Each time I go to a networking event or any kind of in-person business meeting, it leads me to some kind of advancement in my business. Often, this happens before I even leave home. If you haven’t experienced this, plan to go to an event and consider creating or updating some, if not all, of these business-advancing items:
- Business cards. If you don’t have one, you need one! I started with a simple one I created on my computer and printed on card stock at home. Then, I used a template from an online business card printing company and, more recently, I had a unique one created by a graphic design person. Can’t tell you how good it feels to bring a business card you’re proud of to your next event.
- Website. Sure, you can spend a lot of time and money creating the perfect copy, design, and layout of your website, or you can go without one over the long haul it sometimes takes for the stars to align for this to happen, or you can take a cue from Nike and JUST DO IT. There are many no, or low-cost, options to create your own website. It may not be perfect (mine certainly wasn’t) but it can be tweaked and revised over time. My current site is very different than the one that existed only a short time ago. It’s just important to have one. You need to have a place for people to go to check out your business. It’s really that simple. Without a site, potential customers will likely go with someone who has one (even if theirs isn’t perfect!) Choose your website name AND PURCHASE THAT DOMAIN NAME so that no one else uses it.
- Opt-in. Once you’ve got a site, you need to have a way to capture visitors to your site who are interested in staying connected to your online communication. This means having an Opt-in mailing list where people can sign up to receive newsletters and other communication and news from you. Again, there are no, or low-cost, programs to do this. You can use tutorials on these sites to configure an opt-in mailing list system for your website or hire someone to do this for you. You can’t stay in contact with potential clients without email contact information and you must have their permission to do this.
- Free gift. When people give you their email address and allow you into their inbox, it’s a perfect opportunity to give them a gift in return for this privilege. There’s no better way to do this than to have a document, audio, or video of valuable content (your free gift) so people can get to know you and the quality of your work. It’s a great way to showcase your talent and expertise and allow them to begin to see what you will bring to them if they choose to work with you. When someone opts-in with their email, they should receive this gift automatically.
- Newsletter Sign-Up Sheet. While so much of what you do may happen online, when you attend networking events and workshops, it’s helpful to have a hard copy of a document where people can physically sign up for your newsletter and free gift. Many networking events provide a space for small displays that may include your business cards, any samples of your work and this sign-up sheet. Create and print something simple that captures their name and email address and then input these into your subscriber list as soon after your event as possible.
Make time today in your business to create, review, or revise these so that you can be ready for your next event. You’ll be so glad that you did! Let me know your thoughts and ideas in the comments below about how these and other systems help you to advance your business.
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