Networking has become more focused on building a personal brand and then using this to market your product or service offering.
This is obvious at BNI where we have an opportunity each week to personally present our businesses to members and visitors. Some people do this well, but others make the mistake of focusing too much on their business rather than themselves.
Here’s an example.
At a meeting a health professional presents his business by focusing exclusively on what he does. He’s a very knowledgeable guy and gives plenty of detail on the ins and outs of his business. However the mistake he makes is in not making his presentation personable at all. It’s not an engaging, warm, friendly 60 seconds. This means nobody gets a sense of how nice a person he really is. Who wants to give referrals to someone like that?
In this sort of business – and most businesses – it’s crucial to be able to relate to the person and feel some sort of connection with them.
He didn’t describe why he got into this line of work or what he was passionate about in terms of his business and his dealings with clients. His backstory was absent from his presentation.
A backstory defines your brand and it is this that people connect with; it’s this personal brand that makes people want to deal with you and provide you with referrals and ongoing business.
So what’s your brand?
These days your personal and business brand are aligned and are very important in terms of networking and marketing. Creating a brand and then building it through BNI will help you establish trust and credibility for your business – which will lead to referrals and growth.
Remember that your brand is simply what you are known for – what people say about you when you are not around.
When you’re a small business owner, it’s important to not only build your business brand, but your personal brand as well. After all, you may decide to sell your web development company one day. If you have a strong personal brand, then that’s going to help you start up in your next venture.
How do you create a brand?
While there’s many ways– through social media, the appearance of your website, speaking at events and so on – one easy (and underestimated) way to do this is through good old-fashioned networking. That’s right, I’m talking about turning up at events, meeting new people and establishing relationships in real life.
Here’s 3 key factors in building your personal brand through networking.
- Be friendly – be approachable and open, generous and positive.
- Mingle – make the effort to meet new people and introduce people you already know.
- Take time to network – relationships don’t develop overnight, this isn’t a one night stand!
For greater success, focus on developing your brand next time you are networking at BNI. If you don’t have one – create one and get advice from your members! Perhaps next week everyone can relay that in their 60 seconds. The stronger your brand is, the stronger your relationships in BNI will be and the stronger your business will become.
