Day 4 – 30 Days of Networking: Use Twitter to Get and Give Referrals

Word-of-mouth is an age old (and largely reliable) way to generate new business. Social media, and the transparency that it provides, makes word of mouth referrals more important now than ever before.

People take on board the recommendations  of people they know, like and trust.

A great way to get referrals is to give them! Of course it needs to be authentic giving, not manufactured of intended to manipulate.

Let’s start with GIVING referrals.

How do we use Twitter to give referrals?

Who do you follow that you WOULD recommend? Who’s tweets give you enjoyment, knowledge, value?

As a blogger, I’m always looking for ways to improve my blogging skills and tips on how to manage, create and organise my blog posts. I follow Darren Rowse, whose Twitter name is @problogger , so I recommend him to those who have a blog, or a looking to start one.

How to GET referrals on Twitter

This is true in offline as well as online networking: The best way to get referrals is to BE someone that people know, like and trust.

KNOW - Your tweets reveal a lot about you. They tell us what your interests are, what you know about. Your tweets reveal your humour, outlook on life, when your sharing and when you’re pitching.

LIKE – We tend to like people like us, and people whose interests are like ours. Be sure to have the real YOU show in your tweets and you’ll attract more follows that you are most aligned with.

TRUST — We trust those that do what they say they will do. Trust usually follows Knowing and Liking. Keep any hidden-agendas at bay when connecting. (I remember being in a networking relationship for a long time with someone I didn’t trust because I saw the opportunity for an important business deal. My gut feeling won and I backed out of the relationship and as a result felt free!)

The bottom line: Be someone that people want to refer. The people I tend to refer are those who are generous with their information, who are ‘real’ or are thought leaders who provide great information that I, or my community of women in business, can enjoy,

There are plenty of opportunities to sell and do business. Be relaxed about it … Lay off the hype and any over the top self-promotion. (Few people like the person, who, at a live networking event is shoving cards in people’s faces. The Twitter version of this are the over-the-top promises and ‘look at me’, ‘buy this today’ type of tweets.) Aim to add value!

TODAY’S TASK:

• Tweet something. Who are you following that you would recommend?
• Tweet a recommendation about them. Be sure to include their Twitter name (and of course the #30DNet tag).

My post for this task will be:

If you have a blog (or are starting one) I recommend you follow @problogger . His posts are consistent, generous and practical.  #30DNet [FYI - that's 136 characters]

In a couple of days I’ll show you a world-wide Twitter protocol that is another great way to make and get recommendations on Twitter.

Best wishes,

Suzi

Sales Strategies – How to Increase Your Sales

 

By Leanne Griffths

Whenever I talk to people and tell them what I do (sales is my “thing”) they inevitably ask me “how do I increase my sales?” My response is simple “Employ a sales person!”

It’s not always the best or cheapest thing to do and can require some planning and thought. After all, you are adding a resource and overheads to your business. Then questions seem to grow: Where do I put them? What do I need this person to do, or achieve? How much more business can I handle? (In both revenue and quantity depending on the business you are in). What type of person am I looking for? Where can I find them? How much do I pay them?

STOP!

Let’s start back at the beginning. The question is, “How can I increase my sales?” The answer is that it depends on what you want to achieve and how you can do that while expending the least amount of time/money and energy. So think about your business now. What are your business goals (with regard to sales) for the next 12 months?

Ways to achieve this increase:

• Marketing or advertising; think website, online marketing, print media, radio, flyer drops, word of mouth referral system (for example, member-get-member programs), targeted promotions and special rates for your demographics.

• Sales; cold calling (either do this yourself or outsource the function), scheduling face to face meetings with clients, phone discussions, directing sales to your website (if your sales are transactional-based), presentations and holding information sessions for groups of potential clients.

• PR or publicity. You can do this yourself or outsource and use radio, print media, articles and interviews that are topical, interesting for the general public and relate to your product and/or service.

So, if any or all of the functions listed above fulfill your needs and increases your sales, if you can undertake them yourself (or outsource them) and if you are happy with the results, then your mission will be accomplished!

If not, it might be time for you to consider employing a full-time or part-time sales/marketing person to fulfill the above functions and allow you to focus ‘on’ your business, rather than working ‘in’ it. You can set key performance indicators (KPIs) for your new employee based on what you want them to achieve (including offsetting the cost of their salary), by incorporating this into the return on investment. While KPIs can be expressed in terms of quantity (number) or revenue ($),you should ALWAYS set targets that are Quantifiable, Achievable, Attainable and Sustainable to work successfully.

How do you find a good sales person?

Word of mouth! Ask around, you’d be surprised how many people know just the right person you’re looking for – and they come recommended, which is a bonus! You can advertise in industry specific publications/associations or utilise the services of recruitment agencies. One thing I would recommend is that since he or she is going to be the ‘face’ of your company and/or or in the ‘front line’ of your business, choose wisely and don’t skimp on the salary/commissions of an exceptional candidate. Simply increase the required revenue in their KPIs to reflect their higher salary.

Be aware of your Profit Margin

One last thing…..base your sales/marketing person’s KPIs both on achieving an increase in revenue AND profit….you don’t want to end up with doubling your revenue but only a small increase in actual profit! What is more important at the end of the day?

 

Leanne Griffiths was National Corporate Sales Manager for Virgin Blue Airlines and has worked in the travel industry for the past 8 years, 5 of those with Qantas Airlines in senior commercial roles. Experienced and qualified in HR, Training and People Management Leanne is an inspirational leader who has a good balance between commercial reality and compassion.

Leanne is currently the Marketing Manager of Griffin Theatre Company. Leanne is also on the advisory board for Australian Businesswomen’s Network and heads up the Communications Committee which coordinates this newsletter.

For more information:

Email: lgr47@bigond.com