If you look at the Internet, you will find a wide array of marketing tools online that helps you to sell your product. The main aim for this is to drive traffic to your website and letting people know of your services and ultimately getting them sold. Twitter is one of the most powerful social networking tools that help you to drive traffic to your website.

Today there are several people who come to the Internet who have never used it before. They use various other ways for accessing information, other than just the search engines. This implies that if you wish to get business from them then you have to be easily available through other sources than the search engines.

Paid advertising is popular but it always doesn’t work because there are many people who use the search engines. Today online marketing is widely done by tools such as blogging, social book marking, and social networking. They form an important part of successful promotion by internet marketing.

Social networking sites are gaining much popularity when it comes to Internet marketing. There are several websites such as Google+, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook which are used by professionals for business promotions and brand popularity. The basic concept of marketing through social networking is that you can get visible, interact with like minded people, draw traffic more to your website ad let prospective clients know about the services that you offer.

If you are into serious business then one of the most important prerequisites for you would be to get attention from the target audiences. Earlier people used to conduct seminars, conference, and organize events in order to promote their business and raise their visibility. These cost a lot to the companies. Today, there is an easier way to grow your online business, and that is through the use of social networking sites.

If you are in business and wish to promote your business, make your brand popular, do marketing and get clients then it is necessary that you choose a business networking site to promote yourself. Among the several social networking sites available, one of the most popular one among them that is seriously used for business networking is LinkedIn.com.

LinkedIn.com offers you the opportunity to create your own profile and it is up to you how impressive you make it. In order to make it more impressive and attract attention, it is impotent that you add a brief about your business, add a link to your website, and add pictures and videos. Your profile will be visited by various professionals in your field. Your profile should be such that they get interested to explore your business further.

Some of the things that you must try doing in LinkedIn.com to raise your visibility and get noticed are the following:

Adding a professional headline to your profile is bound to catch attention. Under your name, add your title and something about what you do. This will immediately catch the attention of other people and make you more visible.

Another way to promoter your business through LinkedIn.com, is to participate in the LinkedIn.com/Answers. Here you can display your knowledge and expertise on your field and grab people’s attention. Whenever you answer a question, your professional headline will flash giving out your identity and this will increase your popularity.

2. If they give a company name…What do you do at _______ Company? (or If they
give a job description, what got you into _____ (that line of work)?

3. Do you work primarily in ______ (this geographic area) or outside the area?

4. Who is your ideal customer or client?

5. What makes you different from others (in your business)?

6. If appropriate, ask about any current trends, law changes, or business climate
issues about what they do? (it is important to keep up on current events to be able
to speak intelligently)

7. What brought you out to this particular event? (Function, workshop, Etc…if it is not obvious)

8. Do you know (or have you met) many people here?

9. Who are you looking to meet or what kind of connections would be beneficial?

10. If they know many people and you do not (a)
If you know people and they do not (b)
a. Ask, “Would you mind introducing me to a few people” ( be prepared to
tell them who or what type people you want to meet)
b. Would you like for me to introduce you to some people? Who would you
like to meet? (you should have some idea of this already from your
conversation and earlier questions)

*Success Essentials Key 1:
Only ask questions for which you really want to know the answer.

**Success Essentials Key 2: Tailor the questions to fit the conversation…it is rare that you would ever want to ask exactly as above.

***Success Essentials Key 3:
When they speak, listen with the intent to understand not just reply
“If you want more help with effective networking, Join NEN and attend a networking training class or webinar. Practice does NOT make perfect; perfect practice makes perfect, so make sure your are practicing what gets results.”
~Thomas Fulmer
 

     When you hear the word networking, what picture comes to mind? Is it the after hours party where people get together after work, have drinks, have fun and socialize? Is it going to a formal business group, sitting around a table, taking turns standing up and giving a 60 second commercial about what you do and who you want to meet?
      Everyone has their own idea of what networking is and how successful it has been,but few invest the time to determine how to network more effectively or more
importantly how to make networking start working for you.
While it’s important to know the right things to do while networking, it’s equally
important to have the right mind-set about networking.

Let’s look at some of the essential elements necessary to ensure networking success:
     1. What’s in it for me? Clearly define what you want and expect.
Anyone who is networking, or considering it, is doing it for a reason. So, the first thing is define your purpose in networking. Are you seeking out new business, looking to build referral relationships for business, making connections to get better known, to enhance your reputation, or perhaps to make strategic alliance connections? You may also be networking to meet new people in the community, to help a charitable organization, to make friends, or just for fun. There are two important points here.
     a. Clearly defining your purpose will help you choose which groups or events to
attend and will help you decide on what approach (value propositions) to use.
     b. Different people are networking for many different reasons. Being open to
listening to what they want will help you connect with them more effectively and they will in turn be more open to helping you – The Law of Reciprocity.
Network with a goal in mind and make sure your efforts are moving you in the right
direction. And remember that if you help others reach their goals they will help you
reach yours.
   
     2. Create a compelling value proposition
When networking, many people spend a majority of their time talking about their own products, services, organizations, or needs. And let’s face it, for the most part the person you are talking to is thinking, Don’t care…Don’t care…Don’t care! You may have heard the John Maxwell quote, “people don’t care what you know until they know how much you care.” An effective value proposition conveys your
understanding of another person’s problem, challenge, or concern. Simply stated, a
value proposition is a solutions-based statement of the problem, concern, or
challenge others face and how to resolve it.

     Example: SALES APPROACH VS. VALUE PROPOSITION
     a. Alarm sales Rep1: “Hi I am Security Bob and I provided security systems,
cameras, keyless entry systems for homes and businesses. We have a special today
for…” sound familiar?
     b. Alarm sales Rep2: “Did you see on the news where that family’s home was
broken into yesterday and just before the kids got home from school? Those kind of things can really make you think “have I done everything I can do to protect my family?” That’s really why I do what I do. I provide both piece of mind and protection for families from intrusion, fire, or break-in in the home.”

Do these approaches have a different affects when you read them? The better you
know your audience or the person with whom you are talking the better value
propositions you can create and the more effective you will be as a networker.   

     3. Be visible…be the expert
Ivan Misner, founder of BNI stated it this way “visibility + credibility = profitability.”
Becoming visible, credible, and profitable takes a certain skill set. Things like
participating in monthly mixers hosted by your local chamber of commerce or
entrepreneur network, writing a regular column in your local newspaper or community magazine, or sponsoring a charity event are a few things that make you visible.
     As you become more and more visible in your business community, you’ll develop credibility (if you use value propositions and learn to communicate effectively). People will then recognize that you’re here for the long haul, and you’ll begin to receive quality referrals. So look for opportunities to make you more visible.
    4. Get out of your comfort zone.
Great networkers (and successful people) are made not born. Be willing to step out of your comfort zone and look for opportunities to learn and grow. You will benefit from networking with people from a variety of groups, backgrounds, or points of view. And remember that you may not sell to the people with whom you network but you can sell through them by building referral relationships. You can continue to do what you
have always done and get the same results or you can do what it takes to get where you want to go.
     5. Got High Tech? (Don’t lose High Touch)
Hi tech is here… now networking on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, MySpace, Plaxo … With more and more people utilizing social networking, it is more important than ever to have a plan on how you can network effectively. The online tools have opened new networks and opportunities but they have also created new challenges. Be aware that high tech (online tools, email, etc.) without high touch (interpersonal skills) is a formula for failure for many businesses. Learn when to use online tools, when to send a letter, and when to just pick up the phone.
 

Thomas Fulmer is a Certified Human Behavior Specialist, professional speaker, and
successful entrepreneur. He is the Chief Results Officer for Success Essentials,
founder of the National Entrepreneurs Network, Director of the First Aid for Small
Business Summit, and 2010 Chair of the Best Business Summit. He is a frequent
radio guest and is host of the Internet TV show, Smart Business with Tom Fulmer.

As a Certified Human Behavior Specialist, I have had the opportunity to  work with many different types of companies and with many different corporate cultures. All of these companies do have something in common…some people desire constant change and innovation, and others constantly fight any change or innovation. So how will you deal with change when it comes to your organization?
Understanding the personality dynamics of your organization is a great place to begin. Stephen Covey wrote in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, “seek first to understand, then to be understood”. By learning to understand how others process and receive information, you can present change in such a way that is more readily accepted or, at the least, generates less resistance. Something often overlooked by those in the field of training and development, is what comes before understanding others…understanding yourself and knowing how others perceive you.

Most training professionals have had some experience or training in personality or human behavior models. It is interesting to note how few actively practice it on a daily basis. In order to successfully implement organizational changes or behavioral changes in your organization, you need to be able to influence those around you. Here are 4 tips to help you handle change effectively.

• Examine your corporate culture to discover any impediments to change. Some traditions and practices may need to be revamped to meet new needs.
• Make employees aware of the changes that are happening daily; help them to think in terms of change.
• Make expectations and reasons clear. Key employees should know that embracing change is part of their responsibility. Taking a little time to explain early will help to avoid issues down the road.
• Review company procedures and systems to be sure they support change and do not create unnecessary challenges.

While change can be mandated, getting buy-in from the people involved is much more effective and leads to quicker implementation and higher productivity. Start with the small things, listen actively, and seek to see things from the perspective of those around you. Most people can recall dozens of situations when they experienced change while on the job. Whether it’s converting from one software system to another, relocating to a new office, or adjusting to new or revised protocols, change is inevitable. How you respond and react to change will determine your success.