The power of word of mouth

Networking an art of communication

Firstly, my apologies for a week’s absence, I was in the French Alps helping a friend promoting his business and website. Between falling off the ski slope and enjoying the taste of red wine, I haven’t totally forgotten about my blog readers. I usually carry a notepad and jot down any thoughts.

During my stay in the French Alps, I’ve been surrounded by holiday makers and business owners. In the beginning, when starting a business, it doesn’t matter what type of business you may have, it is vital to have a target audience. Networking is a fantastic method of gaining leads. In general conversation, I have gained business. Someone will ask “What do you do James?”, and they are excited to hear that I can build websites, because they may need a website or know someone who does.

After having a conversation with a few business owners, this great theory appeared. When you begin a business you need to spread the word about your business. At the start, you will have few people that know about your business, but as you spread the word, more people will discover your products and services and then your audience will expand.

How to promote your business or website through networking

The best way to promote your business or website is to tell as many people as possible. Your mission is to get as much coverage to your target audience. If you have a successful business or product, where the service is excellent and your customers are more than happy. Your customers will spread the word. Word of mouth is one of the best ways to promote a business.In the beginning, you will have a limited number of customers, however, as your quality of service increases so will your business.

Think about how many people you may come in contact with. You never know if they will need your product or service.  It is always wise to carry business cards also, because you will never know when you will need them.

Have you had any success stories with networking? Do you make the effort to network? Are you a blogger and do you network with other bloggers or even your competitors?