Don’t Assume People Know What You Do
ByI’ve heard time and again that you can’t assume people remember what you do. It’s one of the cornerstones of BNI and any other networking group you belong to. You
Don't Assume!
need to show up to give people a chance to know, like and trust you. And you need to keep showing up so they remember you.
I had this point driven home to me last week. On Tuesday I posted an update on LinkedIn, including a link to free ebook on internet marketing I created with some JV partners. About an hour later I received an email from a colleague asking if I do training on internet marketing and social media.
My first thought was “What?!? How can he not know this?” But I realized it’s true. You need to keep showing up because your prospects and customers won’t remember what you do unless they need what you do right now.
So keep going to those networking meetings. Keep posting to LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. Keep sending your email newsletter. Keep showing up. Because you never know when your message or your face will show up at just the right moment – when someone needs your products or services and is ready to buy.
Andrea J. Stenberg
P.S. In case you are wondering the result: I met with this man and it looks like I will have two long-term clients as a result of this one update on LinkedIn. And of course, the ongoing networking I’d done previously with this guy.
So how about you? Leave a comment and share your thoughts and experiences with people not knowing what you do when you thought they already did.
It’s also important to be specific when you introduce yourself. If I tell someone I’m a virtual assistant, they often assume I do appointment scheduling and other admin work, which I don’t (although I know lots of VAs who do). Now I say that I help professional organizers with their blogs – including WordPress installation and maintenance, custom theme design, suggesting and researching blog topic ideas, proofreading, editing, ghost writing, formatting, etc.
Janet,
You are so right. The more specific you are, the easier it is for people to know if they need your products/services OR if someone they know needs them.
Thanks for your feedback.
It is good when you are preparing your “elevator speech” to highlight the benefits to the customer, and those should cover the things you most want to do and are the most profitable for you. And you have made a great point, consistancy is key, you can’t just make a single effort and sit back and wait, you have to keep working at getting your message out.