In this module:
Other Modules:
- Following up from a networking event
- Gaining a potential client’s commitment
- Warming up an old contact
- Phoning to arrange a meeting
- Using coaching skills with your client
- Leveraging client relationships
- What’s your target client thinking?
- Practical Challenges of Managing Clients
- Key Client Management ‘Best Practice’
- Conducting a post project review with client
Networking
Reasons to Network
Gaining and swapping knowledge
- Create a source of new employees
- Hear new ideas
- Share problems
- Develop ideas
- Identify better suppliers
- Access wider expertise
Social
- Meet people outside work environment
- Create new professional contacts – and friends
- Widen your personal network
- Meet like-minded people
- Improve your self-confidence
Security
- Increase awareness of yourself and the firm
- Provide a support system
- Meet potential new clients and employees
- Keep yourself in a job, by understanding the market better
Market Intelligence
- Get feedback on your services/products and reputation
- Obtain insight into other sectors and environments
- Keep your ‘ear to the ground’ on news and what’s happening
- Understand the market and what it wants
- Find ways into new markets
- Test new ideas
- Correct people’s wrong perceptions
- Keep abreast of trends
- Identify competitors and their activities
- Confirm that what you are doing is correct
Make New Contacts
- Create new networks
- Develop your ability to increase prospects
- Get round ‘gatekeepers’ by talking to decision-makers directly
- Open doors more easily
- Create shortcuts to the people you need to meet
- Generate business opportunities
- Get stronger referrals from third parties
- Increase your channels of opportunity
Develop Existing Client and Contact Relationships
- Feed your new business opportunity ‘pipeline’
- Keep existing clients by building closer relationships
- Get feedback on your services
- Find out about problems
- Show your interest in them
- Help you understand clients better
Raise Your Profile
- Make sure you are known
- Make your mark in your role/sector/specialism/geography
- Build firm and brand awareness
- Build trust in you and the firm
- Differentiate yourself from your competitors