As the owner of a specialty business services firm, you may have recruited salespeople because they "knew everyone" and you believed their networks would bring you business. Since you're a believer that word of mouth marketing and referrals is the most dependable way to get into big companies, having access to as many people as possible on a personal basis makes good business sense.
The limitation of what I call a "natural network", or face-to-face networking is this: it is likely to be made up of people who resemble each other. In other words, they will be people in similar disciplines and at similar levels of responsibility. More importantly, a natural network is often limited geographically. Therefore, "natural networks" may not provide access to the companies on your wish list of new clients. Social media can help overcome the limitations of a "natural network". You are considering hiring a CPA who has spent most of her career in consumer packaged goods, supply chain finance. She has strong expertise in your firm's specialty and is a superb networker. Will hiring this person, even though they have a Rolodex to die for, help your firm to diversify into the wireless industry, where long-term prospects for growth are better? Should you hire a specialist from the wireless industry? Or might you use social media to help diversify your "natural networks"? Catherine Mcquaid is a Big Game Hunter in the Urban Jungle. Her clients are mid-sized business Her strategies for engaging very senior executives in large companies can be used by big game hunters everywhere. She writes on Major Account Acquisition strategies.
Let’s say your firm has a lot of consumer packaged goods companies on its roster but the industry is stagnant and you’d like to do work in the wireless industry, where there is more growth.
The next episode will discuss the "Right Person" myth.
services firms who want to win consulting assignments with the Fortune 1000. Trained as a semiotician/literature critic, she now owns a key account development business.
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To contact directly: email, phone, 416.923.0877, Skype: cmcquaid
Catherine, Great post on networking. You are doing great, keep up the good work. I love reading your blogs. Check mine out.
http://www.communitymarketing.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/12/5-steps-to-patent-your-invention.html
Posted by: Tim | December 05, 2009 at 02:46 PM