The Benefits of Networking – Get More Customers Faster
Lorraine Garvie
Business Growth Network. Networking ~ Collaboration ~ Leverage ~ Referrals ~ Community ~ Growth.
Acquiring new customers quickly should be a top priority for any business.? The bottom line is that more customers lead to more revenue and business growth.? And once you have more customers, you can then work on increasing the ‘average lifetime spend’ for those customers, as well as ensuring they are raving fans who refer you to more of their connections.? It’s a cycle in business that we all want to replicate; get more customers, provide excellent customer service, they refer your business to others, you get more customers!? ?
That’s what any business wants….right?? To get more customers – faster.? But is networking really the golden key to open the door to new customers faster than you ever imagined?? Yes, we believe it is. But how can networking, specifically, support you to get more customers faster?
With 85% of all business still coming from referrals, that statistic alone should motivate us all to make getting more referrals a priority for our business.? More referrals means more customers.? Networking gets you in front of more people, so you can have more conversations, which help you establish stronger connections.? When those connections are established, and you carry a significant level of trust and credibility within a networking community, referrals will automatically increase.? Through networking, you build relationships with other business owners who can refer potential customers your way.
But you need to make it simple for them to refer your business too. Make sure you are easy to find, and that your systems and processes work seamlessly to provide a smooth interaction with your business. ?Providing excellent customer service consistently, is also a great way to ensure people refer you.?
And don’t be afraid to ask for referrals.? Perhaps consider what could happen if you created a referral program that incentivises your connections to refer clients to you. This approach would not only accelerate your customer acquisition and encourage loyalty within your network, but could lead to more customers, faster than you’d ever imagine.
Collaboration is at the heart of successful networking. By seeking out like-minded businesses and professionals, you can create partnerships that benefit all parties, as well as the customer. These collaborations can take various forms, from joint marketing campaigns to shared resources. When you collaborate, you tap into each other's networks, effectively expanding your reach and visibility. And when you work with others to supply every aspect of what the customer is looking for, easily and quickly, this will undoubtedly lead to faster conversions and a happier clientele.
Finding a partner on the same wavelength as you, similar to you with their business values and level of service, means you can refer each other with certainty.? And more importantly, this will give you an opportunity to upsell and cross-sell each other’s products and services, getting you more customers, faster.
It’s part of human nature; we all naturally gravitate toward people we perceive as experts or leaders. When you establish yourself as a knowledgeable authority in your industry, potential customers are more likely to trust your recommendations and services. Networking provides the platform to showcase your expertise through presentations, webinars or just showing up at events. This will also give you opportunity to share your knowledge generously within your networking community and you can position yourself as the go-to expert in your field.
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As part of a business growth community, your reputation as an expert can grow quickly, so always nurture connections and share your knowledge liberally.? Speaking at events is a great way to showcase your experience. Ensure you connect with other experts in your field to stay relevant and up-to-date with latest trends and developments.? Creating and sharing high-quality content through your website and social media channels will also ensure potential customers recognise your expertise, creating the opportunity for more customers, faster.
Trust and credibility are essential elements of any successful business relationship. ?By establishing trust and credibility with your potential customers, you can speed up the conversion process. Networking allows you to build these crucial components into your relationships. When you attend industry events, participate in discussions and engage in more conversations with more people, you demonstrate your commitment and integrity as a professional.
There are some ways to ensure fast growth of your trust and credibility within your networking community. ?Firstly, be honest with your potential customers and networking partners about your products or services and be transparent about your pricing and policies. It’s also important to be careful what you promise. Ensure you keep to your word, because to establish trust, you must always deliver on your promises.
Another great way to establish credibility is to get testimonials from past customers.?Testimonials showcase to potential customers the kind of service and standard you deliver.
To leverage online networking platforms for growth, you need to be active and engaged. This means sharing valuable content, commenting on other people's posts and connecting with new people. Platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, TikTok and industry-specific forums provide a vast pool of potential contacts and new customers. Engaging in these platforms by sharing valuable content and participating in discussions, will support you to enhance your expertise status, and get you in front of more people, for more conversations. Online networking also allows you to reach a global audience, making it easier than ever to find and attract customers from around the world.
So, as you can see, there’s no doubt that networking is a powerful tool for helping you to get more customers, faster. If you’re serious about engaging more potential customers for fast business growth, it might be time to consider joining a business growth community, like District32, that can put you in front of more people, for more conversations, to get you more referrals and customers, quickly and easily.
District32 is Australia’s biggest business growth community whose members are passionate about finding more customers and supporting each other for their businesses to grow. Members are achieving fast customer growth and great outcomes within our prosperous and successful community.
We welcome you to attend any of our business growth events in Perth or the Gold Coast - contact us by emailing [email protected] when you are ready to network with businesses of all sizes, from entrepreneurial start-ups to multi-million-dollar organisations.