networking toolkit for network marketing...

Networking Toolkit for Network Marketing Pros

5 Powerful Ways to Find Fabulous Leads for Your Biz

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Why Networking Live Is STILL the Most Powerful Way to Build Strong

Relationships with Prospects!

Although the internet is becoming a very popular tool to find new leads for your business,

never underestimate the power of connecting with people “live”. When you meet prospects

face to face (even during a short meeting) people get an immediate feel for “who” you are. You

can create the kind of personal relationship that easily segues into a professional relationship

(and even if it doesn’t, you can make a new friend who may possibly refer business to you at

some other time).

It’s interesting to note that the value of these live connections comes about (at least in part)

through the way we communicate with each other. Studies show that people communicate

using 3 main forms of expression:

The WORDS you use (the ideas you share, concepts, written text, etc)…

Your VOICE (quality, tone, fluctuation, etc)…

Your BODY LANGUAGE (how you come across physically including gestures, facial expressions).

Your words alone are only worth 7% of the overall impact of your

communication.

Your voice (38%) and body language (55%) make up the other 93%.

Since your prospects experience all three of these forms of communication when connecting

with you live (versus on the internet where you are usually only using your “words” when

communicating) the result is often a much more personal and intimate connection right from

your first introduction.

There’s also something more subtle, but extremely important that occurs when you meet other

people in person. People get a sense of “who” you are very quickly. In addition to the ways you

communicate, your “presence” or being-ness comes across, which creates a deeper connection

and relationship with others.

Copyright 2013 ~ Sonia Stringer and Savvy Biz Solutions Inc www.SavvyNetworkMarketingWomen.com

For these reasons, I encourage you to take full advantage of whatever opportunities you can

to connect live with your prospects, especially at events where can meet several of them at

one time!

Most people you meet in a networking setting aren’t in the mode to buy products or take a look

at your business (and you likely won’t have time to give a detailed presentation anyway). These

are great opportunities, however, for you to meet interesting people, make new friends and

expand your network.

To make networking activities fun and interesting - consider making it a goal to create a large

“life network” for yourself (made up of interesting people you just enjoy having in your life).

Having a large “life network” can generate all kinds of opportunities for you (some business

related, some more social or personal. It also makes getting out and meeting new people a lot

more fun).

A percentage of your “life network” will evolve into your “business network” and become

new customers, referral sources, etc. Creating a life network takes the pressure off feeling like

you have to make EVERYONE you meet a new customer or business partner. You can relax and

enjoy the process of meeting people and making new friends, while keeping your eye out for

people who fit your “ideal prospect” profile.

The Two Kinds of People to Look For When Networking Live

There are 2 kinds of people you want to look for when networking live:

a). Your “ideal prospects” or target market.

Obviously the first kind or person you want to find are those who are a great fit for your

products/biz opportunity. If you’ve completed lesson 1, you already have a good idea of who

your “target market” is and the personal qualities of these people as well.

b). People who know (many of) your “ideal prospects.

The other people you want to develop relationships are people who know your ideal prospects

– hopefully many of them. These are also known as COI’s or “centers of influence”. COI’s are

people who already know or do business with your ideal prospects or target market and likely

have a rolodex or email list full of these kinds of contacts.

For example…


If your ideal prospect is a working mom – a great “COI” would be the owner or teacher at a

local daycare (who would know lots of working moms and may be able to make introductions).

If your ideal prospect is someone who is interested in losing weight or increasing their overall

health, then you’d be smart to create relationships with personal trainers, massage therapists

or chiropractors (who would all have existing clients or contacts that could be perfect for your

products).

Building relationships with these kinds of contacts can greatly leverage your networking

efforts from 1:1 to 1: MANY. COI’s can often make introductions to their database of contacts.

It’s fine to network to find a “single” ideal prospect, but the biggest return on your networking

efforts comes when you connect with “COI’s” who can refer you to many of your ideal

prospects. It’s smart to know who a perfect COI is for you, and keep your eye out for them!

What Kind of “COI” Is Perfect for You?

What kind of person or “COI” would already know or do business with your ideal prospects?

Come up with a list of 5 possible COI’s who could be great referral sources for you. A perfect

COI is someone who knows or works with the same kinds or prospects you are looking to find,

but who offers a different kind of product or service to them (so you’re not competing with

each other).

For example, if you sell jewelry and one of your ideal prospects are brides (looking for special

gifts for their bridal party or guests) you could create relationships with some wedding

planners. If your business offers cards or communication tools that are perfect for business

owners, than a great COI for you could be an accountant or CPA who works mostly with these

kinds of clients. If you have weight loss products, than a great COI could be a personal trainer

who works with clients looking to accelerate their fitness program.

Who would know (or work with) many of your ideal prospects?

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Where Can You Network LIVE for the Best Results?

There are many great places (and ways) to network, so you have several options to choose

from. Your options will be defined by which ideal prospects you’re looking to find, what events

are available in your area, etc. Here are a few to consider:

1. Traditional Business Networking and Leads Groups

You’ve likely heard of (or even attended meetings with) business networking groups like BNI, Le

tip, Ali Lassens Leads, Chamber of Commerce, Rotary, etc. You can also find similar groups in

your area made up of your ideal prospects or target market (mom’s groups, exec women’s

groups, retirees, etc).

As with all networking – the main goal here is to make connections, build your “life network”

and grow your email list whenever possible. As you make connections at these events, keep an

eye out for the opportunity to offer something of value for free (a free report, sample of your

product?) in exchange for someone’s business card.

What can you say to accomplish this?

This is similar to an “elevator speech” but with the goal to communicate the value of your offer

to your target market.

“I have a _______________ that helps __________ like you be able to _________________.

Most people love it because_______________. Would you like me to send you a copy? “


For example, if you have a great free report that helps people get in great shape and boost their

energy, you can say:

“I’m not sure if you are interested in this… but just thought I’d mention I have a great free report

that helps people get in great shape and have a lot more energy. Most people really love this as

you can learn how to look and feel great without starving yourself or spending hours at the gym.

If you’d like a copy, I can email it to you… do you have a card?”

As you collect business cards – be sure to have a pen with you and mark each card so it’s easy

to see later how you want to follow up with each lead. You may want to mark business cards of

COI’s or “A-type” prospects so you can devote a little more time/attention when following up

with them (perhaps schedule a coffee, lunch meeting etc to further develop the relationship).

A great way to build relationships with people in networking groups is to be genuinely curious

about their business, and look for ways to add value or refer new customers to them. You can

ask them what kinds of referrals are useful for them, which generally inspires them to ask you

the same question and respond in kind. Before long, you’re both learning more about each

other’s businesses in a comfortable way and they may even become interested in your product

or business opportunity.

Where can you find great business networking groups? Here are some resources that can help:

Le Tip Leads Group - http://www.LeTip.com

Business Networking International -http://www.BNI.com

US Women’s Chamber of Commerce -http://www.uswcc.org/

EWomen Network – http://ewomennetwork.com

Craigs List http://www.Craigslist.org

You can also look up your local…

Chamber of Commerce (they often have a ton of great info on business related groups in your

city, etc)

Rotary Club, Lions or Elks Club

*City Business Journal (most of the major cities in the US publish a “business journal” such as

the “San Diego Business Journal”, “Miami Business Journal”, etc. These have listings of all the

http://www.letip.com/

http://www.bni.com/

http://www.uswcc.org/

http://ewomennetwork.com/

http://www.craigslist.org/


major business groups and networking events for your area. Do a search on google to find the

closest one to you, these are GOLDMINES of information!

If you live in another country, there is likely a similar kind of publication offered in your city.

With a little research (just contact your Chamber of Commerce) you should be able to track it

down.

You can also search on-line to find more socially geared clubs (like mom’s groups, singles

groups, investment groups, ski clubs, triathalon clubs, etc) which can also be great “ponds” for

you to fish in if your target market is spending time here.

Write down 5 business or networking groups in your area that would be likely places to meet

your “ideal prospects”.

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2. Find or Organize “Meet Up” Groups in Your Area

Many of you likely already know of the website www.meetup.com. If not, you definitely should!

This is a wonderful tool to find different kinds of social or business groups gathering in your

own city or local area.

Just go to the website, and you can locate ALL kinds of groups. You’ll find some that are

obviously geared towards your ideal prospects (you’ll see groups labeled for working moms,

groups for baby boomers, etc). You can use the search function to find specific kinds of groups.

For example, you can search on all these terms to find places your target market is gathering (and more):

http://www.meetup.com/


Teachers Women Women Entrepreneurs Young Professionals Moms Work at Home Moms Moms of Preschoolers Fitness Fashion Health/Wellness Beauty Jewelry Lovers (Your City) groups (Activity) Example – hiking, golfing, etc) (Age) Example - 20s and 30s social meetup groups You can find groups that are obviously made up of your “ideal prospects” and you can also find

groups to which your target market would likely belong. For example, a “golfing” group likely

attracts a lot of baby boomers. A yoga group attracts people into health and wellness.

There are groups connected to celebrities or causes (as in the “Friends of Ricki Lake” group

which is centered around the television host Ricki Lake. Although it’s not labeled as such, this

group is full of stay at home moms, as they often watch her TV program. If you’re looking for

those kinds of prospects, this is the kind of group you’d want to check out).

~Become an Organizer and Create Your Own Meet Up Group If you’re feeling inspired, you can also create your own “meet up” group as a way to find and

connect with your ideal prospects. For example, you can create a group for moms, people who

want to network in business, baby boomers, people who are interested in hiking, health and

wellness, personal fitness and weight loss, or just about any kind of topic.

Keep in mind – although your group will be a way for you to connect with your ideal prospects,

your main goal should be to “add value” to this group, rather than just pitch your products or

business opportunity. You want to create a focus or “theme” for your group that will draw

people to it, and give them an opportunity to learn or receive something of value. Ultimately

you want to create a space that will attract your ideal prospects, and keep them coming back.


For example, you could create a group for moms who want to connect with other moms and

share ideas around parenting, discuss how to experience more work/life balance or deal with

family issues. You can create a group for people interested in health or weight loss, where they

can learn ways to get in shape and have more energy, and get support from other people who

have similar goals.

You could create a group for baby boomers who want to connect with other baby boomers, and

learn ways to stay healthy and wealthy through their retirement years. You could create a

group for women who want to look and feel their best (including taking care of their skin, their

health or learning how to add some pizzazz to their wardrobe with great clothes or jewelry

options).

Just ask yourself what would be of interest to your ideal prospects, and how can you create a

group or event focused around this topic. As the organizer you can still have opportunities to

teach or present for your group, but you’d want to keep your focus on sharing helpful info or

ideas as your #1 goal (and subtly promoting your products or business as a secondary goal).

You want people to attend your group and receive value FIRST - so they come back to another

meeting, or become more interested in you and what you offer. (If you lead with too much of

a sales pitch, this likely won’t happen. But if you create value and go out of your way to help

people, they’ll naturally become more interested in you and what you have to offer as far as

products, your business etc).

When you create a group in the meetup.com website, people will see your group and add

themselves to it – or you can invite people as well. Obviously organizing this kind of group can

take a little bit of your time, but being the group organizer gives you the chance to create

something that would attract your ideal prospects, and be sure they get to know YOU, the

organizer. In the process you can expand your life network and likely find some new customers

and even business partners.

Here are some helpful tips on how to start your own Meet Up Group:

http://www.stateofsearch.com/how-to-organise-market-and-promote-a-successful-meetup-

group/

http://www.meetup.com/help/Im-thinking-about-starting-a-new-Meetup-Group-What-should-

I-do-to-get-ready

http://www.stateofsearch.com/how-to-organise-market-and-promote-a-successful-meetup-group/

http://www.stateofsearch.com/how-to-organise-market-and-promote-a-successful-meetup-group/

http://www.meetup.com/help/Im-thinking-about-starting-a-new-Meetup-Group-What-should-I-do-to-get-ready

http://www.meetup.com/help/Im-thinking-about-starting-a-new-Meetup-Group-What-should-I-do-to-get-ready


~Become a Sponsor and Get Your Products in Front of Other Meet Up Groups!

Meetup.com just added a great feature, which also gives you the option to be a “sponsor” to

other groups that already exist. This gives you the opportunity to offer a “perk” or special

discount of some kind to groups who would be a great fit for your products.

For example, you can offer your skin care, make up or jewelry products to “moms groups” or

“working women’s groups” or even teen groups, with a special bonus of some kind. Or you

could offer a special discount or bonus related to your health and wellness products to fitness

groups, hiking groups, running groups, etc (obviously choosing groups which have members

who’d likely be interested in your products – and possibly even your business opportunity).

There’s a small fee involved with this, and your offer needs to be approved by the organizer of

each group, but becoming a sponsor of a local MeetUp group full of your ideal prospects is a

smart way to get yourself, and your products, in front of your target market quickly. As a

sponsor, you also “stand out” and become known to this group, which can bring in referrals,

new sales and even new recruits.

Here are some additional tips on how to become a sponsor within Meetup.com.

http://mashable.com/2011/01/10/meetup-perks/

http://www.meetup.com/help/How-do-I-sponsor-a-Meetup/

~Create Your Own “Tweet Up” event

If you are active on “twitter” you can also bring together a group of your ideal prospects by

hosting a “Tweet Up”. A Tweet Up is like a Meet Up group, but you use your Twitter account

to invite your network to come together and connect or network “live”.

If you’ve been building out a network of your ideal prospects on Twitter, this can be a great

strategy, and a chance to meet people and create more intimate relationships than you can

create by sharing messages of only 40 characters at a time.

Here are two great articles with more ideas on how to organize a “tweet up” for your own

prospects.

http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/how-to-use-tweetups-as-a-marketing-strategy

http://www.twitip.com/planning-an-tweetup/

http://mashable.com/2011/01/10/meetup-perks/

http://www.meetup.com/help/How-do-I-sponsor-a-Meetup/

http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/how-to-use-tweetups-as-a-marketing-strategy/

http://www.twitip.com/planning-an-tweetup/


3. Attend Conferences or Tradeshows (Have a Booth to Promote Your Business)

Although this strategy can take some more time to research and execute, the payoff can be

enormous and totally worth it. Conferences or tradeshows give you the opportunity to do

some very “leveraged” networking, the possibility of meeting hundreds of your ideal prospects

all in one place, at one time.

It’s truly amazing how many different kinds of people or demographics have their own

“association” – a formal group to which they belong. Most associations offer some kind of

conference or tradeshow which gives their members the opportunity to connect with each

other, network and be educated on issues relevant to them.

I did a quick bit of research on-line, and found that every one of these kinds of prospects listed

below has an association of some kind.

Teachers – Nurses – Dentists – Doctors - Health Care Providers – Chiropractors – Dental

Hygenists - Massage Therapists – Stay At Home Moms – Working Moms – Dads - Babyboomers

– Small Business (lawyers, financial planners, accountants, etc) - Executives (men and women)

CEO’s, Female Entrepreneurs - Military officers - Military wives - Gen Xr’s – Retirees – etc, etc.

There are also several tradeshows and conferences dedicated to “specific topics or interests”

as well – including shows for:

Golf - Travel - Beauty – Fashion – Shoes – Spa and Salons – Bridal – Wellness – Fitness –

Cosmetics – Spa – Weight Loss – Electronics… etc.

The list goes on and on… you name the group or interest, and there is likely an association,

conference or tradeshow for it!

This is great news for you! If you are willing to put in a little research time and come up with a

strategy, you can connect with hundreds (and depending on the size of the show, perhaps

thousands) of people in your exact target market.

Where to start?

I highly encourage you to invest a little time to get on the internet and “poke around” to find

which groups or associations exist for your target market, and what conferences or

tradeshows they are attending.

The best way to do this is use a search engine like Google.


Enter “Target Market + Association” in the search bar and see what comes up. You can do this

for the words “tradeshow” and “conference” too.

For example:

Weight Loss + Association

Weight Loss + Trade Show

Weight Loss + Conference

Weight Loss + Organization

or

Teachers + Association

Teachers + Tradeshow

Teachers + Conference

Teachers + Organization

or

*You can add other words to search for events/groups by state, city, etc

Teachers + Association + California

Teachers + Association + San Diego

There are search engines (other than Goggle) that are worth using too – as they’ll bring up different results for you:

www.Bing.com – Microsoft's new search engine that will give different results than

Google because of the ‘decision algorithm' it uses.

www.Yahoo - Still using its own technology for the next couple years (then it will use

Bing) it not only searches the web well but also all the Yahoo! Pages.

www.Lycos – One of the older and less popular Internet search engines is still alive and

kicking. Allows you to search a variety of categories (web, image, video, people,

shopping, etc). Includes the Retriever which is “the Web's first information fusion

http://www.bing/

http://www.yahoo/

http://www.lycos/


engine, scouring the Web for the best information on thousands of topics and pulling it

together into up-to-date, easy-to-read reports"

www.Ask.com – Lets you use a more intuitive way to search by simply typing in a

complete question instead of a list of keywords. Returns results based on 'ExpertRank

algorithm' which brings up different searches than other sites.

Some Other Great Resources to Find Tradeshows and Events

Here are 3 great websites that also provide very detailed information on the tradeshows and

conferences going on in different markets:

• www.Biztradeshows.com

• www.TSNN.com

• www.ConventionBureaus.com

You can also check with your local “Chamber of Commerce” or “State Convention and Visitor’s

Bureau” to see what events are scheduled within your areas. Your local “Tourist Information

Bureau” or city-based website (most major cities have one main website that showcase local

events, happenings, etc) can also be great sources of info.

Check out magazines that cater to your target market and look through the ads (generally at

the back) for events or tradeshows. Look at other ads in the magazine also, as these might give

you clues as to additional companies or organizations that cater to this market that you hadn’t

considered (more COI’s!).

You can always ASK too! Check with people you know in this target market to find out about

other events, groups, associations and/or conferences that they’ve attended or know of others

attending. They can often give you tips/insider info about these events that can help you

determine if it would be worth your time to attend one live or even book a booth and be an

exhibitor.

How to Best Leverage Your Opportunities at Trade Shows

Finding the right tradeshow or conference can be a potential gold mine in generating

immediate and on-going business for you. You can meet several of your “ideal prospects” all

at once, and build out a network of highly qualified leads.

http://www.ask.com/

http://www.biztradeshows.com/

http://www.tsnn.com/

http://www.conventionbureaus.com/


However, this strategy can also take some time and money to pull off, so before you jump in, I

encourage you to attend a tradeshow in person to check it out. Ideally this would be the SAME

tradeshow at which you want to exhibit or network, but if not it’s still helpful to attend any

shows and do some research.

Wander around and check out the variety of exhibits and booths. What do you like? What don’t

you like?

What are vendors doing to draw a crowd and interact with people passing by? How are they

collecting people’s business cards or contact information? Take some photos if it’s ok and/or jot

down some ideas. Some of these vendors are total conference/tradeshow pros (and do several

of these shows each year) so you can learn from their expertise and get ideas for your own

exhibit.

You can find a number of great “Tradeshow Resources” online – so I’ll let you investigate this

further if you decide to utilize this strategy in a bigger way. Here are a few simple but

important tips to keep in mind:

• Remember your #1 goal is to meet people, make contacts, and grow your network and

email list (sales and recruiting is secondary. Of course if you can sell products or sign

someone up on the spot, do it! You’ll likely find more people are “just looking” – but you

still have a fabulous opportunity to collect their contact info and follow up later. The

true value of trade shows is “lead generation” and the connections and results you

create after the show!)

• When setting up your booth – make it stand out. Use great signage (colorful, easy to

read, obvious) and consider some things you can offer to draw a crowd (snacks like

popcorn or candy are proven bribes to get people over to your booth!)

• Make your exhibit as interactive as you can, because after all, you want to connect

with people, make friends, and build your network more than anything. Can you offer a

free consultation or makeover? Show some interesting videos or multi-media demos?

Do whatever you can to be unique so you and your booth stand out.

• FREE OFFER – have a great cool (and free!) offer as a way to encourage people onto

your mailing or email list. Add a “limited time” or “today only” timeline to create some

urgency. What can you offer that people just CAN”T refuse? A basket of your best

products? Some special deal they can ONLY get at the show? Obviously you don’t want

to “break the bank” – but offering something truly irresistible for free will help you

collect more valuable leads, so it’s worth it.


Put out the ole’ fish bowl (big glass bowl) or create a super-obvious space where

people can add their business card to be in on the drawing or offer. If people don’t

have a biz card, hand them two of yours (one to write their name/email on back, one to

keep).

• Position your newsletter as a cool “Secondary Bonus”. Next to your offer (or on the fish

bowl) be sure to add a sign to communicate that by participating in your drawing/offer –

they will also receive a monthly newsletter from you as a bonus. It can read something

like “Plus… receive a complimentary subscription to our “Fitness First” ezine, worth $X”.

By communicating your e-zine bonus upfront, you’re making it clear that by giving their

business card, people are opting-in to your offer and will be added to your email list.

(This is an elegant way to get permission to stay in touch with your leads, and not put

yourself in the position of ‘spamming’ anyone by adding them to your email list without

advising them first, or asking permission).

• Stress the benefits and popularity of your newsletter or e-zine if anyone asks about

the secondary offer. Reassure people they can easily opt-out at any time, but many

people love to receive it. (You may want to print off copies of past newsletters and keep

them at your booth for reference).

If you don’t already have an ezine or newsletter for your business, create a free report

or bonus article (including juicy tips related to your product or a relevant topic, weight

loss, beauty, health and wellness, etc) and use that as your secondary offer – something

you can email to your new contacts after the show. In either case, you’re offering

something of value, in exchange for people’s contact info, and getting their permission

to add them to your email list.

• Crowded restaurant syndrome – there’s a funny marketing phenomenon that’s been

proven time and again, and that is that “crowds tend to draw more crowds.” Walk past

any busy restaurant on a given evening, and you’ll notice people tend to gravitate to a

place that is already busy (they unconsciously assume it’s a worthwhile spot, because it

wouldn’t be busy if it wasn’t really good, right?). At the same time, people will generally

pass by a restaurant that’s not busy (unconsciously concluding that there must be a

good reason it’s empty).

For that reason – do whatever you can to make your booth/exhibit look “popular.”

Don’t put out an empty fish bowl or drawing bin – fill it with other business cards (even


if they are your own). Can you hire (or cajole) some team members, family or friends to

come “hang around your booth” – especially during busy times, to help draw more

crowds.

People will tend to approach and spend more time at a booth if they aren’t the ONLY

one there (as being the only person at a booth can make someone feel a bit “singled

out” and people don’t want to feel put on the spot).

Take Advantage of This Timely Opportunity - Network And Build Relationships

With Other Vendors and Exhibitors!

Another huge opportunity you have at conferences and tradeshows is to meet and network

with other VENDORS or EXHIBITORS. The majority of these are likely people who already do

business (or have an email list) or the same kind of ideal prospects you are after (which is

why, of course, you are both exhibiting at the same tradeshow).

These kinds of connections can be great ‘COI’s’ to know, and you can possibility collaborate

with them to cross-promote each other’s products. For example – if you sell health or weight

loss products, you may collaborate with another exhibitor who sells another kind of (non-

competing) product to the same audience.

If you sell jewelry at a bridal show, you may find another exhibitor (cake decorator, flower

provider) at the show who also sells to brides. If you are both growing an email list or database

of bridal leads, you can double your exposure by working together to cross-promote each

other’s offerings to your contacts.

What to Do After the Show!

As quickly as possible, you want to connect again with the contacts you made at the

tradeshow. Add them to your email list (if they have officially opt-ed in) and get out a great

follow up letter, notice or extended discount (something special for tradeshow attendees only).

If they haven’t “officially opted in, send them a note to invite them to join (and share your free

offer, etc).

If you made some great “COI” or high-level contacts, invest some extra time and send a

personal note, personal email (and better yet) personal phone call, mentioning how great it

was to meet them and ask if there are ways you can refer them business, add value etc. (Just by

offering this, they will likely return the offer).


If you met a substantial COI or potential Joint Venture partner, it’s worth strategizing a bit on

how you might work together. I know this kind of follow up can take some time, but since

you’ve met all these people in person and already have a relationship established, they are

truly your HOTTEST LEADS, so worth of a little extra attention.

For additional tips to set up a great booth and leverage tradeshows, check out the following

links:

http://www.frugalmarketing.com/dtb/giveaway-tips.shtml

http://blog.asmartbear.com/tradeshow-tips-checklist.html

http://sbinfocanada.about.com/od/tradeshows/a/tradeshowdisplaytips.htm

http://www.polaris-inc.com/index.php?action=resources.ArticleInfo&rowid=29

http://www.docutype.net/articles/tradeshow.htm

4. Get in Front of Your Ideal Prospects by Speaking!

Ok, BEFORE you panic about the idea of speaking in front of an audience, bear with me here…

because this strategy – more than any other – can get you in front of many of your ideal

prospects very quickly.

Sometimes when you sign up to exhibit at a conference or tradeshow, you may have the

opportunity to lead your own “break out” or workshop session and speak for 30-60 min on a

specific topic. These are gold mine opportunities! Why?

• When speaking at an event, you are granted “instant credibility” and positioned as the

“go to” expert in a certain topic or area. Even if this is your first speaking gig, the

audience doesn’t know! They just see you as the “expert” who’s been invited in to share

(so of course you must have something valuable to say!)

• Speaking gives you a one-many opportunity to connect with several leads at once,

create rapport and add value. You can invest a lot of time and try to find and meet with

your ideal prospects one to one, or you can create a speaking opportunity and connect

with many of these same prospects, all at once. You can quickly build out a large warm

market of qualified leads through speaking!

http://www.frugalmarketing.com/dtb/giveaway-tips.shtml

http://blog.asmartbear.com/tradeshow-tips-checklist.html

http://sbinfocanada.about.com/od/tradeshows/a/tradeshowdisplaytips.htm

http://www.polaris-inc.com/index.php?action=resources.ArticleInfo&rowid=29

http://www.docutype.net/articles/tradeshow.htm


• Speaking gives you a powerful opportunity to build a strong case for WHY people need

your products, business, etc.

• These opportunities also allow you to bring your message “to life” by infusing it with

your own personality, sense of humor, authenticity, humanity, etc.

• Speaking events give you a very leveraged way to grow your mailing or email list. Not

everyone will buy from you at the end of a talk, but many of them will join your list (as

they feel they now know, like and trust you and want to learn more).

• You can create one fabulous “Hallmark” or “Signature Speech” – and use this over and

over to attract new prospects and customers. (So you put in the effort one time, and

get “paid on it” for many).

You can then use this speech (or variations of it) at other events, such as business

networking events, other tradeshows, conferences, conduct “tele-seminars” for leads

on your list, or even turn it into a short video to post on You Tube (and drive more traffic

to your list).

Yes, designing and giving a short talk can take some time and effort, but for the above

reasons it can be a super-smart strategy to fill up your network with prospects who already

feel they know you (and are interested in your topics, products, etc). I know several

professional speakers who have ONE speech – and that’s all they do when hired by a company

to deliver a keynote, etc. If you’ve attended your own company’s conferences, you may realize

that many of the headlining speakers at your event are giving the same speech over and over to

different companies (some of them for several years).

You can do this too, and create a short but compelling speech you can use in several ways to

promote your own business. With practice you’ll get comfortable delivering it too, which makes

the process a whole lot of fun.

What can one speech be worth to your bottom line? Here’s an example from my own

business. I was asked to deliver a short talk to the top 90 VP leaders in Arbonne at their national

conference in 2000. After this 30 min talk, several of them hired me to either coach them

personally or joined one of my coaching programs. As I continued to build relationships and

value for these leaders, they referred several members of their teams to me (who referred

people… who referred people) resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales of my

products and coaching programs. Ten years later I still receive business from this one single

event (not to mention what a joy it’s been to work with these women over the years). That’s


just one simple example of the power of one well-positioned speaking event, and the on-going

relationships and revenue it can create!

Your signature speech is the “core marketing message” you want to communicate about the

value of your products or business opportunity. What’s the most important idea you want to

convey to your audience? What’s the big “ah-ha” you want them to get?

Is it the importance of how taking care of their skin (their health, their weight) now will pay off

for years to come? Is it getting across how a few simple pieces of jewelry or clothing can make

all the difference in pulling together a fabulous wardrobe on a budget? Is it helping others

recognize how starting a business can be the ticket to personal and financial freedom?

Please note that your signature talk is NOT a pitch for your products or business – but shares

ideas related to your products or business that are helpful (in and of themselves). You are

educating your audience (while building a subtle but compelling case for the value of your

products or business opportunity).

Here’s a simple formula you can use that will ensure that your talk doesn’t just provide great

information – it also motivates your audience to take action (in this case, buy your products,

join your business or at the very least, opt into your email list to get more great info).

In a “persuasive presentation” your goal is to inspire your audience to consider a new point

of view, take action, change a behavior, try on a new process, etc. You’ll achieve this by

sharing examples and ideas that touch on their PAIN and biggest problems. This shows you

understand your audience and empathize with their situation (as well as reminding them of

why they want to change at the same time)! Show your audience how you can help to solve

their issues, and provide some simple suggestions/steps they can use immediately to do so.

To design a talk that is both educational AND persuasive - there are 3 phases you want to be

sure to include:

• Short Intro

The purpose of this is to create rapport with your audience (by acknowledging or

complimenting them in some way) a personal heart-felt connection (by sharing something

about yourself that makes you vulnerable, real or authentic) and to establish your credibility

(by briefly sharing about your experience or background).

You also want to “grab their attention” right at the start by talking about a big problem

(something with which they resonate) and promise they’ll learn some simple solutions to

solve this problem by the end of your talk.


You want people to instantly get a sense that it’s worth listening to you – and that by doing so

– they’ll pick up something valuable they can put into use right away to achieve a result they

want. When you position your talk well in this way, you’ll see people (literally) sit up and pay

attention (even start taking notes!) and that’s the reaction you want before you move to phase

two.

• The Body of Your Talk (2-3 main points)

The phase of your talk is more “educational” or informational. You generally want to share 2 –

3 main points here (no more) which can represent some kind of step-by-step process people

can use to achieve a result or solve a problem.

For example, if your talk is on “3 simple strategies to get fit and stay fit” you’d cover each of

the 3 keys here, with some additional examples, case studies, stories or recommended actions

related to each point. Likewise, your talk could be focused on “3 simple ways to keep your skin

looking ageless and flawless” and share 3 simple tips to achieve just that. Or – “3 simple tips to

accessorizing your wardrobe” if you want to share a few ideas that help people appreciate the

importance of great jewelry or accessories.

• Take Action – Lead Them To The Next Step!

The last phase of your talk is about a “call to action” of some kind. Is there an obvious next

step for your audience to take to reap the benefits of what they just learned? Can you

challenge them in some way?

Even more important – what’s the next step they can take with you? Depending on the

speaking situation, you may have the opportunity to mention your products and offer an

incentive to buy today. If you are speaking about the values/importance of a home-based

business, then you might have the opportunity to share briefly about your business, and

encourage people to set up a time to speak with you one-one.

The #1 thing you want to be SURE to achieve is to get people ON YOUR LIST – so even more

than the above options – be sure your audience knows about your FREE OFFER (report,

samples, information, audio, etc) and how to get it!

A Smooth, Elegant Way to Attract People to Your List!

With many speaking opportunities, you may not be able to overtly sell your product (or

promote your business) from the stage - but most organizers/event promoters are fine if you

want to “giveaway” something at the end as a bonus.


This is a smart way to subtly promote your products – as the best thing to “give away” is the

product you most want to sell to that audience. As a bonus for the audience, you can offer a

drawing to win this free product which gives you the perfect opportunity to talk about it, stress

the benefits, etc – without coming across as giving a big “sales pitch”).

You’ll want to be totally prepared with a way for people to quickly and easily enter your

drawing (passing around a hat or bowl to collect biz cards is the smartest way to do this). You

can also use this opportunity to position your newsletter as a secondary bonus – and

announce that not only does ONE of them have a chance to win your cool product – but that as

a bonus for attending the session, you are going to give everyone a complimentary

subscription to your newsletter/ezine as well, valued at $X. (It’s smart to assign a dollar value

to your newsletter so people appreciate it even more. The truth is, your information IS

valuable, so don’t be shy about this!)

When positioned well, people should be happily handing over their business cards to you, both

for the opportunity to win your product and to receive your own free bonus gift of your

newsletter.

After you draw someone’s name – bring them up on stage if you can, take a picture and make

a big deal of it. At that time you can let the others in the audience know how they can also get

their hands on your product (perhaps sweeten the deal with a ‘today-only’ discount rate too,

and direct them to your booth, exhibit area, etc). If you are speaking at a business meeting or

conference, you can direct them to your website for more info.

For more tips to help you speak with confidence and craft your compelling presentation,

check out these links:

http://ezinearticles.com/?Public-Speaking---3-Ways-to-Make-a-Signature-Speech-Work-to-

Market-Your-Small-Business&id=1001416

http://ezinearticles.com/?Public-Speaking---Getting-Booked-to-Market-Your-Business-With-

Your-Signature-Speech&id=856181

http://publicspeakinginternational.blogspot.com/2010/07/how-to-motivate-as-speaker-in-

tough.html

http://www.toastmasters.org/tips.asp

http://www.toastmasters.org/MainMenuCategories/FreeResources/NeedHelpGivingaSpeech/F

earFactor/DreadGivingaSpeech.aspx

http://ezinearticles.com/?Public-Speaking---3-Ways-to-Make-a-Signature-Speech-Work-to-Market-Your-Small-Business&id=1001416

http://ezinearticles.com/?Public-Speaking---3-Ways-to-Make-a-Signature-Speech-Work-to-Market-Your-Small-Business&id=1001416

http://ezinearticles.com/?Public-Speaking---Getting-Booked-to-Market-Your-Business-With-Your-Signature-Speech&id=856181

http://ezinearticles.com/?Public-Speaking---Getting-Booked-to-Market-Your-Business-With-Your-Signature-Speech&id=856181

http://publicspeakinginternational.blogspot.com/2010/07/how-to-motivate-as-speaker-in-tough.html

http://publicspeakinginternational.blogspot.com/2010/07/how-to-motivate-as-speaker-in-tough.html

http://www.toastmasters.org/tips.asp

http://www.toastmasters.org/MainMenuCategories/FreeResources/NeedHelpGivingaSpeech/FearFactor/DreadGivingaSpeech.aspx

http://www.toastmasters.org/MainMenuCategories/FreeResources/NeedHelpGivingaSpeech/FearFactor/DreadGivingaSpeech.aspx


http://www.toastmasters.org/MainMenuCategories/FreeResources/QuestionsaboutLeadership

/ConflictResolution/10CommandmentsofCommunication.aspx

Where Can You Speak To Promote Your Business?

• Toastmasters International

Joining your local Toastmasters group is a super-savvy move to get comfortable speaking in

front of a group, and also to get help in designing your signature speech. Speaking skills will give

you a huge advantage in so many areas of your business (including sales and sponsoring,

training and leadership, coaching, etc) and this is one of the fastest and most proven ways to do

it.

• Local Networking and Business Groups

Many networking groups like BNI, Le Tip etc. offer members an opportunity to do a short

presentation on their business or products, and you should definitely take advantage of this

(even if just for the practice!). Other groups like this (especially Rotary, Chamber of Commerce,

Elks, Lions, Soroptomists, etc) are often looking for guest speakers, and if your topic is relevant

or beneficial for these groups (or you can tailor it slightly to make it so) these can be other great

places to practice and add people to your list.

• Local Groups Related to Your Target Market

You can research local associations related to your target market, and contact them about

speaking opportunities. Many of these are also looking for speakers, and if you can show them

you have a “hot topic” that will provide some real value for attendees, your chances are good

at getting booked. Don’t expect to be paid for many of these events (or paid much) – but again

they are worth doing to expand your network, practice your skills and add new people to your

list.

You want to stress the “educational” value and benefits of your talk with these groups, as

they likely won’t book you if they think you are coming in to deliver a big sales pitch about your

products/business. You can still elegantly let people know about your products, etc (generally

at the end of your talk or in the literature you hand out) and make this a win – win for everyone

involved.

http://www.toastmasters.org/MainMenuCategories/FreeResources/QuestionsaboutLeadership/ConflictResolution/10CommandmentsofCommunication.aspx

http://www.toastmasters.org/MainMenuCategories/FreeResources/QuestionsaboutLeadership/ConflictResolution/10CommandmentsofCommunication.aspx


• Bigger Association Events

With more time and practice, you may find you have a signature speech you can showcase at

a larger association or conference event. This might take some more time and work to place,

but one event like this (especially if it’s in front of hundreds of your ideal target market) could

do more for your business in one afternoon than an entire year of networking. To gain some

talk time at these events, you’ll likely need a bit of a track record (and definitely some

testimonials /recommendations from other groups you’ve spoken for) but the extra work to set

these up can be so worth it.

Free Teleseminars and Webinars

Once you are comfortable giving your signature talk – you can actually conduct a tele-seminar

or webinar to give your talk in a more “virtual way,” attract people to your list and even sell

products. One of the most leveraged ways I build my list is to offer free “teleseminars” or

“webinars” on a variety of topics (it might be how you got on my list and ended up in this

program).

A “tele-seminar” is a seminar that takes place over the telephone – where people dial in to a

conferencing system, listen to your talk, interact with you, ask questions, etc. A “webinar” is

similar, but usually involves a visual component to the presentation too, like a power point

presentation, etc.

I offer free sessions like this frequently, and in the process draw in many new leads from my

email list, Facebook network, by advertising (sometimes) and through other social media

outlets on the internet. I cover specific topics I know are of interest to my target market, and

sometimes I also use these to promote a paid product or program. People need pre-register to

attend, so I often add several new people to my email list in the process. Offering this kind of

talk or “free training” gives me the opportunity to add value and develop a relationship with my

ideal prospects, and people get tons of value (whether they buy from me or not) which goes a

long way to building good will and future sales.

You can do the same, using free resources like:

http://www.freeconferencecall.com

http://www.nocostconferencecall.com

Or a webinar system like:

http://www.GoToWebinar.com or http://www.webx.com

http://www.freeconferencecall.com/

http://www.nocostconferencecall.com/

http://www.gotowebinar.com/

http://www.webx.com/


Power Networking Tools – How to Create a Killer “Elevator Speech”

In most networking situations, you’ll have the opportunity to meet many new people, engage in

some chit chat and eventually the conversation (especially if it’s a formal business networking

meeting) will steer towards the question “…and what do you do (for a living)?”.

You have a small amount of time to communicate your message and (if appropriate) inspire

your prospect to take the next step (getting their business card, suggesting a follow-up

meeting, conversation, etc)

To get the most from every opportunity, it’s important to have a well-crafted “elevator

speech” ready to use in any situation. You’ve likely heard the term before; if not, an “elevator

speech” is a short, compelling message you would share with a prospect during a chance

meeting (such as going up for a few floors in an elevator) with the purpose of communicating

what you do so as to elicit interest from the other person.

What exactly does an elevator speech sound like? There are several variations of this type of

marketing message, but the simplest place to start is:

Sample One:

I help________________(ideal prospect) to _______________________ (achieve certain result)

For Example:

I help moms to make a great income working from home…

I help small business owners to boost their monthly income with an extra source of revenue…

I help baby boomers to feel healthy and have tons of energy…

Create Your Own Version Here:

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Sample Two:

A slightly more complex version of an elevator speech can focus on both the IMMEDIATE

benefit someone can experience (through your product/business) and a compelling LONG

TERM benefit (the overall feeling or experience) they really want.

I help________________(ideal prospect) to _____________ (achieve certain result) so they can

_____________________ (bigger benefit- what they REALLY want)

For Example:

I help moms to make a great income working from home so they can spend more time with their

kids during the most important years ….

I help small business owners to boost their monthly income with an extra revenue source so they

can retire early and spend more time on the golf course…

I help baby boomers to feel healthy and have tons of energy so they can enjoy their retirement

years to the fullest…


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Sample Three:

Another version of the elevator speech involves communicating what people GET TO AVOID by

using your product/business. Since many people will do even more to avoid pain (than to gain

pleasure) this approach can be quite effective at grabbing people’s attention and motivating

them to take action.

I help________________(ideal prospect) to _____________ (achieve certain result) so they can

__________________ (bigger benefit) without having to ___________________ (pain/problem

they want to avoid)


For Example:

I help moms to make a great income working from home so they can spend more time with their

kids but not put a strain on the family budget in the process…

I help small business owners to boost their monthly income with an extra revenue source so they

can retire early without having any financial worries…

I help baby boomers to feel healthy and have tons of energy so they can enjoy their retirement

without any physical challenges slowing them down during their best years…


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Use the previous examples to design a solid “elevator speech” that works for you, and then

MEMORIZE it! You want to know it so well you can spit it out easily in ANY kind of networking

or prospecting situation.

However you structure your own “elevator speech” – be sure that it:

…Focuses mostly on THEM (not on you..)

…Communicates clearly what you can do FOR THEM (results, benefits, experiences, feelings..)

…You can also show what you help them AVOID (pain, problems, costs, etc)

…Focuses on WHY (they should use your product or join your business) over WHAT (what’s

involved, the details, logistics, etc).

“Why” connects people to their emotions and the big benefits or reasons for taking action,

buying your products, etc. “What” focuses more on information, logic – the features of a

product or business (which can be ‘interesting’ but won’t necessarily motivate people to take

action in the same ways that focusing on “WHY” does).


Use Variations of Your Elevator Speech in All Areas of Your Business

Once you nail down your elevator speech, you case use it (or variations of it) in all areas of your

business. This will help to promote a clear “marketing message” or brand that is consistent and

easy for people to remember.

~Live Networking: Obviously you will use your elevator speech when you are out networking

and meeting people live. You can also use forms of it on…

~Your Website/Blog: You may share some important info about yourself on your website (to

highlight your background, experience, credibility, etc) but the MAIN focus of the messages on

your website should be aimed at your target market, and what you can do FOR THEM.

~Your Facebook Profile and/or Fan Page: Although both these spaces on Facebook will be

about you, you want to be sure that you have a clear and obvious “marketing message” (re:

who you work with and what you do for them) positioned in as many places as you can on

your profile and business page. You want to make it EASY for any prospects who visit your

pages to instantly get a sense of “what you can do for them – and the clear benefits of your

products/business, etc.

~Your Twitter, Linked In Profiles, etc – The same strategy as above applies to these social

networking sites – as well as any others you are using to connect with your target market.

~Your Live Classes, Product Demo’s, Business Opportunity Meetings, etc: Whether verbal,

written or both – you want to be sure to clearly convey to the people who attend your live

events WHO you work with (target market) and WHAT you can do for them (benefits, results,

solutions etc). Even though this might seem obvious to you, your audience needs to hear this

message (repeatedly) in order to connect to the “bottom line” value of what you are offering

them (which can get lost many times in a detailed, “information rich” presentation).

~Your Free Offer: Same rule applies – you want it be obvious WHO it’s for, and WHAT it can do

for them! The other details are secondary.

~Speaking Events: Using a strong marketing message at the beginning of your talk will set the

stage, grab your audience’s interest and get across the value of what you are offering so it’s

super clear.

~Paid Advertising: As you are paying for the opportunity to communicate your message

(whether in print, on Google, Facebook, radio, etc) you want to be sure you have a strong

marketing message nailed down that is already proven to attract prospects.


Additional Notes:

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networking toolkit for network marketing...

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