We all attend multiple Holiday Parties for family, work
and for our friends. Look at each of these as opportunities to network.
We all know how taxing these get after the 3rd one, but if it increases
your bottom line, then it's worth it.
1. Events to think about attending
- Friends/Neighborhood parties
- Corporate events
- Industry get-togethers
- Year-end Chamber mixers
2. Networking advice
- First and foremost, you need to attend these functions to get in front of people.
- Take business cards and a pen and don’t be afraid to use them! Remember to ask others for theirs as well.
- Don’t be embarrassed to wear a name tag. Always introduce yourself and use your new friends name in conversation to remember it.
- Don’t be a wallflower. Approach people and go out of your way to meet new people.
- Find tactful opportunities to tell people what you sell online.
- Actively listen when meeting someone but remember to move on, there are a lots of new people to meet!
- Follow up via email with everyone you meet! It is professional and you never know what may come of it.
3. Keep The Momentum All Year Long
Remember to take advantage of all this hard work you are doing. Now that you have built a customer base and a network, leverage it. You should reach out to customers and fans a couple times a year and keep the conversation going. Keeping these connections alive will increase customer loyalty and increase your bottom line.
Tip: Creating Customer Loyalty
Loyalty
is not about short-term promotional strategies or appreciation programs
that are launched today and forgotten about tomorrow. It needs to be
about ongoing customer interactions that consistently exceed the needs
and expectations of your customers, even if they are online. Build
loyalty through engaging your customers and winning their commitment.
This can be measured in customer satisfaction, retention, referrals,
sales and profits. Read more here.
Photo Credit: Fashion Copious
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