You know it’s very important to your success, but do you do it with forethought and a strong in situ strategy, or just “wing it?”
Of course, most of us are squarely in the category of winging it, but there are some quick and easy improvements that you can make that will put even your most important networking tasks on autopilot.
Outsource the research: First step, hire a VA who can find and connect you with potential JV partners, affiliates, guest interviews, and all the other marketing options at your disposal.
He or she can spend an hour or two on Google with a list of requirements in hand and bring back a list of hundreds of people that you can then reach out to. What would a list of 100—or even 10—new JV partners do to help you develop your business?
Automate the initial connection: Create a script or email template to use when you first reach out to potential partners. Your VA can send this in an email or make a call on your behalf, but having the script in place will accomplish two things:
- The process will be much faster than if you have to think about what to say.
- You’ll be able to tweak the script as you go to get better results. Just like you split test your emails, you can test your outreach process as well.
Automate the follow-up: At the risk of sounding like a broken record, create an email or phone script to help speed the process. You or your VA (or your email autoresponder series) can send out a series of emails to follow up on that initial connection.
Automate your scheduling: Using a service such as TimeTrade or ScheduleOnce, You can easily set up your calendar of interviews, webinars and so on with your preferred times. Give your JV partners a link to book time with you, and the meetings will automatically appear on your calendar. No more endless back and forth to discuss potential meeting times, just a single button, and your partner can choose the time that works for both of you.
Here’s a suggestion though: be sure to use your calendar wisely, because if you’re not you are increasing the chances of someone scheduling time with you when you’re already committed to another.
Is it going to take a little time to get these systems in place? Clearly. But once you do, you’ll find it much easier and more organised to attract and collaborate with JV partners, guest experts and others. Not only that, you’ll be able to focus on creating new programs and services with the money you save. Or maybe just hang out a little bit with the family. You deserve a little time off.
