When Networking Live
There are 2 kinds of people you want to look for when networking live:
a). Your “ideal prospects” or target market.
If you completed the exercises in Lesson #1, you now have this part nailed. You know the kinds
of prospects you’re looking for, and the personal qualities of these people as well.
b). People who know (many of) your “ideal prospects.
The other people you want to develop relationships are people who know your ideal prospects
– hopefully many of them. These are also known as COI’s or “centers of influence”. COI’s are
people who already know or do business with your ideal prospects or target market and likely
have a rolodex or email list full of these kinds of contacts.
For example…
If your ideal prospect is a working mom – a great “COI” would be the owner or teacher at a
local daycare (who would know lots of working moms and may be able to make introductions).
If your ideal prospect is someone who is interested in losing weight or increasing their overall
health, then you’d be smart to create relationships with personal trainers, massage therapists
or chiropractors (who would all have existing clients or contacts that could be perfect for your
products).
Building relationships with these kinds of contacts can greatly leverage your networking
efforts from 1:1 to 1: MANY. COI’s can often make introductions to their database of contacts.
It’s fine to network to find a “single” ideal prospect, but the biggest return on your networking
efforts comes when you connect with “COI’s” who can refer you to many of your ideal
prospects. It’s smart to know who a perfect COI is for you, and keep your eye out for them!
What Kind of “COI” Is Perfect for You?
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What kind of person or “COI” would already know or do business with your ideal prospects?
Come up with a list of 5 possible COI’s who could be great referral sources for you. A perfect
COI is someone who knows or works with the same kinds or prospects you are looking to find,
but who offers a different kind of product or service to them (so you’re not competing with
each other).
For example, if you sell jewelry and one of your ideal prospects are brides (looking for special
gifts for their bridal party or guests) you could create relationships with some wedding
planners. If your business offers cards or communication tools that are perfect for business
owners, than a great COI for you could be an accountant or CPA who works mostly with these
kinds of clients. If you have weight loss products, than a great COI could be a personal trainer
who works with clients looking to accelerate their fitness program.
Who would know (or work with) many of your ideal prospects?
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Where Can You Network LIVE for the Best Results?
There are many great places (and ways) to network, so you have several options to choose
from. Your options will be defined by which ideal prospects you’re looking to find, what events
are available in your area, etc. Here are a few to consider:
1. Traditional Business Networking and Leads Groups
You’ve likely heard of (or even attended meetings with) business networking groups like BNI, Le
tip, Ali Lassens Leads, Chamber of Commerce, Rotary, etc. You can also find similar groups in
your area made up of your ideal prospects or target market (mom’s groups, exec women’s
groups, retirees, etc).
As with all networking – the main goal here is to make connections, build your “life network”
and grow your email list whenever possible. As you make connections at these events, keep an
eye out for the opportunity to offer something of value for free (a free report, sample of your
product?) in exchange for someone’s business card.
What can you say to accomplish this?
This is similar to an “elevator speech” but with the goal to communicate the value of your offer
to your target market.
“I have a _______________ that helps __________ like you be able to _________________.
Most people love it because_______________. Would you like me to send you a copy? “
For example, if you have a great free report that helps people get in great shape and boost their
energy, you can say:
“I’m not sure if you are interested in this… but just thought I’d mention I have a great free report
that helps people get in great shape and have a lot more energy. Most people really love this as
you can learn how to look and feel great without starving yourself or spending hours at the gym.
If you’d like a copy, I can email it to you… do you have a card?”
As you collect business cards – be sure to have a pen with you and mark each card so it’s easy
to see later how you want to follow up with each lead. You may want to mark business cards of
COI’s or “A-type” prospects so you can devote a little more time/attention when following up
with them (perhaps schedule a coffee, lunch meeting etc to further develop the relationship).
A great way to build relationships with people in networking groups is to be genuinely curious
about their business, and look for ways to add value or refer new customers to them. You can
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ask them what kinds of referrals are useful for them, which generally inspires them to ask you
the same question and respond in kind. Before long, you’re both learning more about each
other’s businesses in a comfortable way and they may even become interested in your product
or business opportunity.
Where can you find great business networking groups? Here are some resources that can help:
Le Tip Leads Group - http://www.LeTip.com
Business Networking International -http://www.BNI.com
US Women’s Chamber of Commerce -http://www.uswcc.org/
EWomen Network – http://ewomennetwork.com
Craigs List http://www.Craigslist.org
You can also look up your local…
Chamber of Commerce (they often have a ton of great info on business related groups in your
city, etc)
Rotary Club, Lions or Elks Club
*City Business Journal (most of the major cities in the US publish a “business journal” such as
the “San Diego Business Journal”, “Miami Business Journal”, etc. These have listings of all the
major business groups and networking events for your area. Do a search on google to find the
closest one to you, these are GOLDMINES of information!
If you live in another country, there is likely a similar kind of publication offered in your city.
With a little research (just contact your Chamber of Commerce) you should be able to track it
down.
You can also search on-line to find more socially geared clubs (like mom’s groups, singles
groups, investment groups, ski clubs, triathalon clubs, etc) which can also be great “ponds” for
you to fish in if your target market is spending time here.
Write down 5 business or networking groups in your area that would be likely places to meet
your “ideal prospects”.
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2. Find or Organize “Meet Up” Groups in Your Area
Many of you likely already know of the website www.meetup.com. If not, you definitely should!
This is a wonderful tool to find different kinds of social or business groups gathering in your
own city or local area.
Just go to the website, and you can locate ALL kinds of groups. You’ll find some that are
obviously geared towards your ideal prospects (you’ll see groups labeled for working moms,
groups for baby boomers, etc). You can use the search function to find specific kinds of groups.
For example, you can search on all these terms to find places your target market is gathering (and more): Teachers Women Women Entrepreneurs Young Professionals Moms Work at Home Moms Moms of Preschoolers Fitness Fashion Health/Wellness Beauty Jewelry Lovers (Your City) groups (Activity) Example – hiking, golfing, etc) (Age) Example - 20s and 30s social meetup groups
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You can find groups that are obviously made up of your “ideal prospects” and you can also find
groups to which your target market would likely belong. For example, a “golfing” group likely
attracts a lot of baby boomers. A yoga group attracts people into health and wellness.
There are groups connected to celebrities or causes (as in the “Friends of Ricki Lake” group
which is centered around the television host Ricki Lake. Although it’s not labeled as such, this
group is full of stay at home moms, as that’s who watches her TV program. If you’re looking for
those kinds of prospects, this is the kind of group you’d want to check out).
~Become an Organizer and Create Your Own Meet Up Group If you’re feeling inspired, you can also create your own “meet up” group as a way to find and
connect with your ideal prospects. For example, you can create a group for moms, people who
want to network in business, baby boomers, people who are interested in hiking, health and
wellness, personal fitness and weight loss, or just about any kind of topic.
Keep in mind – although your group will be a way for you to connect with your ideal prospects,
your main goal should be to “add value” to this group, rather than just pitch your products or
business opportunity. You want to create a focus or “theme” for your group that will draw
people to it, and give them an opportunity to learn or receive something of value. Ultimately
you want to create a space that will attract your ideal prospects, and keep them coming back.
For example, you could create a group for moms who want to connect with other moms and
share ideas around parenting, discuss how to experience more work/life balance or deal with
family issues. You can create a group for people interested in health or weight loss, where they
can learn ways to get in shape and have more energy, and get support from other people who
have similar goals.
You could create a group for baby boomers who want to connect with other baby boomers, and
learn ways to stay healthy and wealthy through their retirement years. You could create a
group for women who want to look and feel their best (including taking care of their skin, their
health or learning how to add some pizzazz to their wardrobe with great clothes or jewelry
options).
Just ask yourself what would be of interest to your ideal prospects, and how can you create a
group or event focused around this topic. As the organizer you can still have opportunities to
teach or present for your group, but you’d want to keep your focus on sharing helpful info or
ideas as your #1 goal (and subtly promoting your products or business as a secondary goal).
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You want people to attend your group and receive value FIRST - so they come back to another
meeting, or become more interested in you and what you offer. (If you lead with too much of
a sales pitch, this likely won’t happen. But if you create value and go out of your way to help
people, they’ll naturally become more interested in you and what you have to offer as far as
products, your business etc).
When you create a group in the meetup.com website, people will see your group and add
themselves to it – or you can invite people as well. Obviously organizing this kind of group can
take a little bit of your time, but being the group organizer gives you the chance to create
something that would attract your ideal prospects, and be sure they get to know YOU, the
organizer. In the process you can expand your life network and likely find some new customers
and even business partners.
Here are some helpful tips on how to start your own Meet Up Group:
http://www.stateofsearch.com/how-to-organise-market-and-promote-a-successful-meetup-
group/
http://www.meetup.com/help/Im-thinking-about-starting-a-new-Meetup-Group-What-should-
I-do-to-get-ready
~Become a Sponsor and Get Your Products in Front of Other Meet Up Groups!
Meetup.com just added a great feature, which also gives you the option to be a “sponsor” to
other groups that already exist. This gives you the opportunity to offer a “perk” or special
discount of some kind to groups who would be a great fit for your products.
For example, you can offer your skin care, make up or jewelry products to “moms groups” or
“working women’s groups” or even teen groups, with a special bonus of some kind. Or you
could offer a special discount or bonus related to your health and wellness products to fitness
groups, hiking groups, running groups, etc (obviously choosing groups which have members
who’d likely be interested in your products – and possibly even your business opportunity).
There’s a small fee involved with this, and your offer needs to be approved by the organizer of
each group, but becoming a sponsor of a local MeetUp group full of your ideal prospects is a
smart way to get yourself, and your products, in front of your target market quickly. As a
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sponsor, you also “stand out” and become known to this group, which can bring in referrals,
new sales and even new recruits.
Here are some additional tips on how to become a sponsor within Meetup.com.
http://mashable.com/2011/01/10/meetup-perks/
http://www.meetup.com/help/How-do-I-sponsor-a-Meetup/
~Create Your Own “Tweet Up” event
If you are active on “twitter” you can also bring together a group of your ideal prospects by
hosting a “Tweet Up”. A Tweet Up is like a Meet Up group, but you use your Twitter account
to invite your network to come together and connect or network “live”.
If you’ve been building out a network of your ideal prospects on Twitter, this can be a great
strategy, and a chance to meet people and create more intimate relationships than you can
create by sharing messages of only 40 characters at a time.
Here are two great articles with more ideas on how to organize a “tweet up” for your own
prospects.
http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/how-to-use-tweetups-as-a-marketing-strategy
http://www.twitip.com/planning-an-tweetup/
3. Attend Conferences or Tradeshows (Have a Booth to Promote Your Business)
Although this strategy can take some more time to research and execute, the payoff can be
enormous and totally worth it. Conferences or tradeshows give you the opportunity to do
some very “leveraged” networking, the possibility of meeting hundreds of your ideal prospects
all in one place, at one time.
It’s truly amazing how many different kinds of people or demographics have their own
“association” – a formal group to which they belong. Most associations offer some kind of
conference or tradeshow which gives their members the opportunity to connect with each
other, network and be educated on issues relevant to them.
I did a quick bit of research on-line, and found that every one of these kinds of prospects listed
below has an association of some kind.
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Teachers – Nurses – Dentists – Doctors - Health Care Providers – Chiropractors – Dental
Hygenists - Massage Therapists – Stay At Home Moms – Working Moms – Dads - Babyboomers
– Small Business (lawyers, financial planners, accountants, etc) - Executives (men and women)
CEO’s, Female Entrepreneurs - Military officers - Military wives - Gen Xr’s – Retirees – etc, etc.
There are also several tradeshows and conferences dedicated to “specific topics or interests”
as well – including shows for:
Golf - Travel - Beauty – Fashion – Shoes – Spa and Salons – Bridal – Wellness – Fitness –
Cosmetics – Spa – Weight Loss – Electronics… etc.
The list goes on and on… you name the group or interest, and there is likely an association,
conference or tradeshow for it!
This is great news for you! If you are willing to put in a little research time and come up with a
strategy, you can connect with hundreds (and depending on the size of the show, perhaps
thousands) of people in your exact target market.
Where to start?
I highly encourage you to invest a little time to get on the internet and “poke around” to find
which groups or associations exist for your target market, and what conferences or
tradeshows they are attending.
The best way to do this is use a search engine like Google.
Enter “Target Market + Association” in the search bar and see what comes up. You can do this
for the words “tradeshow” and “conference” too.
For example:
Weight Loss + Association
Weight Loss + Trade Show
Weight Loss + Conference
Weight Loss + Organization
or
Teachers + Association
Teachers + Tradeshow
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Teachers + Conference
Teachers + Organization
or
*You can add other words to search for events/groups by state, city, etc
Teachers + Association + California
Teachers + Association + San Diego
There are search engines (other than Goggle) that are worth using too – as they’ll bring up different results for you:
www.Bing.com – Microsoft's new search engine that will give different results than
Google because of the ‘decision algorithm' it uses.
www.Yahoo - Still using its own technology for the next couple years (then it will use
Bing) it not only searches the web well but also all the Yahoo! Pages.
www.Lycos – One of the older and less popular Internet search engines is still alive and
kicking. Allows you to search a variety of categories (web, image, video, people,
shopping, etc). Includes the Retriever which is “the Web's first information fusion
engine, scouring the Web for the best information on thousands of topics and pulling it
together into up-to-date, easy-to-read reports"
www.Ask.com – Lets you use a more intuitive way to search by simply typing in a
complete question instead of a list of keywords. Returns results based on 'ExpertRank
algorithm' which brings up different searches than other sites.
Some Other Great Resources to Find Tradeshows and Events
Here are 3 great websites that also provide very detailed information on the tradeshows and
conferences going on in different markets:
• www.Biztradeshows.com
• www.TSNN.com
• www.ConventionBureaus.com
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You can also check with your local “Chamber of Commerce” or “State Convention and Visitor’s
Bureau” to see what events are scheduled within your areas. Your local “Tourist Information
Bureau” or city-based website (most major cities have one main website that showcase local
events, happenings, etc) can also be great sources of info.
Check out magazines that cater to your target market and look through the ads (generally at
the back) for events or tradeshows. Look at other ads in the magazine also, as these might give
you clues as to additional companies or organizations that cater to this market that you hadn’t
considered (more COI’s!).
You can always ASK too! Check with people you know in this target market to find out about
other events, groups, associations and/or conferences that they’ve attended or know of others
attending. They can often give you tips/insider info about these events that can help you
determine if it would be worth your time to attend one live or even book a booth and be an
exhibitor.
How to Best Leverage Your Opportunities at Trade Shows
Finding the right tradeshow or conference can be a potential gold mine in generating
immediate and on-going business for you. You can meet several of your “ideal prospects” all
at once, and build out a network of highly qualified leads.
However, this strategy can also take some time and money to pull off, so before you jump in, I
encourage you to attend a tradeshow in person to check it out. Ideally this would be the SAME
tradeshow at which you want to exhibit or network, but if not it’s still helpful to attend any
shows and do some research.
Wander around and check out the variety of exhibits and booths. What do you like? What don’t
you like?
What are vendors doing to draw a crowd and interact with people passing by? How are they
collecting people’s business cards or contact information? Take some photos if it’s ok and/or jot
down some ideas. Some of these vendors are total conference/tradeshow pros (and do several
of these shows each year) so you can learn from their expertise and get ideas for your own
exhibit.
You can find a number of great “Tradeshow Resources” online – so I’ll let you investigate this
further if you decide to utilize this strategy in a bigger way. Here are a few simple but
important tips to keep in mind:
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• Remember your #1 goal is to meet people, make contacts, and grow your network and
email list (sales and recruiting is secondary. Of course if you can sell products or sign
someone up on the spot, do it! You’ll likely find more people are “just looking” – but you
still have a fabulous opportunity to collect their contact info and follow up later. The
true value of trade shows is “lead generation” and the connections and results you
create after the show!)
• When setting up your booth – make it stand out. Use great signage (colorful, easy to
read, obvious) and consider some things you can offer to draw a crowd (snacks like
popcorn or candy are proven bribes to get people over to your booth!)
• Make your exhibit as interactive as you can, because after all, you want to connect
with people, make friends, and build your network more than anything. Can you offer a
free consultation or makeover? Show some interesting videos or multi-media demos?
Do whatever you can to be unique so you and your booth stand out.
• FREE OFFER – have a great cool (and free!) offer as a way to encourage people onto
your mailing or email list. Add a “limited time” or “today only” timeline to create some
urgency. What can you offer that people just CAN”T refuse? A basket of your best
products? Some special deal they can ONLY get at the show? Obviously you don’t want
to “break the bank” – but offering something truly irresistible for free will help you
collect more valuable leads, so it’s worth it.
Put out the ole’ fish bowl (big glass bowl) or create a super-obvious space where
people can add their business card to be in on the drawing or offer. If people don’t
have a biz card, hand them two of yours (one to write their name/email on back, one to
keep).
• Position your newsletter as a cool “Secondary Bonus”. Next to your offer (or on the fish
bowl) be sure to add a sign to communicate that by participating in your drawing/offer –
they will also receive a monthly newsletter from you as a bonus. It can read something
like “Plus… receive a complimentary subscription to our “Fitness First” ezine, worth $X”.
By communicating your e-zine bonus upfront, you’re making it clear that by giving their
business card, people are opting-in to your offer and will be added to your email list.
(This is an elegant way to get permission to stay in touch with your leads, and not put
yourself in the position of ‘spamming’ anyone by adding them to your email list without
advising them first, or asking permission).
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• Stress the benefits and popularity of your newsletter or e-zine if anyone asks about
the secondary offer. Reassure people they can easily opt-out at any time, but many
people love to receive it. (You may want to print off copies of past newsletters and keep
them at your booth for reference).
If you don’t already have an ezine or newsletter for your business, create a free report
or bonus article (including juicy tips related to your product or a relevant topic, weight
loss, beauty, health and wellness, etc) and use that as your secondary offer – something
you can email to your new contacts after the show. In either case, you’re offering
something of value, in exchange for people’s contact info, and getting their permission
to add them to your email list.
• Crowded restaurant syndrome – there’s a funny marketing phenomenon that’s been
proven time and again, and that is that “crowds tend to draw more crowds.” Walk past
any busy restaurant on a given evening, and you’ll notice people tend to gravitate to a
place that is already busy (they unconsciously assume it’s a worthwhile spot, because it
wouldn’t be busy if it wasn’t really good, right?). At the same time, people will generally
pass by a restaurant that’s not busy (unconsciously concluding that there must be a
good reason it’s empty).
For that reason – do whatever you can to make your booth/exhibit look “popular.”
Don’t put out an empty fish bowl or drawing bin – fill it with other business cards (even
if they are your own). Can you hire (or cajole) some team members, family or friends to
come “hang around your booth” – especially during busy times, to help draw more
crowds.
People will tend to approach and spend more time at a booth if they aren’t the ONLY
one there (as being the only person at a booth can make someone feel a bit “singled
out” and people don’t want to feel put on the spot).
Take Advantage of This Timely Opportunity - Network And Build Relationships
With Other Vendors and Exhibitors!
Another huge opportunity you have at conferences and tradeshows is to meet and network
with other VENDORS or EXHIBITORS. The majority of these are likely people who already do
business (or have an email list) or the same kind of ideal prospects you are after (which is
why, of course, you are both exhibiting at the same tradeshow).
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These kinds of connections can be great ‘COI’s’ to know, and you can possibility collaborate
with them to cross-promote each other’s products. For example – if you sell health or weight
loss products, you may collaborate with another exhibitor who sells another kind of (non-
competing) product to the same audience.
If you sell jewelry at a bridal show, you may find another exhibitor (cake decorator, flower
provider) at the show who also sells to brides. If you are both growing an email list or database
of bridal leads, you can double your exposure by working together to cross-promote each
other’s offerings to your contacts.
What to Do After the Show!
As quickly as possible, you want to connect again with the contacts you made at the
tradeshow. Add them to your email list (if they have officially opt-ed in) and get out a great
follow up letter, notice or extended discount (something special for tradeshow attendees only).
If they haven’t “officially opted in, send them a note to invite them to join (and share your free
offer, etc).
If you made some great “COI” or high-level contacts, invest some extra time and send a
personal note, personal email (and better yet) personal phone call, mentioning how great it
was to meet them and ask if there are ways you can refer them business, add value etc. (Just by
offering this, they will likely return the offer).
If you met a substantial COI or potential Joint Venture partner, it’s worth strategizing a bit on
how you might work together. I know this kind of follow up can take some time, but since
you’ve met all these people in person and already have a relationship established, they are
truly your HOTTEST LEADS, so worth of a little extra attention.
For additional tips to set up a great booth and leverage tradeshows, check out the following
links:
http://www.frugalmarketing.com/dtb/giveaway-tips.shtml
http://blog.asmartbear.com/tradeshow-tips-checklist.html
http://sbinfocanada.about.com/od/tradeshows/a/tradeshowdisplaytips.htm
http://www.polaris-inc.com/index.php?action=resources.ArticleInfo&rowid=29
http://www.docutype.net/articles/tradeshow.htm
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4. Get in Front of Your Ideal Prospects by Speaking!
Ok, BEFORE you panic about the idea of speaking in front of an audience, bear with me here…
because this strategy – more than any other – can get you in front of many of your ideal
prospects very quickly.
Sometimes when you sign up to exhibit at a conference or tradeshow, you may have the
opportunity to lead your own “break out” or workshop session and speak for 30-60 min on a
specific topic. These are gold mine opportunities! Why?
• When speaking at an event, you are granted “instant credibility” and positioned as the
“go to” expert in a certain topic or area. Even if this is your first speaking gig, the
audience doesn’t know! They just see you as the “expert” who’s been invited in to share
(so of course you must have something valuable to say!)
• Speaking gives you a one-many opportunity to connect with several leads at once,
create rapport and add value. You can invest a lot of time and try to find and meet with
your ideal prospects one to one, or you can create a speaking opportunity and connect
with many of these same prospects, all at once. You can quickly build out a large warm
market of qualified leads through speaking!
• Speaking gives you a powerful opportunity to build a strong case for WHY people need
your products, business, etc.
• These opportunities also allow you to bring your message “to life” by infusing it with
your own personality, sense of humor, authenticity, humanity, etc.
• Speaking events give you a very leveraged way to grow your mailing or email list. Not
everyone will buy from you at the end of a talk, but many of them will join your list (as
they feel they now know, like and trust you and want to learn more).
• You can create one fabulous “Hallmark” or “Signature Speech” – and use this over and
over to attract new prospects and customers. (So you put in the effort one time, and
get “paid on it” for many).
You can then use this speech (or variations of it) at other events, such as business
networking events, other tradeshows, conferences, conduct “tele-seminars” for leads
on your list, or even turn it into a short video to post on You Tube (and drive more traffic
to your list).
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Yes, designing and giving a short talk can take some time and effort, but for the above
reasons it can be a super-smart strategy to fill up your network with prospects who already
feel they know you (and are interested in your topics, products, etc). I know several
professional speakers who have ONE speech – and that’s all they do when hired by a company
to deliver a keynote, etc. If you’ve attended your own company’s conferences, you may realize
that many of the headlining speakers at your event are giving the same speech over and over to
different companies (some of them for several years).
You can do this too, and create a short but compelling speech you can use in several ways to
promote your own business. With practice you’ll get comfortable delivering it too, which makes
the process a whole lot of fun.
What can one speech be worth to your bottom line? Here’s an example from my own
business. I was asked to deliver a short talk to the top 90 VP leaders in Arbonne at their national
conference in 2000. After this 30 min talk, several of them hired me to either coach them
personally or joined one of my coaching programs. As I continued to build relationships and
value for these leaders, they referred several members of their teams to me (who referred
people… who referred people) resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales of my
products and coaching programs. Ten years later I still receive business from this one single
event (not to mention what a joy it’s been to work with these women over the years). That’s
just one simple example of the power of one well-positioned speaking event, and the on-going
relationships and revenue it can create!
Your signature speech is the “core marketing message” you want to communicate about the
value of your products or business opportunity. What’s the most important idea you want to
convey to your audience? What’s the big “ah-ha” you want them to get?
Is it the importance of how taking care of their skin (their health, their weight) now will pay off
for years to come? Is it getting across how a few simple pieces of jewelry or clothing can make
all the difference in pulling together a fabulous wardrobe on a budget? Is it helping others
recognize how starting a business can be the ticket to personal and financial freedom?
Please note that your signature talk is NOT a pitch for your products or business – but shares
ideas related to your products or business that are helpful (in and of themselves). You are
educating your audience (while building a subtle but compelling case for the value of your
products or business opportunity).
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Copyright 2013 ~ Sonia Stringer and Savvy Biz Solutions Inc www.SavvyNetworkMarketingWomen.com
Here’s a simple formula you can use that will ensure that your talk doesn’t just provide great
information – it also motivates your audience to take action (in this case, buy your products,
join your business or at the very least, opt into your email list to get more great info).
In a “persuasive presentation” your goal is to inspire your audience to consider a new point
of view, take action, change a behavior, try on a new process, etc. You’ll achieve this by
sharing examples and ideas that touch on their PAIN and biggest problems. This shows you
understand your audience and empathize with their situation (as well as reminding them of
why they want to change at the same time)! Show your audience how you can help to solve
their issues, and provide some simple suggestions/steps they can use immediately to do so.
To design a talk that is both educational AND persuasive - there are 3 phases you want to be
sure to include:
• Short Intro
The purpose of this is to create rapport with your audience (by acknowledging or
complimenting them in some way) a personal heart-felt connection (by sharing something
about yourself that makes you vulnerable, real or authentic) and to establish your credibility
(by briefly sharing about your experience or background).
You also want to “grab their attention” right at the start by talking about a big problem
(something with which they resonate) and promise they’ll learn some simple solutions to
solve this problem by the end of your talk.
You want people to instantly get a sense that it’s worth listening to you – and that by doing so
– they’ll pick up something valuable they can put into use right away to achieve a result they
want. When you position your talk well in this way, you’ll see people (literally) sit up and pay
attention (even start taking notes!) and that’s the reaction you want before you move to phase
two.
• The Body of Your Talk (2-3 main points)
The phase of your talk is more “educational” or informational. You generally want to share 2 –
3 main points here (no more) which can represent some kind of step-by-step process people
can use to achieve a result or solve a problem.
For example, if your talk is on “3 simple strategies to get fit and stay fit” you’d cover each of
the 3 keys here, with some additional examples, case studies, stories or recommended actions
related to each point. Likewise, your talk could be focused on “3 simple ways to keep your skin
looking ageless and flawless” and share 3 simple tips to achieve just that. Or – “3 simple tips to
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accessorizing your wardrobe” if you want to share a few ideas that help people appreciate the
importance of great jewelry or accessories.
• Take Action – Lead Them To The Next Step!
The last phase of your talk is about a “call to action” of some kind. Is there an obvious next
step for your audience to take to reap the benefits of what they just learned? Can you
challenge them in some way?
Even more important – what’s the next step they can take with you? Depending on the
speaking situation, you may have the opportunity to mention your products and offer an
incentive to buy today. If you are speaking about the values/importance of a home-based
business, then you might have the opportunity to share briefly about your business, and
encourage people to set up a time to speak with you one-one.
The #1 thing you want to be SURE to achieve is to get people ON YOUR LIST – so even more
than the above options – be sure your audience knows about your FREE OFFER (report,
samples, information, audio, etc) and how to get it!
A Smooth, Elegant Way to Attract People to Your List!
With many speaking opportunities, you may not be able to overtly sell your product (or
promote your business) from the stage - but most organizers/event promoters are fine if you
want to “giveaway” something at the end as a bonus.
This is a smart way to subtly promote your products – as the best thing to “give away” is the
product you most want to sell to that audience. As a bonus for the audience, you can offer a
drawing to win this free product which gives you the perfect opportunity to talk about it, stress
the benefits, etc – without coming across as giving a big “sales pitch”).
You’ll want to be totally prepared with a way for people to quickly and easily enter your
drawing (passing around a hat or bowl to collect biz cards is the smartest way to do this). You
can also use this opportunity to position your newsletter as a secondary bonus – and
announce that not only does ONE of them have a chance to win your cool product – but that as
a bonus for attending the session, you are going to give everyone a complimentary
subscription to your newsletter/ezine as well, valued at $X. (It’s smart to assign a dollar value
to your newsletter so people appreciate it even more. The truth is, your information IS
valuable, so don’t be shy about this!)
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When positioned well, people should be happily handing over their business cards to you, both
for the opportunity to win your product and to receive your own free bonus gift of your
newsletter.
After you draw someone’s name – bring them up on stage if you can, take a picture and make
a big deal of it. At that time you can let the others in the audience know how they can also get
their hands on your product (perhaps sweeten the deal with a ‘today-only’ discount rate too,
and direct them to your booth, exhibit area, etc). If you are speaking at a business meeting or
conference, you can direct them to your website for more info.
For more tips to help you speak with confidence and craft your compelling presentation,
check out these links:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Public-Speaking---3-Ways-to-Make-a-Signature-Speech-Work-to-
Market-Your-Small-Business&id=1001416
http://ezinearticles.com/?Public-Speaking---Getting-Booked-to-Market-Your-Business-With-
Your-Signature-Speech&id=856181
http://publicspeakinginternational.blogspot.com/2010/07/how-to-motivate-as-speaker-in-
tough.html
http://www.toastmasters.org/tips.asp
http://www.toastmasters.org/MainMenuCategories/FreeResources/NeedHelpGivingaSpeech/F
earFactor/DreadGivingaSpeech.aspx
http://www.toastmasters.org/MainMenuCategories/FreeResources/QuestionsaboutLeadership
/ConflictResolution/10CommandmentsofCommunication.aspx
Where Can You Speak To Promote Your Business?
• Toastmasters International
Joining your local Toastmasters group is a super-savvy move to get comfortable speaking in
front of a group, and also to get help in designing your signature speech. Speaking skills will give
you a huge advantage in so many areas of your business (including sales and sponsoring,
training and leadership, coaching, etc) and this is one of the fastest and most proven ways to do
it.
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• Local Networking and Business Groups
Many networking groups like BNI, Le Tip etc. offer members an opportunity to do a short
presentation on their business or products, and you should definitely take advantage of this
(even if just for the practice!). Other groups like this (especially Rotary, Chamber of Commerce,
Elks, Lions, Soroptomists, etc) are often looking for guest speakers, and if your topic is relevant
or beneficial for these groups (or you can tailor it slightly to make it so) these can be other great
places to practice and add people to your list.
• Local Groups Related to Your Target Market
You can research local associations related to your target market, and contact them about
speaking opportunities. Many of these are also looking for speakers, and if you can show them
you have a “hot topic” that will provide some real value for attendees, your chances are good
at getting booked. Don’t expect to be paid for many of these events (or paid much) – but again
they are worth doing to expand your network, practice your skills and add new people to your
list.
You want to stress the “educational” value and benefits of your talk with these groups, as
they likely won’t book you if they think you are coming in to deliver a big sales pitch about your
products/business. You can still elegantly let people know about your products, etc (generally
at the end of your talk or in the literature you hand out) and make this a win – win for everyone
involved.
• Bigger Association Events
With more time and practice, you may find you have a signature speech you can showcase at
a larger association or conference event. This might take some more time and work to place,
but one event like this (especially if it’s in front of hundreds of your ideal target market) could
do more for your business in one afternoon than an entire year of networking. To gain some
talk time at these events, you’ll likely need a bit of a track record (and definitely some
testimonials /recommendations from other groups you’ve spoken for) but the extra work to set
these up can be so worth it.
Free Teleseminars and Webinars
Once you are comfortable giving your signature talk – you can actually conduct a tele-seminar
or webinar to give your talk in a more “virtual way,” attract people to your list and even sell
products. One of the most leveraged ways I build my list is to offer free “teleseminars” or
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“webinars” on a variety of topics (it might be how you got on my list and ended up in this
program).
A “tele-seminar” is a seminar that takes place over the telephone – where people dial in to a
conferencing system, listen to your talk, interact with you, ask questions, etc. A “webinar” is
similar, but usually involves a visual component to the presentation too, like a power point
presentation, etc.
I offer free sessions like this frequently, and in the process draw in many new leads from my
email list, Facebook network, by advertising (sometimes) and through other social media
outlets on the internet. I cover specific topics I know are of interest to my target market, and
sometimes I also use these to promote a paid product or program. People need pre-register to
attend, so I often add several new people to my email list in the process. Offering this kind of
talk or “free training” gives me the opportunity to add value and develop a relationship with my
ideal prospects, and people get tons of value (whether they buy from me or not) which goes a
long way to building good will and future sales.
You can do the same, using free resources like:
http://www.freeconferencecall.com
http://www.nocostconferencecall.com
Or a webinar system like:
http://www.GoToWebinar.com
http://www.webx.com
Power Networking Tools – How to Create a Killer “Elevator Speech”
In most networking situations, you’ll have the opportunity to meet many new people, engage in
some chit chat and eventually the conversation (especially if it’s a formal business networking
meeting) will steer towards the question “…and what do you do (for a living)?”.
You have a small amount of time to communicate your message and (if appropriate) inspire
your prospect to take the next step (getting their business card, suggesting a follow-up
meeting, conversation, etc)
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To get the most from every opportunity, it’s important to have a well crafted “elevator
speech” ready to use in any situation. You’ve likely heard the term before; if not, an “elevator
speech” is a short, compelling message you would share with a prospect during a chance
meeting (such as going up for a few floors in an elevator) with the purpose of communicating
what you do so as to elicit interest from the other person.
What exactly does an elevator speech sound like? There are several variations of this type of
marketing message, but the simplest place to start is:
Sample One:
I help________________(ideal prospect) to _______________________ (achieve certain result)
For Example:
I help moms to make a great income working from home…
I help small business owners to boost their monthly income with an extra source of revenue…
I help baby boomers to feel healthy and have tons of energy…
Create Your Own Version Here:
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Sample Two:
A slightly more complex version of an elevator speech can focus on both the IMMEDIATE
benefit someone can experience (through your product/business) and a compelling LONG
TERM benefit (the overall feeling or experience) they really want.
I help________________(ideal prospect) to _____________ (achieve certain result) so they can
_____________________ (bigger benefit- what they REALLY want)
For Example:
I help moms to make a great income working from home so they can spend more time with their
kids during the most important years ….
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I help small business owners to boost their monthly income with an extra revenue source so they
can retire early and spend more time on the golf course…
I help baby boomers to feel healthy and have tons of energy so they can enjoy their retirement
years to the fullest…
Create Your Own Version Here:
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Sample Three:
Another version of the elevator speech involves communicating what people GET TO AVOID by
using your product/business. Since many people will do even more to avoid pain (than to gain
pleasure) this approach can be quite effective at grabbing people’s attention and motivating
them to take action.
I help________________(ideal prospect) to _____________ (achieve certain result) so they can
__________________ (bigger benefit) without having to ___________________ (pain/problem
they want to avoid)
For Example:
I help moms to make a great income working from home so they can spend more time with their
kids but not put a stain on the family budget in the process…
I help small business owners to boost their monthly income with an extra revenue source so they
can retire early without having any financial worries…
I help baby boomers to feel healthy and have tons of energy so they can enjoy their retirement
without any physical challenges robbing them of the fun times they’ve worked so hard for…
Create Your Own Version Here:
______________________________________________________________________________
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______________________________________________________________________________
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Use the previous examples to design a solid “elevator speech” that works for you, and then
MEMORIZE it! You want to know it so well you can spit it out easily in ANY kind of networking
or prospecting situation.
However you structure your own “elevator speech” – be sure that it:
…Focuses mostly on THEM (not on you..)
…Communicates clearly what you can do FOR THEM (results, benefits, experiences, feelings..)
…You can also show what you help them AVOID (pain, problems, costs, etc)
…Focuses on WHY (they should use your product or join your business) over WHAT (what’s
involved, the details, logistics, etc).
“Why” connects people to their emotions and the big benefits or reasons for taking action,
buying your products, etc. “What” focuses more on information, logic – the features of a
product or business (which can be ‘interesting’ but won’t necessarily motivate people to take
action in the same ways that focusing on “WHY” does).
Use Variations of Your Elevator Speech in All Areas of Your Business
Once you nail down your elevator speech, you case use it (or variations of it) in all areas of your
business. This will help to promote a clear “marketing message” or brand that is consistent and
easy for people to remember.
~Live Networking: Obviously you will use your elevator speech when you are out networking
and meeting people live. You can also use forms of it on…
~Your Website/Blog: You may share some important info about yourself on your website (to
highlight your background, experience, credibility, etc) but the MAIN focus of the messages on
your website should be aimed at your target market, and what you can do FOR THEM.
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~Your Facebook Profile and/or Fan Page: Although both these spaces on Facebook will be
about you, you want to be sure that you have a clear and obvious “marketing message” (re:
who you work with and what you do for them) positioned in as many places as you can on
your profile and business page. You want to make it EASY for any prospects who visit your
pages to instantly get a sense of “what you can do for them – and the clear benefits of your
products/business, etc.
~Your Twitter, Linked In Profiles, etc – The same strategy as above applies to these social
networking sites – as well as any others you are using to connect with your target market.
~Your Live Classes, Product Demo’s, Business Opportunity Meetings, etc: Whether verbal,
written or both – you want to be sure to clearly convey to the people who attend your live
events WHO you work with (target market) and WHAT you can do for them (benefits, results,
solutions etc). Even though this might seem obvious to you, your audience needs to hear this
message (repeatedly) in order to connect to the “bottom line” value of what you are offering
them (which can get lost many times in a detailed, “information rich” presentation).
~Your Free Offer: Same rule applies – you want it be obvious WHO it’s for, and WHAT it can do
for them! The other details are secondary.
~Speaking Events: Using a strong marketing message at the beginning of your talk will set the
stage, grab your audience’s interest and get across the value of what you are offering so it’s
super clear.
~Paid Advertising: As you are paying for the opportunity to communicate your message
(whether in print, on Google, Facebook, radio, etc) you want to be sure you have a strong
marketing message nailed down that is already proven to attract prospects.
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Additional Notes on Session Two:
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