social network

networking exercise: follow-up and follow through

| heather parlato

today’s LA area chamber networking exercise was about follow-up and follow through in making and keeping contacts. i always like to think i’m better at this than i am, but that seems to be a trend very common with people who do a lot of networking [i recently heard some advice that simply following through will put you in the top 95% of your field simply because people don’t do it!].

the idea was to go through a list of conditions of meeting people, and collaborate on what follow-up efforts best fit each situation. i worked with pamela edwards of innovative feng shui on improving our follow-up, the questions & answers are below:

what is the first thing you do when you receive a business lead?
research the lead online, email to make contact.

how do you acknowledge receipt of the lead?
thank the referrer with a personal call or email.

how do you qualify the lead?
research online, ask the referrer for background information, make a research call directly.

what steps do you take to contact the lead?
initial email with an invite to connect, follow up phone call, send an intro pack by mail.

what’s your strategy for connecting with the lead?
once qualified, set up a personal meeting to get to know each other and our businesses goals and see if we can work together. if not, see if we can refer each other.

what is your personal commitment to returning phone calls?
i return phone calls within 24 hours [personally, i prefer to find a best time to talk rather than return calls within an hour if i’m less focused].

what is your personal commitment for responding to emails?
i reply to emails asap [for some reason i can always craft a good email response in a busier setting than a phone call, so i do what i’m best at on the asap schedule].

how do you keep the referring person abreast of the lead?
rather than keep a set schedule for this, i do it at the natural milestones of the relationship. if the lead and i make plans, i take time to thank the referrer again. if i don’t hear from them, i give a week or so and ask the referrer if there is anything i should be aware of. if we work together, i usually follow up with the success of the project and another thanks [you can’t be too thankful for good referrals!].

what do you do to acknowledge leads that result in new business?
i don’t currently have a set discount kickback for referrers, but i will often kick down small favors or package extras with projects for those of my clients who have sourced new work for me.

how do you respond to requests for information on your business?
i have a lot of channels in place for clients and prospects to find information in their preferred forum. i usually invite them to view my web site with direct links in an email, i ask if they’d like to receive an intro pack, which is a printed sample of my work and intro to my services. i also post lots of start-up information in the about section of my site, which i’m happy to explain in person, but it’s also available to anyone looking for information online, including past client testimonials. finally, if they’d like to meet up and get to know each other better, i can bring a portfolio with printed samples of my work.

and finally, driving the point home is this biznik article i found corroborating the lack of follow up that could use vast improvement: How to Get Clients: One Thing You Must Do to Turn Prospects Into Clients by Sue Clement

creative freelancer conference: august 26-28, 2009

| heather parlato

i just signed up for the creative freelancer conference in san diego, august 26-28, presented by HOW and marketing mentor. i’ve been following marketing mentor for the last couple years and have found their advice for designers & creative professionals extremely valuable. also, while i love a good design conference, having an event that specifically focuses on running a creative business is perfect for people like me, and something other design events can only address peripherally.

aside from all the valuable info, i am looking forward to connecting with some of my favorite colleagues, hearing them present their topics of expertise, and meeting a lot of other indie pros. also of note, there are more networking events than are listed on the conference web site, including breakfast roundtables and networking happy hours you can sign up for once you register [i’m hoping to connect with my kernspiracy contingent at the welcome happy hour]. the early-bird deadline has been extended, and there are opportunities for all kinds of savings if you’re interested in going. and if you do sign up, let’s meet up & hang out!

networking exercise: who’s missing from your network

| heather parlato

“tipping the scales tuesday” at the LA area chamber’s referral breakfast involved growing your network by taking time to think about who you know, who they might know, and who you want to know, getting them all on a list, and taking action toward connecting with these people. the idea is simple, you make a list of people in your network you’d like to connect with in the next month, and then a list of people you haven’t met yet, that you’d like to connect with in the next 1-3 months. the list starts with names, but as you move into areas involving people you don’t yet know, you can come up with all kinds of avenues to tap into.

i worked with walt whitney of CPEhr to build our lists. here’s what we came up with [without naming any names].

people you know that you want to connect with:
– favorite clients
– friends & regular network contacts
– old friends you’ve found on social media networks who are up to something new
– former colleagues & co-workers

people you know of that you’d like to meet in the next few months:
– people you’ve met while networking that haven’t gotten enough face-time :: set up a meeting
– ask favorite clients & former colleagues for referrals :: good people will know more good people
– members of your professional organizations :: connect with your fellow members
– reach out to industry partners :: build your network through strategic partnerships
– esteemed colleagues :: compliment someone’s work you admire and ask them about it
– upcoming conferences :: research who’s going and make a list of who you’d like to meet
– upcoming mixers :: if you can get a list of attendees, email ahead and plan to meet

and speaking of upcoming mixers, don’t forget about our biznik happy hour tomorrow night.

july biznik mixer

| heather parlato

colleen wainwright heather parlato

we’re doing it a week early this month. colleen & heather’s monthly west side biznik happy hour at jerry’s in marina del rey, is happening: wednesday, july 15, 2009 from 5:30-8:00pm.

and hey, if you’re not a biznik member, join up using this invite link. biznik is a great resource for indie professionals and small businesses, and has a really active community in its city of origin, seattle. colleen and i have been trying to get more people participating and hosting events here in LA so we can all have more mixing, networking and workshopping in our lives–all for FREE.

june biznik mixer, marina del rey

| heather parlato

colleen wainwright heather parlato

it’s that time again, people. join colleen and myself for our west side biznik happy hour at jerry’s in marina del rey, one week from today: wednesday, june 24, 2009 from 5:30-8:00pm.

networking exercise: just for the fun of business

| heather parlato

my LA area chamber breakfast had a networking exercise that focused on what we do to keep our businesses fun. i usually argue that my job is way too fun to actually need to put fun into it, but thereis a good list of unconventional work strategies my group came up with to keep ideas fresh and prevent our businesses from feeling like “jobs.”

things to do that keep the workday fun:
– find networking opportunities while traveling
– play golf with colleagues
– meet new people and get familiar with their interests & challenges
– co-strategize with clients and offer advice & solutions to each other
– brainstorm on how to make the experience of working with us fun & rewarding
– take mobile days when you can, work in inspiring environments
– partner with creative people who have new approaches to traditional problems

things we do just for fun that keep us inspired & how it impacts our businesses:
– travel, for exposure to new people, lifestyles & culture :: get out of your element
– take a day beach day, hike day, snow day or desert day when you can :: clear your head
– creative hobbies like writing, photography, gardening & drawing :: express yourself
– volunteer :: be giving to the people around you and connect more meaningfully

if you’re not getting enough fun out of your business, or you think you have to keep fun separate from work, take some of these ideas and see if you can implement them periodically. and if you have new ones, email me, i’m always looking for new ways to work that keep things interesting.

LA freelancer june meetup with colleen wainwright

| heather parlato

LA freelancer meetup colleen wainwright

this past sunday, the LA freelance meetup group organized by colleen rice featured one of my favorite people, colleen wainwright, the communicatrix who gave a talk on leveraging your “awesome” via social media. it was so full of good info that i could barely keep up taking notes, and we’re not talking your basic “sign up for facebook and twitter” 1-2-3. she talked about seeking out awesome everywhere, celebrating it, learning from it, and complimenting it when you find something worth sharing.

it was a great talk overall, with a nice mix of freelancer meetup regulars and some new additions. if you are a freelancer, sole-proprietor or small business owner, check into the LA freelance meetup, read colleen wainwright’s awesome blog and 99.99% non-sucky newsletter, and check her schedule for upcoming speaking engagements. or heck, hire her to put some awesome in your life!

the LA freelance meetup group meets the first sunday of every month at 3pm at blankspaces unless otherwise noted.

LA freelancer may meetup with dyana valentine

| heather parlato

LA freelancer meetup group dyana valentine

i just spent sunday at the LA freelance meetup group organized by colleen rice with the multi-talented dyana valentine. her workshop focused on writing and refining an elevator pitch above and beyond simply tossing off a job title or business name. and it wasn’t just a bunch of advice of what we could do [and then just as easily leave and put off], she put our feet to the fire, paired us off and had us work on them and present to the group. this gave me a chance to work with fellow echo park chamber member, beth zeigler, owner of bneato, learn more about her business, and give & receive outsider feedback on each of our pitches, which was really helpful.

valentine is an all-around fantastic person, full of energy to jumpstart [and finish] any project. she specializes in helping self-starters self-finish, one project at a time, and is always bursting with ideas, soundingboard energy and advice for her clients. her site is full of great information, including a helpful newsletter, articles, upcoming engagements, and a unique project called “hello, i’m really good at…”

april biznik mixer, marina del rey

| heather parlato

colleen wainwright heather parlato

help build community and meet the LA members of biznik. join colleen wainwright and heather parlato for a free mixer at jerry’s famous deli in marina del rey, one week from today: wednesday, april 29, 2009, 5:30-8:00pm.