Improve your odds of finding new clients

Friday, November 12, 2004

YOUR BUSINESS: Karen Marie Arel

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

In your quest for new clients and customers, it is important that you search in unconventional places. Make it a point to go places where you will not find your competition.

Ask yourself the following questions: Who are your customers? What are their likes and dislikes? Where do they spend their leisure time? Where do they spend their quality time?

Do they have families? Do they attend functions connected to their families? What events do they attend that are directly connected to their employment? Are your customers the owners of a business or the employees? Or both?

If you do not know the answers to these questions, then you may not know your customers. Take the time to get educated. The answers may open doors to new places for networking on a very informal basis.

There are standard networking events where everyone goes. But if you attend event after event and do not generate worthwhile connections, then you need to rethink your networking strategy. Perhaps you should have been at your son or daughter's ballgame, teacher/parent meeting, school concert or art show.

I have a friend who participated in a five-mile walk for asthma research and picked up six new customers for her business. She went where her competition did not, a place where she exercised, supported a cause and distributed business cards. She went a little early and stayed a little late, talking to people who were standing around waiting for the race to start or the awards to be presented.

Conversation naturally led to the question, "What do you do for work?" She enthusiastically shared information about her business.

When I was getting started in real estate, the secretary for our company suggested that I get involved as a volunteer at the local library. I served on the board, mixed cocktails at the fund-raising dance, and sorted books for the book sale. My picture often appeared in the newspaper, and the caption mentioned where I was employed.

Those photos, coupled with my involvement in other nonprofit organizations, opened many a door for me, and in real estate, open doors are very important. I often heard the comment, "If she is that committed and successful in her volunteer endeavors, just think of how hard she would work to sell my house."

When I moved to Kennebunk, I became involved as a volunteer for a number of organizations like Rotary, YMCA, and community recreation. Eventually, I volunteered for the Chamber of Commerce, and that volunteerism gave me an edge when I applied for the position of director.

My suggestion: When you join an organization, get involved, and serve on a committee, and whenever it is possible or prudent, chair a committee. You will be more than a name on a membership list.

When I moved to South Florida, I volunteered for one of the local chambers, as well as parks and recreation, and my local church. Those involvements opened a number of doors for me even in a city of several thousand.

Within six months after arriving, I was working on co-producing two countywide events and through those events I connected with the people who are on my real estate investing team, as well as the motivational speaker/author I promote and represent. It all started with a phone call to the chamber and attendance at a Business After Hours that very night.

On a final note, read the newspaper. Take notice of who has recently been elected to the board of a nonprofit, who holds an office at a local organization, and who has just purchased a business, relocated or received a promotion. Notice who is getting publicity and for what reason, and then send that person a congratulatory note with a copy of the article.

To build your business and your prospects, meet people and keep in touch.

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