No man is an island and nor is any woman. If you are a single mother who decided to start a business, then take a deep dive in. You don’t have to go alone all the way. Now is when you reach out to community for help.

Nobody understands you or knows what you’re going through as a business owner better than another business owner just like you. Yes, there are women, mothers, those with a day job, a part time job, a demanding family, etc who is still making an impact. What is stopping you from attending meetings where you have a great shot at reaching your business goals?

When members of Konnexions come in to networking events, just like you, they want to achieve their goals, make sales, grow and flourish as a business. If you have never been in one of our meetings, we encourage you to sign up and attend your first meeting. Meet members in our community and start your networking journey with us.

If you are thinking, how can networking make my business successful? Well, it can’t unless you are willing t do what it takes and do things the right way. Here are 6 basic tips to help you along.

If you are reading this post and you are not a member of Konnexions yet, here’s a list of our Facebook group links. Please join only the ones that are applicable:

GTA

Global

USA

West Canada

And click here to regularly attend meetings. Happy networking.

1. Make connections.

Connect genuinely with people. Be yourself, be authentic and transparent. Understand the do’s and don’ts of a networking meeting. Some rules are universal where as some others are special to our community. Do not sell directly to community members. Instead explain to us how your business runs and what should we look for in a referral partner and once we like, know and trust you, we will look for referrals for you actively.

Remember nobody does business with somebody they don’t know, like or trust. Consistency is key when it comes to reaching any goal. Don’t hide behind curtains or go missing for weeks if you want the fullest benefit of networking. When you show up consistently, members get a better chance of knowing you better, then they will be more likely to be doing business with you. Those that cannot buy directly from you, if your services do not meet their needs, they will be more likely to find other people that might turn into your clients.

2. Find opportunities.

Not everybody you meet will be your client. Look for opportunities to develop great relationships and create great referral partners. If somebody does not require your services, they can still be your cheerleaders or strong connections.

Be as visible as possible. Participate in discussions, offer value, ask questions and respect other people’s time and participation. If you are offered a chance to do a featured presentation, utilize it to your best to educate members on your business.

3. Explore ideas:

Look for members whose businesses are complementary to yours, don’t shy away from competition. Find ways to collaborate and offer joint services and grow your business in a different way. Konnexions and collaborations are the key to sustainable growth. Strong collaborations can create the impact that you might not be able to as a single person. Strategic partnerships can tremendously increase visibility to your brand and provide value to your customers.

4. Increase sales.

Needless to say, that when you connect with community members on a personal level and form long-term relationships, you gain credibility over time and your brand gains more visibility and trust. Digital networking encourages brand trust. Connecting with leaders and influencers will shower you with testimonials of your personal integrity as well as of your products and services. So networking with peers and influencers can directly impact your sales.

5. Always follow up.

We have heard it over and over again that ‘magic happens in the meetings’ and ‘fortune is in the follow up’. In the past day, we collected business cards in the room. In the current day, we download the chat from Zoom. Always remember to put your business and contact details down in the Zoom chat and download the entire chat before you leave the meeting. Make it a habit to allot some time every week to go through the saved chat and connect with other attendees over social media first.

Do not ever add member’s emails into your newsletter list without asking for their permission. If you connected well with some people, reach out and reconnect over a digital coffee. Remember not everybody will be a client. And remember not to sell it to members in the follow up coffee meeting as well. Treat members like they are a part of your team. They are your referral partners and not a victim for a sales chat. If your service or product resonates with your new contact, they will certainly buy from you. If not, they know other people who they might connect you with.

6. Celebrate every win.

We are all happy when our members bag a big sale, or complete a project, or launch their workshops… We started with the motto of one for all and all for one. A member’s win is a win for the community. Announce your wins during meetings and also in the open Facebook community. Let us all rejoice with you. Sharing wins also let’s other members know what makes your business rock ‘n’ roll!

Konnector

I’m Summer Diya Selva, I’ve been a digital marketing expert for about 11 years now. I began as a virtual assistant offering digital services and online business management. As I piled add-on services to my offers, a complete digital marketing agency was born. My peers say I seem to also have a fun and unique personality as my peers say, which makes me stand out from the crowd. Hence, I suppose I attract my type of people to work with me, that makes my agency, home to a group of creative and innovative individuals that make up a great team. Many clients ask me to manage all their marketing activities, as they appreciate the benefits of the integrated approach.

On another level, I coach confused and burnt out entrepreneurs on strategically  getting back on track to do what’s necessary in their business and achieve success they thought they never could. My coaching model is called Thought Partnership Collaboration which is carefully constructed on developing an entrepreneurial and growth mindset, integrating sustainable behavioural changes with a focus on maintaining it to prevent regression.

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