Succeeding in influencer relations requires a skill most often associated with sales and HR: schmoozing. Don’t think for a minute that business networking is best left to the natural-born schmoozers. Most of us spend a good part of our day working with information or brainstorming on strategy or listening in on conference calls. Telecommuting is further rooting us in our time- and place-shifted comfort zones. When you think about it, there’s little wonder that one-to-one networking can feel awkward.
One of my favorite series of tips comes from Guy Kawasaki, in a post he wrote back in 2006:
1. Understand the goal: discover what you can do for the person you’re meeting.
2. Get out: schmoozing requires practice, and networking requires situations where you can meet new people.
3. Ask good questions, then shut up: the point is to spend more time listening to earnest conversation, less time talking.
4. Unveil your passions: avoid coming across as a one-dimensional poster child for your job or company.
5. Read voraciously: being well informed is a good way to contribute to any conversation.
6. Follow up: email within 24 hours.
7. Make it easy to get in touch: no point meeting people if you don’t give them your contact details.
8. Give favors: pay it forward.
9. Ask for the return of favors: let people reciprocate the favors you grant.
I was reminded of every one of these points the last time I met with Ray Wang. He wove all of these into the course of our conversation and ended with a simple (and stunning) question: “So Barbara, tell me, what can I do for you?”
You can read Guy’s entire piece here: The Art of Schmoozing.
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Imagine you’re the marketing lead at a small company and you’re gearing up to launch a product, service, or even the company. One morning, the CEO informs you,
“The marketing budget is now $0, and we will figure out a way to get to market.”
That’s one of 6 things that CEOs of small companies and start-ups should be saying to their employees this year, according to Guy Kawasaki.
Guy’s advice speaks to the heart of what’s been going on in tech marketing lately. We’re seeing some changes in C-level thinking about marketing spend. It’s not the usual knee-jerk reaction to a tech recession, such hacking away at marketing budgets and staffs. It even goes beyond the dreaded zero-based budgeting maneuver.
Company leaders are looking for entirely fresh thinking. They want more effective programs for generating sales leads or reducing cost of sales.
In the article, Guy points directly to using social media to get to market. There’s much merit in that.
I would add that it’s vital to start by identifying the people making and influencing purchase decisions. Then use social media to the extent that it makes sense as a way to engage with them.
Otherwise, you run the risk of using social media as a trendy replacement for traditional mass communications.
And that won’t deliver a good return… not even on a $0 marketing budget.
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