Great Networker=Great Marketer

      To be a great marketer you need to be a great networker. If this doesn't come naturally to you, and believe it or not, it doesn't to me, you need to set aside time to learn how to be an effective networker.     
     Here are a few tips from top networkers.

      Find the right group. Networking can be exhausting work and running all over town isn't the best strategy. Make sure you target your networking efforts the same way you target your marketing efforts. Who is your ideal client and where does she shop? where does she work? Where does she hang out, volunteer, spend her time? Many potential clients have similar interests. Maybe they work out. Try looking for local instructional classes or presentations at your local gyms, yoga studios, holistic wellness centers. Maybe she works in an office brimming with more potential clients. Find out where they go after work, maybe they have a ladies night at a local establishment you can crash. Boutiques, make up stores, shoe stores and similar businesses also have many clients that are fashion forward or at last fashion conscious. Many of these stores have trunk shows, VIP events or speakers. Look on yelp or your local fashion pages on Facebook for the 411. Volunteer events bring like minded women together and are often looking for more volunteers. Take the time to get involved with a local charity event and get inside. Taking one class per week at a local gym or work out studio can put you in contact with health conscience like minded women. Get to know the instructors and offer to host an after work out party at your salon with free mini services or just snacks, drinks and a tour of your place.

      What to do once you're in?
      Start with easy questions. Like May I join you? What brings your here? How's business? Make sure you listen intently, not just to formulate your response. "Really? tell me more about it? Or why do you feel that way? are always good follow up questions.

      Ditch the elevator speech. Anything too contrived will automatically turn your audience off and make them question your motives. No one may even ask you about your business the first visit. If they do, have a light quick response ready making sure to mentally go over a few recent achievements relevant to the group. If you have a client already in the group, now is the time to name drop. People like to know you are connected. They are much more likely to warm up if you already service someone in their tribe.

      Share what makes you passionate about your business. Maybe a short story about why you were inspired to start your own business or begin a beauty career. Do you use a more natural approach? Are you a sanitation fanatic? What about your passion sets you apart, makes you memorable? Ask what inspires others or what their passionate about in their work. Enthusiasm is contagious and memorable.

      Go in with a winning smile. I love the old joke about the grumpy looking guy who was asked if he was happy and he said yes. Then tell your face. Smiling settles your nerves and makes you approachable and inviting. Practice if you have to, just make sure you wear one of your best smiles to each event.

     Last but most important, follow up, follow up and follow up. Yes it's that important. So many business people let so much business slip through the cracks by not following up after the event. If you have business cards make sure to send a quick so great to meet you email. Keep a cheat sheet in your contact page with what you talked about and when you see an interesting article relevant to their business or even hobby you shared send it along. If you don't have a linked in account create one, so many business women are on this site it is well worth the time. So pick your battle ground and get out there and network this week.

Marketing + Schools = Smart!

     This Mondays tip is about schools, schools and schools. These wonderful community havens of clients are a wonderful resource to gain new clients and make current clients more loyal than ever. Every year I make contact with the school board members and let them know I support the community any way that I can. There are so many ways to partner with schools to benefit everyone. Elementary and middle schools are always holding fundraisers and fall events. Contact the PTA  or PTO organizations and volunteer your time to their events. Fall festivals need activities so why not offer a nail polish station? The elementary level can be some fun nail art to offer kids and moms.  At the middle and high school level you can host a polish station with a polish bar providing polish instruction and easy nail art tips.

     Don't forget Girl scouts. Scout leaders have entire troupes of future clients they need to keep busy with activities all year. I often host a nail party for their health and beauty badge. Split up younger girls with a nail buddy and instruct them to work on each other.  Teens and tweens can be instructed on doing their own nails and there is no end to the fun possibilities with these ages. Put together a goodie bag with samples and files, even cute nail scrub brushes. Don't hesitate to include a fee if you need to but make sure to include a special offer for mom and me manicures.  I had a couple of girls that made it a ritual to come into my salon to get their back to school manicure clear through to graduation.  Teachers make great clients. They often can book up those awkward hours between 3 and 6. Make up a flyer that you support the schools with a 15% off their first service with you or you can do this as a fund raiser. 15% of every service dollars say the months of September and October go back to the school. Many schools have cheerleading squads that are the "influential's" of the school scene. Why not call the coaches and offer your services as a nail consultant, finding the perfect color polish and school themed nail art. Show choirs have become more and more popular since Glee so try contacting the director and offer the same consulting deal. You can offer group discounts on enhancements or retail polish purchases. Again many in the school look to these kids for their fashion style.

     Some high schools have a fashion club and hold a prom fashion show in the spring. Offer to conduct a nail fashion class for them with how tos nurturing a relationship that results in you doing the nails for their spring show attended by many students. The Parent teacher organizations are always looking for a way to show their appreciation in staff appreciation week. Offer to give hand massages and mini spa mani's that week. Many of the organizers of these clubs and programs are more than happy to work with you and so grateful for your support. Every time you participate make sure you make the most of the opportunity to be in front of so many potential new clients. Always have a drawing for a gift certificate to your salon with plenty of registration forms. Make sure to get their contact info, phone number and email address. I always had a check box for add me to your mailing list, remember if you use a resource like constant contact you cannot add people to your list that have not opted in to receive your emails. Make up goodie bags for everyone in attendance with a free sample,  a special offer, free gift or whatever you are comfortable with. Include menus and plenty of business cards.  These events can lead to others in the community when you get to know the key volunteers. They often chair clubs and organizations that host scholarship fundraisers, fashion shows and many other community programs. Offering your time and talent goes a long way and gets you on the fast track to be asked again in the future. Partnering with school is just smart marketing.

Olympic Leadership

     Can you be a great marketer if you aren't a great leader? I think the two go hand in hand. If you are an ineffective leader who will follow you? Who will pay attention to your message. Who will find value in what you do and what you offer? I subscribe to a newsletter from Strategies founder Neil Ducoff called Monday morning wake up. Like so many inspired by the Olympics Ducoff took this opportunity learn from these top athletes and coaches. What lessons can we learn from these athletes?

     Every athlete has a trusted team, a coach and mentor that believes in him when his belief has evaporated. There are no team events, individual medals in business, the pace of business is constant. But to be a top athlete, or business marketer in the first place what strategies do we need in place? What does it take to be at the top? You are the founder, ceo and director of YOU incorporated. Whether you are a one person operation or leading many employees Ducoff suggests these strategies to become an Olympic leader.

      Focus on the gold medal. What is your gold medal? What drives your purpose? What is it you are trying to achieve every day, good days and bad? Money and survival are not enough. Being best in class is, having top customer service and outstanding client experience can be your gold medal. What's worthy of all the things you sacrifice every moment of the work day, day in and day out? What's worthy of never giving up? Figuring out your gold medal brings focus and purpose to your efforts.

     You must have self leadership. Be self driven and self motivated. You are the soundtrack for your company, what tunes are your clients hearing? What tunes are your employees hearing? What song is stuck in your head? You must perfect your sound. You must control your emotions and attitude to be the example of what you expect in others. Hold yourself to a higher standard of living out your business goals and dreams. You cannot expect to be followed if you are not the compass, showing fairness, and integrity and shades of greatness to those around you. Be accountable to yourself and others and expect the same in return. The little white lies we tell ourselves can destroy us. There is no winning when we kid ourselves in believing success takes less than Olympic effort.

      Be persistent and unrelenting. So many times when we push ourselves or others, we get pushed back. It's easy to dial things back, things get tough, people are tough. Leading the pack is hard and challenging. But scaled back leaders run scaled back businesses. Persist, that's what leaders do.

      Weed out indifference. A mortal sin in business is an I don't care attitude. If you don't love your job, find another one, but don't show up every day hating it. Employers resent it, clients sense it and your family is tired of hearing about it. Get coaching, training, attitude acupuncture, whatever it takes but if you can't change your job, change your job. Weed out bad attitudes, bad employees, bad people you surround yourself with. Waiting for things to change without being the change is insanity.

     People do business with people they like, respect and have built a relationship with. That relationship has to have value. Leaders create value. The cost of no relationship can cost you your business. Set a pace for yourself that you can comfortably maintain, but never allow yourself to get too comfortable. Reaching for greatness can be exhausting work, but the gold medal... all worth it.