Finding an ongoing stream of enquires can be hit and miss. What works one month may not work for the following. Having a strategy, and testing and reviewing your efforts helps you to make informed decisions that progress your business.
One easy way to market your products and services is to attend referral marketing groups or networking organisations near you. If you’re looking for local links, business networking groups in Cheadle Royal are a great place to start.
Referral marketing uses the power of word-of-mouth to generate qualified enquiries between a group of 20-25 people. Everyone who attends the group has a vested interest in supporting each other and the process works by multiplying your ‘sales team’ to include the members of a group.
Team members will meet regularly and follow a semi-structured agenda. Each member will have the chance to deliver a minute message, sharing information about their company, products and services and what makes a good enquiry. This is to educate everyone in the room to look out for opportunities – signs, whistles and bells – to recommend each other.
There will be other elements to the meeting, such as segments of open networking, a couple of longer presentations from members and refreshments – either drinks or food and drink depending on the meeting time.
A good way to rate the performance of a group is the contribution section. This is where ‘inputs’ from members are shared, which include referrals and opportunities passed and appreciation for the support given.
A networking organisation is very similar to a referral marketing community but it will have a few distinct differences.
Networking groups are often much larger than referral marketing groups as the emphasis is placed on increasing your contact list. Whilst this is great it doesn’t always translate to qualified business leads or quality relationships because time spent getting to know other members is limited.
These groups will still follow a structure but there may be more time to mingle rather than dedicated time being present and listening to each other.
Referral marketing organisations will often have a sector exclusivity policy in place. This is to protect a paying member from having a competitor present in the room. Having just one business type at any given time helps to build the profile of the member and ensures they become the go-to expert. Some networking organisations will not offer this policy, therefore adding competition to the room.
That said, you will want to sample a few referral marketing and networking organisations in Cheadle Royal before choosing one that works for your business.
You will have found this article by a search engine enquiry or by clicking through from an event listing site. This is one of the best ways to find business networking groups in Cheadle Royal and to read about the organisations hosting the events.
Another way to find suitable events is through searching and asking questions on social media platforms. While consulting work colleagues, family and friends may provide you with accounts straight from the horse’s mouth.
NetworkIN is a referral marketing community that stretches across Staffordshire, Cheshire, Lancashire and the West Midlands.
NetworkIN meetings take place fortnightly and allow guests to sample two meetings to see if the culture and structure is for them. We are a membership organisation and visitors will pay to join as an advocate on a yearly term.
Benefits of attending the NetworkIN Cheadle Royal Team fortnightly at 7:15am-8:45am on Tuesdays include:
A chance to build your authority
Sector exclusivity
Free introductory training and business planning
The opportunity to publicise events and courses
Access to a personalised return on investment tracking system
Additional awareness created from online promotional resources
Corporate social responsibility opportunities to work alongside the NetworkIN charity consortium
Why not sample a meeting to get a feel for the atmosphere and agenda – get in touch with the NetworkIN team today?
Be IN the know and IN the now with NetworkIN.
percent of consumers identify word of mouth as a key influencer in their purchasing decision – Ogilvy, Google, TNS.
percent higher profit margins are achieved from a referred customer - Annexcloud
percent increased marketing effectiveness generated using from word of mouth - Market Share
percent of consumers trust referrals from people they know - Nielsen
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