Business Networking Events: 6 ways to break out of your rut and score big

Business Networking Events might seem like a great way to build your business…until you go to few of them.  After 3…4…5 or more of them, you start to notice something.  You see the same faces in Westport as in Stamford or Bridgeport.  You hear the same elevator pitches. You gather even more of the same business cards. It doesn’t take long to get into a rut.  You recognize the “seasoned” networkers: they’re really there for the appetizers.  They push their card on everyone in the room. They hang out with the same people.  Why not? Everybody is trying to sell, and nobody is interested in buying. So why try?

Business Networking Events can be valuable…if you work at it

The next time you attend a Chamber event or BNI Meeting, why not break rules and think outside the box? Try something different that even a BNI member might not think of.  You might just make a connection that could be valuable at next month’s business networking events.

Here are 6 ways to break out of your rut. Try them and your next event.

6 ideas for your next business networking events

1. Stop selling.  That might seem counter-intuitive since you really are there to sell more, but everybody expects you to try to sell them something, so their defenses are up.  Try surprising the person you’re talking with by helping them first.
   How?  Sales guru Jeffrey Gittomer says “Give Value First.”  I like to listen to what someone’s pitching, and offer to introduce them to a good prospect.  You may have already met a real estate investor at the event.  When you talk with a banker, why not introduce the two?  The banker probably wants to finance real estate, and the investor probably needs money. Both might be amazed enough to sincerely ask you what you do.  And even though you’re all just ‘guests’ why not act like the ‘host’?  Everybody wants to know the host.
2. Listen hard enough to be able to ask an intelligent question. The person you’re talking to will be impressed.  The more you learn about them, the more you’ll have to talk about when you do try to sell to them.  Write down key information on the back of their business card.  The more you understand about their business the easier it will be to show them how you can help them.
3. Stop giving out your business card.  “How will they call me?” you might ask.  If you think about the hundreds of business cards you handed out at these events last year…how many have actually called you? Probably none.  So instead of walking up to a stranger, introducing yourself and thrusting out your card, wait.  Start a conversation.  If it progresses enough maybe your new acquaintance will be interested in continuing the discussion.  Let them ask for your card.  You already have too many lousy prospects.  Focus on the good ones.
4. Team up and spread out.  Too many business people (usually “first timers” and non-sales people) network with a “wing man” and stick together for the entire event.  Having a friend in the room is only helpful if you split up to cover more territory, even if you are in different professions.  Then you can invite each other into high potential conversations.  So recruit the best networker you know to go to your next event, but when you get there, split up.
5. Conversations don’t have to be long, but they should be real.  Most of the people you meet won’t be your target prospect.  But when they’re not don’t “fake it” while looking for your next prospect.  You’ll quickly end up with the wrong kind of reputation.  Instead have a good, but brief conversation.  When the opportunity arises try asking “have you met many people this evening?”  This may lead to being introduced to someone you’d like to meet, or to excusing yourself to move on.
6. What if you’re not a natural networker?  Practice makes perfect.  Visiting a BNI group is a good step.  As a BNI member you attend weekly meetings and sometimes walk away with a good referral. But you get to practice meeting and talking with people 50 times a year.

Non Business Networking Events: they’re everywhere

Business networking events aren’t just the formal ones.  Every time you step out the door it’s a networking opportunity.  I start talking with people every day (just ask my kids!)  You’d be surprised at how many people you can meet.  And when you meet enough of them, some will be good sales prospects.  You’ll meet more of them when you do.

 

Casey Hart is the owner of Informer Messages on hold (www.informermessages.com).  He frequently attends networking events, and is a long time member of BNI.  He’s always looking for new networking opportunities, and can trace almost half of his recent sales to one kind of networking or another.  He can be reached at (800) 862-8896.

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Business Phone Service : 4 Features that actually makes a difference

Business phone service is one of today’s hottest technology topics.  VoIP has revolutionized business telephone systems, and research predicts that VoIP service will control about 40% of the business market by 2020, up from 36% in 2017.

Why? 50% of VoIP users say that they switched for an easy way to forward calls to cell phones, and interoperability with existing cell phones.  25% more were looking for better voice mail that was simple to access on the road.  The future of business is clearly “ease of use.”

Business phone service features increase profits

Businesses want to increase profits.  In an article by GetVoip.com, the “arms race” of features offered by today’s VoIP Providers is boiled down to the most important: some providers offer 40 features, some 50, some as many as 80.  But only a few of these features will really help your business, and the top reasons may cause you to wonder “why?”

1. Busy Lamp: Letting others know you’re on the line
2. Call Park: a simplified method of transferring calls to the right person
3. Hot Desking: lets you move from desk to desk, or anyplace else, and have your calls follow you
4. Custom Marketing Messages on hold

How your business phone service can help you succeed

A quick look at these top features clearly shows that finding easier ways to help the customer is the secret to success.  The easier it is for customers to reach you, to be forwarded to the right destination (and not transferred to from one to another) the better.  That’s how to help them fastest.  And then help them even if they must wait on hold: your office may still be wasting this opportunity by playing music, or dead silence on hold

Adding this business phone service feature to your current phones

Are you shopping for VoIP service? Do you already have a hosted phone system?  Or are you happy with your “old reliable” PBX phone system? No matter the situation, you can give your callers a custom marketing message on hold.

Every business phone call is a call for help.  Customers and potential customers call to learn if you can help solve their problems.

Are you taking every opportunity to answer their questions? To educate callers about what you do and how you do it? To show what makes you unique?  A marketing message on hold gives you a new way to accomplish this.

Informer Messages on hold are the business phone service feature that does.

With Informer Messages On Hold, you get the most effective marketing message, and sound more professional.  That’s why Inc. 100 Marketing Consultants use Informer Messages for their clients.  They’re unique: we’re the only ones who use the highly successful “Monopolize your Marketplace” formula that results in SALES.

Looking for business phone service features that will make a difference?  Consider mobility, your customer’s ability to reach your sales force, and how effective you are at delivering your message to your customers.  VoIP helps with mobility.  Informer Messages help you deliver targeted marketing messages to your callers on the newest VoIP service, as well as on traditional PBX phone systems.

Find out if your phone system can start educating your callers about why they should buy from you: click here to sign up for a Free 15-minute Possibilities Session, or call to register today: in New York call 212-355-6980. Nationwide call 800-862-8896.  Call today.

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Best Business Phone System Upgrade ǀ Marketing Informer

The best business phone system in New York would help you accomplish more of your goals, and be more successful.  It would help you engage with your customers and your best prospects.  It would help you sound more professional and sell more on every phone call.  Does your PBX or VoIP System have a feature that does all this?

The Best Business Phone System is yours with…

With a custom written and recorded message on hold, tailored to be the perfect fit for your business and your marketing plans to succeed in New York.

Messages on hold are a marketing tool that will work with your telephone system, simply by replacing the hold music.  Face it: New Yorker’s are too impatient to wait on hold, and hold music only makes that time less bearable!  Most new phone systems come with “default” on hold music.  That helps you sound just like thousands of other businesses, from Rocket Scientists to Real Estate Brokers, Doctors to Dog Walkers.  The answer is to get rid of the free on hold music, and replace it with high quality onhold messages.

How you can have the best business phone system

Successful Manhattan businesses provide the best “user experience” for their customers.  They provide the best service.

What would you like your sales prospects to know about your business?  What would help them make the decision to work with you?

• what you do
• how you do it
• the value you offer
• the advantages to working with you
• how your product or service is different
• how your product or service is better
• how you’re different from the competition
• new ways you can help them
• and more

New Yorkers are always in a hurry.  There never seems to be enough time to tell your prospects about your business.  So why not put wasted “hold” time to use, filling it with interesting information, and ideas that they can use?  Educate them about what’s most important in making the right decision, and how you have exactly what they’re looking for.

You already have the best business phone system, but it needs help.

Today’s new business phone systems make it easy to give the right information to the right people at the right time: when they want your help, they want information, and they have picked up the phone to call you.

What can you achieve with messages on hold?  Why not find out what others in your industry have accomplished, and how you can get the “edge” over your competition.  Call or email now for a Free 15-minute Possibilities Planning Session, and make your telecom investment really pay off.  Call (800) 862-8896 for your free consultation, today.

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Value or Price? Which will help you get more sales?

Marketing guru Seth Godin said “The reason that price is all your customers care about is that you haven’t given them anything else to care about.”

Do your prospects seem to only focus on price?  Do they ask you for discounts?  Have you gotten questions like “Can you do any better?”

Customers looking for a lower price are simply looking for value.  We all want it.  We all want to get the best at for less.  So to make the sale, salespeople want to impress the prospect with value.  That’s the challenge to sales: showing the customer how your solution is the one that they’ve been looking for.

Value Added?

We’ve all heard about “added value.” But value isn’t something that you add later. It’s not a free accessory or extended warranty or free tech support.  Nobody is impressed by these.  And your competitors already offer these supposed ‘freebees’ so you’re not offering anything the prospect something they actually want.

Value is either in your offer, or it’s not.

Instead, lead with value: stress the features that makes your product or service unique, and a better deal.  Like letting your prospect know about the features of your VoIP service and how they will provide more of what your customers appreciate.

What will your prospect consider valuable? Take the time to ask pertinent questions: who is the end user?  What do they need?  What to they want to accomplish?

When you show how your offer has true worth right from the first conversation, there’s no need to “close” the sale.  Your customer will know, right from the start, that you’ve got what they want.

What does your customer value?

Consider before you answer: too many sales people simply assume the customer needs what you want to sell.  They rely on the list of features on their sell sheet.  They ignore the customer’s needs.  In a great book called “Asking Questions Winning Sales” sales trainer Stephan Schiffman clearly shows how easy it can be to put the customer first, and find out what’s most important.  It starts with asking questions, and listening to the answers.

Those answers are the beginning of the best sales.  They tell you what the customer wants and needs.  And is happy to pay for.

What does your customer want?  A phone system?  Or more sales?  Or better communications with their key customers?

Click here, or Call now to learn more about giving your customers more of what want.  Give the Informer Messages on hold.

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Marketing Moments: Try this to reach customers at the right time

Marketing Moments are the special times that your customers are most receptive to your marketing message.  The year is filled with moments…holidays, graduations, election day, the start of school, and more, when your target audience has special needs.

Finding the right marketing moments

Marketing Moments occur all year ’round!

The year is full of fresh opportunities to tap into popular trends.  The more you understand what your audience is searching for, the more new ways you can reach new people. With the right marketing plan in place, you can add value to your brand and your offerings when add value to their audience’s lives at exactly the right times.

Think about your products and services: there are probably times that sales increase.  Some simple examples are:
– people sign up for gym memberships at New Year’s
– candy and flowers are popular for Valentine’s Day
– Chocolate Bunnies are a hit for Easter
– Green Hats, Corned Beef (and beer) are popular for St. Patrick’s Day
– Flower Seeds in April
– Cinco de Mayo celebrates everything Mexican in May
All year long there are opportunities: both to sell items directly linked to holidays or seasons, or to “associate” your products with the holiday.

What are your best marketing moments?

Think about trends you’ve experienced in past years: they’ll probably happen again this year.

Still can’t think of any?  You’ve come to the right place: Call us for a Free 15-Minute Marketing Moments Strategy Session.  You’ll leave with at least 3 new ideas about how to get your customers thinking about buying more from you at special times of the year.  The session is free.  The ideas are priceless!

Sign up for your Free Strategy Session and the year will be more profitable.
In New York call: 212-355-6980
In Connecticut call: 203-655-3920
Nationwide call: 800-862-8896

The Informer is the “marketing opportunities” company that helps you sound more professional and sell more on every telephone call.  We specialize in great ideas, and put them to work with marketing messages on hold, telephone advertising on business phone systems, and phone greetings throughout New York (including Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, The Bronx and Staten Island), throughout Connecticut and Fairfield County, and nationwide.

 Our HQ is at 235 East 49th Street, New York, NY 10017.  You can see what fellow New Yorker’s say about The Informer by clicking here.

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Holiday Marketing Ideas for Hardware Stores: 5 ideas the are proven to work

Holiday marketing ideas for Hardware stores give your store new opportunities every year.  This is the season of “black Friday” that can be your busiest time of the year.  Join all the fun and advertise your best ideas to attractive your customers and prospects into the store.

Today’s most successful hardwarestores know that special marketing opportunities give you more ways than ever to “get into the black” and make the year a profitable one.  Your large and varied product line lends itself to surprising customers with seasonal additions like…

• Artificial (or real) Christmas Trees
• Decorative Christmas lights for the tree or outdoor lights for the house
• Indoor lights like battery operated candles for the windows
• Tree stands
• Gift items like tools, crafts kits, and homewares.

Holiday Marketing Ideas for Hardware Stores that never fail

This is the season when everyone is happier, so try some fun ideas:

• Inviting Santa? Why not? It’s a fun way to attract nearby families
• Play some Holiday Music in the store, and on your business phone system on hold
• Christmas Coupons
• Cross Promote with another business
• Change the name of a product just to keep things interesting
• Create a fun YouTube video

You’ll get better results when you use these ideas to attract more shoppers.

Examples of Holiday Marketing Ideas for Hardware Stores

Festive Window Displays are a way to attract attention from foot traffic and drivers alike.

Email newsletters are affordable and can be easy to put together: if you don’t have one, start collecting customer email addresses and send out any holiday special offers in a new way.

Instore signage has always been a reliable way to get your customers’ attention once they’re in the store.  Chains like Ace and True Value have demonstrated it’s power.  But shoppers see it only when they’re already in the store, so this isn’t the time to promote lower profit item or “loss leaders.”  Use it wisely to highlight your more profitable product lines. This is your upsell opportunity.

Messages on hold deliver “the right message to the right people at the right time.” They give your telephone callers more ideas about how you can help them, and show them how you’ve got the solutions they’re looking for, whenever they call you.  These targeted marketing messages give customers a reason to “take the next step” and either place their order, or visit your showroom.

Click Here for a Free 15-minute Strategy Session

You can even use some of the “Holiday Marketing Ideas for Hardware Stores that never fail” with your on hold promotions: with “audio coupons,” cross promoting other businesses, or announcing holiday events.  And your messages on hold can play fun holiday music in the background.

Informer Messages on hold have worked for both Ace and True Value, as well as for independent hardware stores.  They work with your existing telephone system, and it’s easy to get started: tell us about your customers, and your best selling opportunities, and we’ll do the rest.  Informer on hold message service includes:

• Strategy development: if you fail to plan, you plan to fail
• Target market analysis: reach the right consumers
• Script writing and revision
• Broadcast quality recording with the professional voice you choose, and licensed background music
• Digital on hold player, or formatting for your VoIP telephone system
• Proactive update assistance: we’ll give you suggestions that will show you how to maximize the value of your new marketing tool throughout the year
• Free updates of your onhold messages with any of our Full Service Plans.

Put these Holiday Marketing Ideas for Hardware Stores to use today

The Holidays come just once a year, so don’t miss out.  There’s still time to join the festivities and get into the holiday spirit. You can launch your holiday messages on hold campaign right away, by calling us today, at 800-862-8896. In New York call 212-355-6980.  In Connecticut call 203-655-3920.  It’s the holiday season.  Why not join in?

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Hold Music for Business Phones in New York is a thing of the past. Right?

Hold music for business phones in New York has really changed.  There was a time that music on hold was something special.  There was even a (infamous) company that was synanamous for the “dentist music” or “elevator music” that played on hold at many large businesses.  But music on hold just isn’t enough any more and the music on hold companies are a thing of the past.

Hold Music for Business Phones has been replaced in New York

Smart businesses have discovered the breakthrough that lets them replace onhold music, with something that your callers will like better. And you’ll like the reaction.

We all know that #holdhappens.  Your business is busy.  Your phones are busy. They ring when your customers have problems.  They call to find out if you can help.

Your callers want information: can you solve their problems?  Can you help them?  It all starts by educating them: telling them about what you do, how you do it, and what makes you special.  Let them know what you do best, and how you’re different from your competition.  That’s the kind of information that your callers want, and that you want them to have.

Do you like to listen to hold music for business phones?

We admit it: New Yorkers are impatient. We’re too busy to wait…and wait.  Playing phone music seemed like a good idea, but “that was then.”  Customer service is the key.  Giving your callers what they want, when they want it, leads to happier customers and business success.

What would you like your customers to know more about if you had a chance? Marketing has the job of delivering your message to the world.  Marketing (as well as advertising) is the way to communicate with everyone out there.  Just want to sound more professional?  Or is there something special about your business or your products and services?  Is there information about how your product can help them that would be useful to know about?

The replacement for hold music for business phones

The replacement is hold messages for business phones.

And how hard are they get?
We make it easy.  The Informer does everything for you: we learn about your business and (more importantly) your customers. We develop a strategy for helping them better.  And then we develop the most effective script for delivering your message. Not just telling them…but telling them in a way that they respond to.  In a way that helps you get the results you want.  Guaranteed.

Ready to upgrade from hold music for business?

If you compete in New York, you really don’t have a choice: you have to make the most of every opportunity. Take the next step, and sign up for your Free Discovery Session, to discover just how much you can accomplish on every call. Do it today. Click here to email us, or, in New York City, call 212-355-6980.  In Connecticut call 203-655-3920. Or Nationwide call 800-862-8896.  Do it now.

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