18-Mar-2011
How to Network London’s Video Production Industry PART 2
Here’s the last of my top tips on networking the video production industry:
Be Genuine.
Everyone knows when someone is "schmoozing" on or at them. And, no one likes being "primed" for the pump. Be genuine in your interactions with others at an event. Again, it comes back to building trust, to building "brand YOU". There is a huge difference between being INTERESTED and in trying to be INTERESTING. When you are interested in learning about someone and their business entirely for the sake of learning about the other person, you will leave a lasting impression as someone who genuinely cares. On the other hand, when you are interested only so that you can take what you learn and then use it to make yourself or your products interesting to this person , you have slipped into the category of "scorched earth networking" and it is not a good place to be. Keep in mind that networking is about being genuine and authentic, building trust and relationships in the London video production industry and see how you can help others.
Teach/Don't Sell.
A good networker knows that the immediate sale of a product is not the goal in networking. Networking is about building relationships with people who will be happy to tell others about who you are and what you do. Word of mouth advertising is the most cost effective and powerful advertising. At every opportunity, teach others about who you are, as a person, and what it is that you do. Always present a clear emphasis on the type of client that you are looking for. In doing this, you will be building a salesforce that can reach far wider than you can on your own.
Follow up.
After anywhere you’ve meet people within London’s video production industry, send an email to each person that you had direct contact with. Mention something from your discussion in the email (it helps if you jot notes on the back of each person's business card that you collect). If there is a referral that you can supply to someone you've just met, include that in the follow up email. Showing up and following up are the two most important parts of networking. Showing up, in most cases, is the easy part. The follow up is, sadly, the most neglected part of networking. Since so many people fail to follow up, you can really stand out by just doing this simple act of reaching out to remind someone of who you are and what you do ... and that you are interested in exploring a relationship. Call those you meet who may benefit from what you do and vice versa. Express that you enjoyed meeting them, and ask if you could get together and share ideas.
Follow through quickly and efficiently on referrals you are given, the London video production industry is flooded and ruthless. When people give you referrals, your actions are a reflection on them. Respect and honor that and your referrals will grow.
Follow up some more!
Depending on where you look, marketing statistics state that it takes 7 to 12 impressions for a consumer to make a buying decision. It also take’s somewhere between 5 to 12 impressions to become "top of mind". AND those are the OLD numbers. Because of the overload of information that we are all faced with every day, the number of impressions is actually quite higher. It is more likely to take 15 - 20 impressions before you make the connections that you are looking to build! Meeting face to face is the 1st impression. An email, a phone call, another card, a lunch date ... don't stop after 1 or 2 impressions. If your to survivor and prosper in London’s video production network you MUST build strong relationships, dig deep and make the continued effort to build ongoing relationships.
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