30 Days "Take Action" Program - Day 24

Community Networking

Community networking is much like relationship marketing, but it's the beginning part of it. Okay, wait, let's take a step of two back here. Community networking is all about promoting your business/product/service in a community setting (and we don't mean you local community association, although you could do that later).

We mean online communities like Ryze, Yahoo, Direct Match, My Space, Circle of Friends and other community forums that have people in them that are like minded and marketers (or not as the case may be – more on that later).

Really, the bottom line is you can do community networking in just about ANY online group and it won't matter if the people you talk to are in one of the FOL businesses or not. Your goal, plain and simple, is to talk to people about what you have to offer.

Getting to know people is the main key of this lesson, and where you can find these people is the other part of the lesson. It doesn't take long to find some of these places to do online community networking. And in most cases, it does not cost you anything to be a member of some of these communities.

The option does exist for you to join if you do find it works better for you. However, having said that, you can find people by doing searches and contacting them based on the information in their profiles.

It sometimes takes a bit of work to find people's e mail addresses, but with a little Googling and some cross checking on the Net, the people you find that you would like to talk to can be found, you can figure out if they are already online marketers or not, and then gage your approach accordingly.

Community networking can accomplish many things – business development, sales, general marketing, recruiting, job-hunting, knowledge exchange, strategic alliances, joint ventures etc. Actually, business development and community networking are closely related.

Oh really? How are they related?
Business development is mainly viewed as a low or shared risk venture. Although unfortunately, thanks to unscrupulous marketers, what we want to sell and the people we want to sell it to are often blocked out, deleted and ignored.

No matter what we see as business development, you need to remember your prospect is likely viewing it in a different manner – more like hunter vs. prey. Precisely what we do not want.

Community networking is about partnerships. You are striving for a coming together, or meeting of the minds. You want to explore the relationship to see if it can be mutually beneficial, and if the answer is yes, then you work together to make that happen. It is always easier and less threatening to talk about partnering rather than purchasing something.

And your point is?
The point here would be that the relationship you are working on developing is an end, not just a means to an end. Although to be honest, despite the relationship aspects of your approach to your prospect, your ultimate goal is still a sale of some sort. Whether it be GDI or another one of FOL's four businesses, you would still like your prospect to join, participate and duplicate.

However, you need to remember that although that would be the ideal goal, you are still first and foremost marketing a unique concept – FREE training and support for 30 days no matter who you are or what business you are in. If they join one of our businesses, that is great. If not, then it was not meant to be.

he point here is you are trying to help others succeed and if that means they only stay around for 30 days, then there is nothing you can do about it if they leave. NOTE: we didn't say you didn't WORK with these people over the 30 days. Support them and show them how to succeed. ALL FOL Team members will do that with you.

That being said, chances are if your prospect receives that kind of support, they WILL join FOL. Mission accomplished without pressuring, nagging, or harassing. Mission accomplished through training, support, team work and the genuine desire of ALL FOL TEAM members to see someone else succeed.

The traditional point of view for the sales relationship you have with prospects is that the success of any sales person is measured in sales, not relationships. That is precisely what is wrong with most traditional online marketing approaches

The relationship part is missing. No wonder people delete "marketing messages" from people they do not know and don't really want to talk to.

Try this for yourself – how many other marketers do you KNOW (meaning in a relationship kind of way) whose e-mail you will always open because you DO know them personally and have spent timing getting to know them.

Answer likely is: you will always open their notes and read them. POINT: If you have a similar relationship with your prospects, they too will open e mails from you. This is more than three quarters of the battle for business. That is why your focus needs to be on the relationship itself and not just the short-term objective of a sale.

Constantly on the lookout!
Community networking also means continuously being on the outlook for new people to partner with in FOL. That would complement you, help you build your business and their own. Sure you are on the look out for things to benefit YOU, but in FOL with the focus we have as a group, you need to also be on the look out for things that would benefit OTHERS – and be willing to share them freely.

What other things can you be doing to establish a relationship while you are community networking? You can be researching your market, meaning listen more than you talk. Groups like that are really candid with their opinions about things. This is valuable information for you.

Be perceived as an expert in your field and this will give you more social standing and greater access to your "audience". Speak up and out in a forum, blog, mailing list, and reach untold numbers of people. Talk about what you know the best, and if you make it original or thought provoking, you'll be quoted all over hell's half acres, and linked to – think great exposure!

By the way, while you are at it, include your FOL status/business in every signature in an e mail, every Web transaction your do and in every profile you create. Invaluable exposure.

If this works for you, you could also associate yourself with a non-profit cause. People tend to relate really well to causes rather than companies, but that doesn't mean you still cannot market yourself as you community network.

Remember this most of all: word-of-mouth spreads like wildfire through social networks. Make use of that fact when community networking and you will soon have the world beating a path to your door to find out what you have to offer.