Jon Hansen hosts a Talk Radio Show, “PI Window on Business” that reaches an estimated 300,000 syndicated subscribers worldwide every month. The PI Social Media Network is internationally recognized for its ability to identify, structure and disseminate the ideas and visions that are reshaping the emerging global enterprise.
He’s talking with Michael Kreppein, Chief Sales Officer of Inquisix, to examine more closely the emergence of “reputation networks” and their effects on personal branding in the Web 2.0 world. Reputation networks, like Inquisix, are gaining ground to combat the growing problem within the realms of social networking, where references or testimonials are bartered by an ever-expanding network of interloping relationships between name collectors versus relationship builders.
Pat Weber runs an online networking group called the Consummate Networkers and she’s invited me to speak to her group this week. The event is phone-based and anyone can join the call via BlitzTime.
Date: Thursday, July 23rd at 7pm ET
Topic: The Day After the Networking Event – What Do I Do Now?
Why not join us and participate by signing up here? The event is free and you’ll have a chance to meet other professionals interested in networking.
Tom Cafarella, Inquisix member, owner of accounting firm CMB Accounting and host of “Minding Your Money” on TV, interviewed Michael Kreppein of Inquisix recently. Tom and Michael spoke about the challenges facing small businesses, specifically how they can find new business.
I wrote about NetParty‘s Business Networking event last August 2008. Well, they’re back and hosting a new party in Boston on Tuesday, March 24th. Their parties combine Business with Social Networking. First h0ur or so is business networking with just light music in the background. Then the social networking kicks off and the music gets turned up.
Will you attend? Get your free invite here by March 23rd.
Boston not local to you? They have other cities to choose from. Wonder what the party in Buenos Aires looks like?
No we’re not talking about recently passed stimulus bill. Or even a bailout. We’re talking about something more tactile, more visceral– more like an A+B=C.
John Jantsch, of Duct Tape Marketing, and Inquisix have joined forces (with some other amazing sponsors) to promote Make a Referral Week, this March 9-13th. The goal is to generate 1000 referred leads to 1000 deserving small businesses.
It’s tough times. Everywhere you turn negative economic indicators are released, reports on recessionary fears, and opinons on the impact of the economic stimulus package crowd the news. Overwhelming problems and few solutions.
It is time for small businesses to take matters into their own hands. Positive changes in small business can have a positive impact on the economy. Hey, it’s no biggie surprise to the rest of us that small businesses basically drive the economy.
As a class, small business:
represent over 99.7% of employers;
employ over half of all private sector employees;
generate between 60%-80% of new jobs in the last decade; and
produce more than 50% of non-farm private gross domestic product, or a GDP of roughly $6 trillion.
As John Jantsch sees it, “Make a Referral Week is an entrepreneurial approach to stimulating the small busienss economy one referred business at a time. The goal is to generate 1000 referred leads to 1000 deserving small businesses in an effort to highlight the impact of a simple action that could blossom into millions of dollars of new business. Small business is the lifeblood and job-creating engine of the economy and merits the positive attention saved for corporate bailout stories.”
It’s Inquisix’s hope is that this one week further highlights the power of the referral. Referral prospects are less price sensitive, and, as Joanne Black, author of “No More Cold Calling,” points out “[a] referral is pre-sold on you … and [you] get a new client over 70 percent of the time.” We believe that by highlighting the high ROI benefits of referral networking, more businesses will permanently adopt this as a new strategic marketing tool, which will translate into healthier bottom lines. Good for them. Good for you. Good for the U.S. economy.
And for the social media savvy, follow the action on twitter and connect to tweeps partaking in Make a Referral Week (Add the hashtag”#MARW09″ to the end of your tweets!)
Jill Konrath, author of “Selling to Big Companies” and Razi Imam, CEO of Landslide Technologies are discussing new Sales 2.0 technologies for helping salespeople win big corporate accounts. The event is being moderated by Nigel Edelshain, CEO of Sales 2.0.
I will be there as a guest of Nigel. Will you join us there?
DATE:
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
LOCATION: The Penn Club
30 West 44th Street (between 5th and 6th Avenues)
New York, NY 10036
There’s a little more than one week left to take advantage of the Referral Expo 2008. We’re in the last stretch of 2008: Gain insight, expertise, new ideas, and power yourself through this these challenging economic times.
The Referral Expo is a virtual event, conducted over the phone. It’s free to attend, but registration is limited:
Breathe new life into your business
Generate more referrals
Find better quality referrals
Get new, innovative ideas! Bolster yourself against the economy. The Referral Expo 2008: Register now.
In times like these, building relationships and creating referrals are the keys to success. By attending this virtual expo, you’ll get loads of innovative ideas and strategies for generating referrals – all from the comfort of your home or office.
The Referral Expo 2008
Tap into 15 world-class marketing experts as they share their best referral strategies. I’m honored to be included in the team presenting at this year’s Referral Expo.
What: Referral Expo 2008 When: Now through October 10th
Each 1-hour presentation will be conducted over the phone on successive weekday evenings.
Monday – Friday at 5:00pm Pacific / 6:00pm Mountain / 7:00pm Central / 8:00pm Eastern
I was invited to a local business networking party. It’s only for “…young business professionals…” so I’m not sure I qualify anymore! The events are hosted by NetParty and they promise (and I quote):
The first two hours of our events are like an extended “cocktail hour” with passed hors d’oeuvres at many events, drink specials, and low music conducive to business networking and making new connections.
Later, our events take on a more social atmosphere, with great music, dancing and conversation.
Our events are held at the hippest and most interesting venues. However, the music is never so loud that you cannot talk and our crowd is generally comprised entirely of young professionals.
We do request “business” or “business casual” dress for our events. With that and a fun spirit, you’re good to go
Well, I wonder how much networking will be business and how much will be social. Guess I’ll have to go! If you’re interested in the Boston Event, it’s next Tue August 26th at The Estate in Boston.
Here’s a free invitation. They also hold networking events across the United States so check out the location near you. If you’re coming to the Boston event, come say, “Hi!” But find me early, I’m not much of a dancer!
You know those days (no, those nights) leading up to the big presentation? I mean the BIG presentation, the one you’ve spent a year working up to? You’ve been planning the presentation, you’re looking forward to it, you’ve been role-playing what the other party is going to say, you’re prepping your team members on what to expect. And then it’s show-time. That’s how I felt walking into the room Tuesday night.
The setting was perfect – leather chairs, white linen table cloths and bookshelves lining the walls. Just the theme we want our website to convey – the members-only club where business is conducted over a handshake.
What a great turnout – it was standing room only. Thank you everyone who attended!
We started the night with some networking and introductions. For Dave and I, who’ve been talking and emailing with beta members, it was great to put member faces to names. Then Rick Roberge stood up and spoke about why giving referrals is better than exchanging referrals and both are better than asking for referrals. No real surprise here, Rick was preaching to the choir!
Then it was our turn to walk through the Inquisix solution and answer questions. Did we have a scripted demo? Of course but as it is the members who provide the content, I opened the discussion with, “What do you like, dislike, find confusing or think we missed the boat on?” Again, thank you members for your participation! The discussion was lively, it was informative and it was valuable. The members that had already used Inquisix to exchange referrals were leading the charge and helping us explain to the other members the how’s and why’s on getting started – upload your contacts, search for prospective customers, make referral requests and network with members with matches.
The unanimous decision – “The more you put into Inquisix the more you get out and it’s worth it!”
Presentations like this are why I’m in sales. Wow, what an endorphin kick to feel the energy of a group of people all arriving at the same decision by the end of the night! They are ready to embrace the Inquisix way of exchanging referrals and bring their sales colleagues into the fold, too.
Happy Selling!
left to right -
Inquisix Chief Sales Officer Michael Kreppein, Sales Coach Rick Roberge, Members Jim Glynn, Mark Tremblay, Andrew Adams, Bill Perrier, Mike Sachleben and Dan Wilcox
