Networking Tips

We all want to grow our businesses. I have never talked to a business owner/entrepreneur who did not want their business to grow. What I have heard from some of these conversations about the ways they try to grow worries me. You have heard the expression “fake it til you make it”. This should not be a business growth strategy. Sometimes we have requests from clients who preface it by saying ‘you are so great at helping me with A&B, can you do C as well? Some of you may be so afraid of saying no, that the fake it temptation is strong. We don’t want our client s to find someone to do C because maybe that person will do A&B too and now you have lost the client. Unfortunately, that is a chance you may have to take. Lying to the client and saying you can handle something when you can’t is not the best approach to retention. It also adds a lot of stress to your life.

Another thing I see people doing when trying to grow is expanding services. When you try and add multiple services to your core business, especially services that are not related to your core, this can become confusing. If you do so much that I can’t remember everything you do, I may become overwhelmed and not sure whether to call you or not.

In the end, know what you know and admit when you don’t know something. Add value to you client by helping them find someone who does know about the extra service they are seeking. They are more likely to stick with you for A&B if you help them find someone for C and do not lie to them. Be a good resource for your clients. Remember honesty truly is the best policy.

Although as business owners we typically do not like to hear the words no, no thank you, not interested etc., sometimes those are the kindest words someone can say to us. We have all had this happen to us where we are trying to connect with someone, they say they are interested and then…nothing. You try to follow up and again they say yes, just been busy, will get back with you, give me a call next week, blah blah blah, and again…nothing. This is extremely frustrating and time consuming. When this happens it feels like you and your business are not being valued or respected. This is when you are happy to hear NO as the answer, so you can move on to more productive business growth activities.

If you have ever done this to another business, please know they did not value chasing you for your business. You also may have hurt your brand. Thinking you are sparing someone’s feelings by not saying no is having an opposite effect. Your reputation is now tarnished in their eyes and at some point down the road, if you do feel you would like to work with them or need their services, they will be hesitant to trust you.

Be honest. Just say no if you are not interested.

Watch my YouTube Channel  for more on this and other Business Networking Tips

Kevin Willett is the Author of One Connection How you can grow your business  (and change the world) one connection at a time. The business networking book is available on Amazon. Purchase One Connection on Amazon

Kevin is also the CEO of the Friends of Kevin Networking Group  and the New England B2B Networking Group. Please connect with him on social media to hear about his upcoming business networking events

One of the biggest mistakes you can make as an entrepreneur is not seeing the big picture. That’s not an easy thing to do when you are trying to start up a business. Not easy, but a must, as you need to have a vision for the future. For me it was not connecting with people who I felt did not fit my model. Five years down the road my model changed and those people I did not bother to connect with I now wanted to know. Those were wasted opportunities. Not connecting with people you don’t think you will do business with has another downside. Maybe they won’t be clients/customers, but they may know someone who can use your services!

So, instead of focusing on who can help your business today and only connecting with those people, focus on the big picture. Be open to everyone and watch your business grow!

Watch my YouTube Channel  for more on this and other Business Networking Tips

Kevin Willett is the Author of One Connection How you can grow your business  (and change the world) one connection at a time. The business networking book is available on Amazon. Purchase One Connection on Amazon

Kevin is also the CEO of the Friends of Kevin Networking Group  and the New England B2B Networking Group. Please connect with him on social media to hear about his upcoming business networking events

Kevin Willett says not to ghost in the first place!

The other day I received a message from someone who saw a business video I recently did about ghosting. The person stated that he had ghosted me in the past. At the time he did not think he had a need for my services, and he didn’t see value in starting a business relationship. Fast forward a couple of years and his thoughts have changed. Although the video I did was not about him, he was someone who ghosted me (Ghosting is when someone says they are interested in doing business with you but then never returns your calls or emails). Now he wanted to chat about working together. My first thought was, no thank you! But, you know what, what does that accomplish? Maybe he has changed, maybe he is sincere this time. So, I agreed to chat. I made it clear though that ghosting is not good for his business. Honesty is always a winner. So, if you do not want to do business, be honest and say so. If you do not want to receive email updates or invitations to events, just say so! That way, if things don’t work out and you call me again in two years, my first thought won’t be NO THANK YOU. Now we are chatting, he is going to try an event or two and we’ll see if we can help each other. I guess that means he is un-ghosted. 

Watch my YouTube Channel  for more on this and other Business Networking Tips

Kevin Willett is the Author of One Connection How you can grow your business  (and change the world) one connection at a time. The business networking book is available on Amazon. Purchase One Connection on Amazon

Kevin is also the CEO of the Friends of Kevin Networking Group  and the New England B2B Networking Group. Please connect with him on social media to hear about his upcoming business networking events

Kevin Willett says sometimes the money is not worth the headache

As business owners we obviously want as many clients as possible. But what happens if a client is not right for your business? Well, you have to be honest with yourself and the client. This is a hard thing to do. It is unnatural to turn away business. Honesty is best for all involved.

Let me give you an example. I run a networking group. If you want to join the group and be successful, I suggest we do video interviews, you attend a networking event, I promote you on social media, we pass referrals to one another. If you want to join my group but don’t want to do any of the above, then I don’t think the group will work for you. If this is the case, I am honest and tell you that. I don’t want you to be a part of my business and end up frustrated when the results are not what you desired. I don’t want to end up frustrated because I can’t help you.

We have all done it, taken on clients that are not a fit. Know what your strengths are, know who a good match for you will be and both you and the client will be much happier. Taking on clients just for the money can hurt your business in the long run. You may get a reputation as not providing results and business will decline. Focus on the people who are a match and you and the client will be happier. Happier client equal more referrals which leads to business growth!

Watch my YouTube Channel  for more on this and other Business Networking Tips

Kevin Willett is the Author of One Connection How you can grow your business  (and change the world) one connection at a time. The business networking book is available on Amazon. Purchase One Connection on Amazon

Kevin is also the CEO of the Friends of Kevin Networking Group  and the New England B2B Networking Group. Please connect with him on social media to hear about his upcoming business networking events

Kevin Willett says a broader focus can lead to bigger things

Business focus is an important aspect of being successful. Unfortunately, a lot of times I see people with a business focus that is too narrow. Everyday, I am online trying to connect to people. If someone watches/likes/shares a video of mine, I make sure to send a message and thank them. If I notice someone has viewed a profile or page of mine, I try to connect and see how I can help them. I am always inviting people to my networking events. You would not believe the number of times I get a response back saying they are not interested in networking or talking with other people unless they need their services. This focus on selling your services only is too narrow and not an easy path to growth. It’s all about business relationships in the end. We do not do business with people we do not know, like or trust. Building relationships can take time. Your focus needs to broaden and encompass that. The more relationships you take the time to build, the more referrals you will get and the bigger your business will grow. Aren’t referrals a lot easier than cold calling for sales?

So please stop keeping your focus on potential clients only. You are missing so many opportunities. Expand your focus and take the time to build relationships through networking and gaining referral partners. Make yourself a resource to others as well and your name will be the first to come up when someone is looking for your services.

Watch my YouTube Channel  for more on this and other Business Networking Tips

Kevin Willett is the Author of One Connection How you can grow your business  (and change the world) one connection at a time. The business networking book is available on Amazon. Purchase One Connection on Amazon

Kevin is also the CEO of the Friends of Kevin Networking Group  and the New England B2B Networking Group. Please connect with him on social media to hear about his upcoming business networking events

Kevin Willett says when you set goals and take action, your dreams can come true

It’s that time of year again where we need to figure out what the next year will have in store for ourselves and our businesses. There are goals that we set that we will try hard to hit. There are dreams of how we want the next year to look like. How do we get there? It starts with a plan. I have a big goal for the upcoming year. To reach this goal I will have to invest some extra money, step outside my comfort zone, and put in a lot of extra effort. There is no guarantee that these steps will make my goal reachable, which can be a scary thought, but I am going to follow the plan I have laid out and see what happens. If I am successful, my dream, or vision of how I want my business to look, will be that much closer.

What are your dreams and goals? Do not be afraid to chase them. Do the research, make a plan and go for it. Seek help when you need it. Keep moving forward.

Watch my YouTube Channel  for more on this and other Business Networking Tips

Kevin Willett is the Author of One Connection How you can grow your business  (and change the world) one connection at a time. The business networking book is available on Amazon. Purchase One Connection on Amazon

Kevin is also the CEO of the Friends of Kevin Networking Group  and the New England B2B Networking Group. Please connect with him on social media to hear about his upcoming business networking events

Kevin Willett says to respect yourself and respect your value

I had someone contact me recently about running ads on my website. I gave her my price, she asked for a lower price. I respectfully declined and she could not understand why. I told her my other advertisers were all paying the rate that I offered her. How could I justify to them that she was getting a lower rate? People talk and you know that someone would find out. Then, going forward, if someone wanted to place an ad, they too would want a special rate.

I understand that sometimes “sales” and “specials” are a necessary cost of business. Maybe sales are sluggish, and you want to give them a boost. Revenue is down and you need an up month. OK, as a business owner you must do what needs to be done. But understand that by discounting your product or service you are conditioning customers to de-value what you are offering them. Discounting lessens the perceived (and therefore, actual) value of your product or service.

Do you have a hard time saying no or letting a deal fall through so you give in and give away discounts? Instead, simply say “I’m sorry but we don’t offer discounts. We believe that our service/product offers more value for your money and it will be unfair to our other customers if we make an exception.” If the customer/client gives you a hard time or is aggressively persistent, maybe they are not the right customer /client for you.

In the end, respect yourself and respect your value.

Watch my YouTube Channel  for more on this and other Business Networking Tips

Kevin Willett is the Author of One Connection How you can grow your business  (and change the world) one connection at a time. The business networking book is available on Amazon. Purchase One Connection on Amazon

Kevin is also the CEO of the Friends of Kevin Networking Group  and the New England B2B Networking Group. Please connect with him on social media to hear about his upcoming business networking events

Kevin Willett is always building his brand and you should be too.

When is the best time to build your brand? The answer is Now. It doesn’t matter if these are busy times or slow times for you. Always work on building your brand. How do you do that? Exposure is one of the best ways. Be seen. Whether you are out and about or online, show up and show off your brand. Educate people on what you can do and how you can help them. The more they know, the more comfortable they are with you, the likelier they are to choose to do business with you. Posting on social media, FB Live videos and of course networking are some of my favorite and easiest ways to build my brand.  

Watch my YouTube Channel  for more on this and other Business Networking Tips

Kevin Willett is the Author of One Connection How you can grow your business  (and change the world) one connection at a time. The business networking book is available on Amazon. Purchase One Connection on Amazon

Kevin is also the CEO of the Friends of Kevin Networking Group  and the New England B2B Networking Group. Please connect with him on social media to hear about his upcoming business networking events

Kevin Willett says being a good salesman includes selling yourself

We need to take risks as entrepreneurs. The bigger the risk, the harder the decision and the more time it will take to make it. For example, if something is low cost and may or may not work for you, would you try it? You probably would because the risk was low. Quick decision. If something were of a higher cost, you would probably take more time, think of the pluses and minuses, weigh your options against your finances and more.

Okay, now switch sides. You are trying to sell your services; they are costly, and you are getting frustrated with slow turn around. Think about who you are selling to. You may feel the cost of your services is a steal, low risk investment. That may not be how your potential client sees it. The value of money is different for everyone. How do you make it worth it for the client? You have to sell yourself as well. Telling someone about all the great things you can do for them is nice, but they also have to feel comfortable with you. It goes back to the Know, Like and Trust I have tried to educate you on so many times in prior blogs. Sales may be what grows your business, and you feel that it your main job, but making potential clients comfortable with you and your product, giving them space and understanding their situation, building the relationship is more important. Do not get frustrated, do not get angry. Enjoy the journey. In the end you’ll have a happy client and new friend.

Watch my YouTube Channel  for more on this and other Business Networking Tips

Kevin Willett is the Author of One Connection How you can grow your business  (and change the world) one connection at a time. The business networking book is available on Amazon. Purchase One Connection on Amazon

Kevin is also the CEO of the Friends of Kevin Networking Group  and the New England B2B Networking Group. Please connect with him on social media to hear about his upcoming business networking events