Six Ways to Play it Forward in Networking (Part 1)
As most of us know, karma is real. What you put into the world is what you get out of it. In the world of networking, Play it Forward means helping others build their business in hopes of them helping grow yours. Sharing the links for your fellow professionals is the way to go.
Selflessness is a virtue and it is a trait that is becoming increasingly prevalent in the world of networking. Entrepreneurs are realizing that as they create opportunities for other professionals, their actions are reciprocated.
In this six part series, we’ve put together a list of the most effective ways for you to play it forward. This selfless act will in return help bring new business your way.
Sharing links for others
Since the pandemic, most entrepreneurs have taken their businesses online and now offer their services virtually. The challenge has now become how to market themselves effectively, especially on social media.
There are groups on LinkedIn and Facebook as well as searchable hashtags on platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. These groups enable us to share business links to prospects that fit our demographics as well as location preferences. If one would like to expand their business in California, they can share their links on a Facebook group like this one.
Three types of posts that you can share
Instead of sharing your own links, try sharing the link of a person you’d like to network with. If you’re a mortgage broker, for example share the link for a realtor you’d like to partner up with. Make sure you post in certain groups that will put the realtor in front of prospects hoping to live in the area that they cover.
You may want to also share links that cover a few aspects of their business. If we stick to the realtor example, you can share links that promote their services as a listing agent. This may entice those who are considering selling their home to choose your trusted realtor. You can also share links that will promote their services as a buying agent. These types of posts may entice those who are moving to the area and are looking for a realtor.
Another out of the box idea would be to create a post in business groups that you’re looking for a financial advisor. Financial advisors love partnering up with realtors to share clients, and your post will introduce one to your realtor. In the world of networking, these are called connections and they are the gifts that keep on giving.
Additionally, you’ll find that sharing a link to your realtor’s Facebook business page, LinkedIn, Instagram, or even TikTok would be helpful. As their followers grow, the platform will recommend their profile to other users looking for those services. Engagement, although indirect, is a great way to help the realtor that you’re trying to build a relationship with.
Make it known that you’re sharing
Next, you’ll want to let the realtor know that you’ve shared their links. They’ll know that your efforts may bring them new clients. We help others in hopes that others help us in return, so make it known that you’ve played it forward for them.
Don’t hesitate to ask for a playback, as most people need to be asked before they act. Networkers know that if they play it back to you, you’ll continue sharing their links too. This will further increase the chances of securing each other prospects or connections.
The App that Simplifies Sharing on Social Media
Fortunately, there’s a California-based company called MNO that developed an app that makes all what we recommended to do easier, faster, and more effective in getting it all done. The MNO Member app allows members to create what are called feature links which are then shared by their fellow members across social media with just one click of the button.
Feature links can be created to build a member’s social media profile likes, locate them new clients, or connect them with other professionals who can recommend each other to their clients.
What’s also great about the app is that a notification is sent out to the member whose link is shared letting them know that that member has shared their links. This notification is designed to entice the member to play it back to their fellow member and share their link in return.
If you’d like to visit an MNO chapter and promote your business via a fun and engaging hour-long networking zoom, click here and register to attend. You’ll also get a tour of the MNO Member App and hear from all the members how they played it forward for each other.
MNO App posts directly to any platform
Next Article: Part 2. Sessions
There are so many other great ways to play it forward in the world of networking. Next month we will cover how sessions can be a great way to play it forward and build your business.
Six Ways to Play it Forward in Networking (Part 2): MNO Sessions
The second installment of our blog series will focus on the difference between regular meetings and MNO sessions.
A session is when a professional meets with another professional in order to build relationships.
What are MNO Sessions?
But what’s the difference between regular meetings and MNO Sessions? Well, the MNO session has a few added elements than just a conversation or presentation.
Each professional has a list of questions that their fellow professional can ask about their own business. Moreover, these member questionnaires serves as a way to elaborate more on what they in a more engaging way. This question/answer format encourages more interaction between the members and keeps the questioner plugged in. The two members takes 25 minutes on each others’ session questionnaires.
The 10 remaining minutes of the hour long MNO session allows each of the members to like and invite their Facebook pages or other external sites.
In addition to liking and inviting a couple of friends to like or follow, the two members can give each other an online review or testimonial.
If a member thinks of a friend or family member that may be interested in their member’s service, music, or upcoming event, they can qualify these leads by reaching out to them inquiring about their service.
If they respond with an interest in connecting with your fellow member, make that introduction and BOOM there’s a referral to your member. When you pass a referral to someone, you’ve created a window of opportunity for you to receive referrals from that member.
The 10-minute activities portion of the session ensures that we are putting words into action.
LMNO: Sessions
MNO offers a more in-depth training on MNO Sessions via their online trainings LMNO. You can become a member of MNO and access their numerous networking trainings including LMNO Sessions. It starts with a visit to any one of their networking meetings that they hold throughout the week.
MNO: The Alternative to Traditional Networking
Fortunately, there’s a California-based company called MNO that developed an app that makes all what we suggested possible. The MNO Member App allows members to share others’ links across social media in a more effective way than ads.
Members create and share each others’ links through the app on social media in order to build each others’ business.
What’s also great about the app is that it sends out helpful notifications. This notification is designed to entice the member to play it back to their fellow member and share their link in return.
If you’d like to visit an MNO chapter and promote your business one of our networking zooms, click here and register to attend. You can also visit their Facebook page to learn more. These zooms give a glimpse of the MNO Member App as well as a chance to meet other professionals.
A screenshot of the MNO Member App
MNO App posts directly to any platform
Next Article: Part 3 – Referrals & Business Bucks
There are so many other great ways to play it forward in the world of networking. Next month, we will cover how giving referrals can be a great way to play it forward and build your business.
Six Ways to Play it Forward in Networking (Part 3): Referrals
The third installment of our blog series will focus on what referrals are and also how to generate them.
Professionals define referrals in many different ways, but we hope that our definition of a referral helps you understand the importance of passing referrals to others
What are referrals?
Most entrepreneurs and business owners are usually happy to add more clients to their business. Moreover, they’d rather bring on more clients with as little expense and effort as possible. In the world of networking, referrals are the cheapest and most effective way to build your business. There are two types of referrals: prospects referrals and connection referrals. Each referral type has its own definition and benefits, but they do share two elements that qualify them as referrals. But first, what are the differences between a prospect and a connection?
Prospect Referrals
Prospect referrals quite simply are potential clients who may sign up to use a professional’s services. Depending on the professional, a prospect may be either a business, an individual or both. But in a nutshell, a prospect pays for the professional’s services and in turn becomes their client. When joining a referral group like MNO, members pass each other prospect referrals to help build each others’ businesses. Aside from referral groups, professionals can pass each other prospect referrals as a way to help their fellow professionals but also those that they refer.
Top prospects are identifying factors of your typical clients so that others can easily source them for you. Identifying your top prospects should be a priority as an entrepreneur or business owner because these identifying factors are what your referral group members should be looking for. Examples of top prospects could be California businesses with 50 or less employees, empty nesters located in the Tustin area, or medical professionals in the California area.
Connection Referrals
Connections referrals are what we call the gift that keeps on giving. Unlike prospect referrals, connection referrals are not directly in need of the professionals services. Rather, they are introduced to the professionals so that they can partner up and recommend each others’ services to their clients. When joining a referral group like MNO, members pass each other connection referrals as an effort to help expand the network of trusted professionals for each other outside of their respective groups.
Top connections are certain professions who are able to refer business to you as part of their process of onboarding or nurturing clients. Typically, they are professions in the same industry who do not compete, but in fact whose services complement each other. An example of top connections would be CPAs and financial advisor or realtors and mortgage lenders. These top connections can easily recommend each others’ clients without risk of losing business. In fact, recommending each other helps build their own brands as being the go-to professionals for any needs that their clients may have.
Referrals’ two requirements
Before passing a referral to a fellow professional, you’ll want to satisfy two requirements: the need and the intro. Without satisfying both requirements the opportunity is merely a lead, and we do not advise passing leads to each other.
The Need
Even though the prospect may fit all the identifying factors for the person you’re referring to, they may not have a need for their services. An example of that is when referring a home owner to mortgage broker when they’d just signed mortgage docs three weeks prior. Establishing the need is extremely important since it prevents wasting both parties’ time. Establishing the need also applies to a connection referral. This is because they may already have an exclusive partnership with someone else and would have no need to connect.
The Introduction
Without making a formal introduction between a professional and a prospect, you’ll make it extra difficult for the professional to connect with them. For example, if you give the professional a prospect’s contact info, the prospect may never respond. But when you connect them on an email, text, or a phone call you’re bettering the chance of them connecting. The same thing applies to connections; it’s best to make introductions to keep both parties accountable in connecting with each other.
MNO: The Alternative to Traditional Networking
Fortunately, there’s a California-based company called MNO that developed an app that makes all what we suggested possible. The MNO Member App allows members to share others’ links across social media in a more effective way than ads.
Members create and share each others’ links through the app on social media in order to build each others’ business. Members also use the app to log all referrals passed between each other. In turn, members are able to log business bucks that are generated by these referrals. These logs help elevate the stature of members who play it forward to others, and this stature helps bring referrals their way. This is because there’s an understanding that they are a professional networker and know how to pass referrals to others.
If you’d like to visit an MNO chapter and promote your business one of our networking zooms, click here and register to attend. You can also visit their Facebook page to learn more. These zooms give a glimpse of the MNO Member App as well as a chance to meet other professionals.
