Here we are in August! How is your business been holding up in 2020? Are you still on pace to grow? Breaking even? Or are you struggling with losses the past few months? Chances are your ability to gain new clients have been limited by the lack of in-person networking. I know that there have been channels out there for virtual networking, but let’s face it. It’s just not the same as in-person networking. In fact, I would say at least in the Pittsburgh region, fewer people are doing it now.
No one is sure when we will get back to in-person networking. It could be a few months from now it could be another year from now. These uncertain times have forced all of us to adapt and get more creative with how we generate business in the middle of a pandemic. That’s why now more than ever, it’s important that you’re making the most of your current clients and business connections even if they’re not working with you. Referral based business may just be the way to go for many of us these days. Maybe perhaps it was always the way to go. But regardless, here a few reasons why your current business connections matter now more than ever…
Referrals can only be good for you. Somebody knows a somebody who can help somebody. It’s just a matter of if the choice is made to refer that somebody to that somebody. Referrals given convey a sense of credibility and trust. With opportunities being more limited for the average small business owner, coming through on those referrals is the key with timely follow-up and good work to come. This also includes GIVING referrals! Don’t just be a taker. Be a giver. If one of your business connections is need for a consultant and you know a good one, pass it along. Give freely and become wealthy. Not just with money, but with knowledge. And knowledge is power.
Touching base with a past connection. This is all about client relationship. Maybe the projects you worked on weren’t ongoing. But you handled all their requests brilliantly and executed their jobs to their satisfaction. Follow-up with them (I have a good blog series from last year on the lost art of follow-up). Maybe they had something they were going to reach out to you about anyway. Perhaps if you call them you or they could refer each other leads. You just never know what this kind of positive relational business model can lead to. Never stop thinking about your business connections.
With the current coronavirus crisis, opportunities may be more limited. I had already touched on this earlier, but to drive home the point even further, the reality is that networking has been reduced. In-person events are either entirely shutdown or capacity limited in best-case scenarios. For many of us, that was how we would generate leads whom would be turned into clients. We don’t know when things will be back to normal in that regard and for as much as technology has still made networking possible, I think we can all agree that virtual is just not the same as in-person. I find fewer people are networking at all let alone virtually. Therefore, making sure your relationships are strong with your current connections is even more important. Call and check on them, not just about business but personally. It’s not always just about what you need, but just about what they may need.
The final word is that your business connections always mattered. Why? Because 1) they’re people and people always matter. 2) They’re your assets in business because as we all know, it’s not always about what you know, but who you know. And by “know” I don’t mean someone whom you just exchanged cards with 2 years ago whom you never spoke to once after that. I’m talking relationships in business, meaning you’ve had multiple conversations with each other and are on the same wavelength. Together we will make through this difficult time for most us personally and monetarily. We need each other. And that is why your current business connections matter now more than ever.