When was the last time you received a referral, a good referral, from someone in your network? If you answered “never” or “not recently,” it could be that the people in your network don’t know the “who” of what you do. To help people refer business to you, they need to know not just what Read more (members only)

When you think of networking what comes to mind? Going to mixers? Attending business meetings? Meeting new people? Collecting business cards? Eating and drinking? Seeing friends? All of the above? Read more (members only)

If you’ve been networking for a while, you most likely have a long list of people you want to connect with on a regular basis. There’s the initial follow-up you do after you first meet someone, but what are you doing to ensure that people will remember you months or even years from now Read more (members only)

Once you’ve decided on a networking event to attend, what can you do to prepare for a positive and productive networking experience? Here are seven pre-event planning steps to help you feel more confident when you enter the room. Read more (members only)

You can make many excellent contacts for your business by meeting people at non-business events and locations. If you have been limiting the scope of networking to something that only takes place at an official “networking event,” consider a much wider definition. Read more (members only)

Have you fallen into a networking rut? Do you keep going to the same events, or the same type of events, while wondering if there are other places to go? To help you expand your horizons, we’ve identified the top five types of groups to grow your network. Read more (members only)

We hear over and over that the holidays are a slow time of year for doing business. Don’t you believe it! With all the holiday parties, events, and family visits, the holiday season provides some of the best networking opportunities of the entire year. Read more (members only)

We all want more people to refer clients to us, and one way to encourage more referrals is offering to pay for them. By offering cash instead of merely our thanks or a small gift, it’s possible to increase the number of referrals you will get. However, this practice isn’t appropriate in all circumstances, and may have some unintended consequences. Read more (members only)

If you’ve been in business for more than five minutes, you already know that the best way for any self-employed professional to get clients is by referral. But the process of building sufficient word of mouth to produce the number of clients you need can seem daunting. Read more (members only)

Professionals and service business owners who have been operating for a while always say they get most of their clients by word of mouth. But if you’re relatively new in business, no one is talking about you yet. How can you start building word of mouth right away instead of just waiting for it to happen? Read more (members only)

If you’ve ever taken a course in marketing, you’ve heard of the “know-like-and-trust-factor.” It seems it would be worthwhile to understand this factor and what it really means to us. Read more (members only)

Networking is a key ingredient to personal and professional success. Ask small business owners how they get most of their clients and you’ll frequently hear “through word of mouth.” Read more (members only)