I was down in Texas about six weeks ago with a client of mine and that morning we had set a goal for both her (Carol) and their salesperson (Liesel) to do four BLB’s each month.
We went to a networking event just down from their office at lunch time that day and I watched as Carol walked up to a designer she had briefly met before.
She confidently said (in her Texas way) “Hey, do you want to have a BLB with me?”
Of course, the person responded with, “What the heck is a BLB?”
Carol replied back, “It stands for Breakfast, Lunch, or Beer – which one sounds good to you?”
“Beer sounds great!” the designer replied…
Carol went on to explain that a goal of her’s each month, because of her pain in the butt coach (that’s me, Kyle…) is to do four BLB’s with people she’d like to get to know better. They set a date to get together and it was done just like that!
By using the term BLB, it peaks the person’s interest and always gets a chuckle after it’s explained.
And why am I having Carol & Liesel take time out of their busy schedule to have these meetings? Because I know that through these BLB’s they will start relationships with people who they can help (and, believe it or not…) they may start seeing some referrals come back their way.
Does this sound doable? Absolutely.
Does this sound simple? You bet.
And guess what: The great majority of remodelers don’t actively network and reach out to people they know (or want to know) to build relationships and uncover opportunities.
However, a pattern that I see with the top remodelers in our industry is that they take networking seriously. They’re always looking for ways to strengthen the relationship they have with referral sources and partners and are always expanding their list of contacts.
How much time are you willing to invest in your network? Therein lies the answer to how successful networking will be for you.
As marketing expert Jay Abraham says: “The more people you talk with, network with, develop a relationship with, the more opportunities and insights you will have. Opening one door leads to dozens of other doors … Opening dozens of doors leads to hundreds of others.”
Who are you going to network with today? (No, seriously, comment below and tell me who!) Take action, my friend!
And if you need a little accountability and coaching to make sure you get done what you know needs to get – grab a complementary Strategy Session with me here.
Kyle — I LOVE your BLB approach! Brilliant! My own is called Coffee Lunch Coffee. Same deal… sans the beer, but I may have to adopt your approach instead. Great to find a kindred spirit. Keep up the good work.
Cheers!
Alana Muller
@alanamuller
We attend many networking events around our area on a regular basis and meet with different business owners. Since we started doing that our business has grown tremendously. By showing your face and establishing a relationship with other business owners it not only establishes credibility but those other biz owners will have no trouble referring you to their clients as well.
Hector Morales
eliterenovatorsllc.com