Many years ago, a Washington Post columnist wrote an op-ed about how famous he had become. Taking the train back from New York after a conference, he was pleasantly surprised by the number of people who recognized him and greeted him by name. When he arrived back in Washington feeling pretty good about himself, his wife observed that he'd forgotten to remove his name badge.
As the columnist discovered, few of us attain rock star status in the business world. And since affixing a label to clothing works best if you make athletic apparel, solo practitioners need to find other strategies to build name recognition and, by extension, our client portfolios.
I did a targeted mass mailing each of the first two years I was in business. While it only netted one client, it did something else equally valuable: It got my name out. On a number of occasions, I met government relations people who would observe that they'd heard of my business. With that, I was one step ahead of the game.
While mass mailings may have a role to play in establishing a business, they're obviously not the key to sustainability. One thing that is: networking. While different people may take different approaches, no independent consultant or small business owner can survive without spending at least a little time making the rounds. I've talked to some colleagues who routinely go to three or four programs a week, and others who may get to a couple a month. I tend to go to fewer group events and happy hours than some of my colleagues, but I'm always meeting people one-on-one for coffee to explore options and build up my network.
The right approach for you may depend on how many billable hours you have in a given week, whether an event is likely to draw people you want to meet, family and other non-work responsibilities, and—let's face it—location. We're all far more likely to go somewhere we can get to quickly and relatively hassle free.
Karen Ferraro, principal consultant at AKLYN & Co. in Bellport, New York, believes that your networking approach should vary at different stages of a business. "When you first start out, it's important to attend as many events as you can. This allows you to test your value proposition and your message in a safe place where everyone's doing the same thing."
Now that Ferraro's been in business for a while, she is very selective. "I choose three high-priority organizations, and spend time going to events that make sense: where the topic is on point, where the presenter is interesting, and where others likely to attend are people I would benefit from meeting."
Some people rely on structured networking groups, which draw people from different small businesses together for the sole purpose of lead generation (e.g., a plumber, a lawyer, a dry cleaner, a financial analyst, an insurance salesman and a communication consultant). Joyce Litwin Zimmerman, president of Joywriter Communications in East Meadows, New York, has belonged to such a group for about three years.
"My group meets twice a month for breakfast, and our group leader gives tips on books to read and strategies to promote our businesses," says Zimmerman. "And then we give updates on what we've been doing and who we've been trying to approach for business." The process has, over time, netted her both direct leads and the kind of secondary leads that send you off in the right direction.
Of course, building a business isn't about networking alone. So what other tactics have worked?
- Advertising. Lisa Bass, managing director of e-MediaPro in Washington, D.C., reports that she has had success in placing small ads in weekly community newspapers. "It takes a long-term commitment," says Bass, "but it helped build name recognition for the company and led to new business."
- Speaking engagements. Lisa Renee Pomerantz, a business development and dispute resolution attorney in Sayville, New York, speaks to business audiences about once a month. "It took me a while to figure out the best kinds of forums to speak at," she says. "I appear mostly before sophisticated business-to-business audiences where the issues are more complex and where what I bring to the table can be most helpful."
Karen Ferraro also likes speaking engagements. "They're a wonderful way to promote what I do and my value proposition," says Ferraro. At the same time, she cautions that speaking engagements "are not instant gratification. They are a long-term investment, because people remember people who have something of value to say."
- Newsletters. It may be hard to make your e-newsletter stand out from the crowd (or even get read), but if you are successful it can help you grow your business. "My newsletter gives me a way to stay in touch with the people I meet that's informative and not sales-based," says Pomerantz, who also relies on her newsletter to promote her speaking engagements.
- Articles. While Karen Ferraro has written articles for national trade associations, she primarily writes for local publications. One of her favorites: a newsletter whose audience is composed entirely of companies based on Long Island. In other words, she's getting her name in front of the very companies she wants to forge relationships with.
Finally, when it comes to building name recognition and your business, it's important to remember that different approaches will work at different times and in different markets. For example I've read lots of books that talk about the importance of cold calling. While picking up the phone may be an effective tactic in some markets, decision makers in Washington rely on their assistants to screen their calls. If I'd tried that strategy, I'd still be looking for my first client.
Daria Steigman runs Steigman Communications, a results-oriented public affairs and communication firm that helps position companies, nonprofits and international organizations for success. She is also president of IABC/Washington. She can be reached at +1 202.244.7651 or steigman@erols.com.
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