By Kensel Tracy Canadian Bureau Chief
As I sit here in Ottawa, the Nation’s Capital a few blocks from Parliament Hill and ponder the fact that we will have a white Christmas all across Canada for the first time since 1971, I think about how things have changed in regard to Networking in Canada, over the last three decades. I think the world has changed, but networking and meeting others hasn’t. For that reason, I have identified five networking trends that I think will be important to Canadian networkers in the New Year 2009.
1. More Use of Social Online Networks
Its amazing that social networks online are still growing and in fact getting larger in Canada. It was identified that specific sites like Facebook continue to increase, however new business growth sites like LinkedIn will continue to grow. This site continues to be one of the top networking sites with more and more Canadians joining and will continue to grow along with other major sites. Other sites that are notable in Canada are www.businesspartnerships.ca , www.networkingtoday.ca , www.meettheboss.com, www.eecademy.com. If you are not networking online these days, you should be.
2. Breakfast/ Business Networking Groups Will Continue to Grow
Business breakfast networking organizations in Canada are still growing and seem to have not lost anything in the era of online networking. Groups like Business Network International, Business Over Breakfast (BoB Clubs), Networking Today, Networker$, Business Breakfast Clubs Canada (BBC) are all expanding in Canada. These organizations are all built on the networking and referral model. If you search the internet under business breakfast clubs in Canada, you can find every type of business group holding business and breakfast sessions in almost every city in the country on a variety of topics. So I think that breakfast networking in alive and doing extremely well in Canada and will continue to grow.
3. Small Business will Need to Get Back Out and Meet Other Businesses To Continue to Grow
In tough times, reduced marketing budgets and fewer customers, it will be the smart networker that will win in the market. Networking is still one of the easiest ways to meet a new customer or help your business grow. Networking is actually growing as more business people realise it was something they first did when they started out and now need to do again when things get tough. Online networking combined with getting out to local groups and getting involved in your community is still the way to grow a small business in Canada. Networking in general will continue to grow overall as smart marketers realize that there are hundreds of customers in every network group interested in securing your business.
4. The Use of Direct Mail and Telephone Soliciting for Business will DecreaseWith the advent of the Canadian Federal Government’s new “ do not call “ registry for telephone solicitation and the fact that Canadians across Canada can “opt out” of receiving “direct mail” or “junk” mail from Canada Post more and more companies and individuals will need to find more ways to secure additional business. In our new permission-based society, individuals and companies will now need to go meet customers face to face to secure business. Business networking will be identified as one of main components of building a new business growth funnel in 2009 for traditional marketers that used direct mail and telephone solicitation.
5. The Strong and Creative will Still Survive
Networking is all about using what it is you have both internally and externally and relating to people in a variety of different environments. Those that get out of their offices and meet others, join networking groups, offer free advice, help others and build their social capital will be the ones that will survive any downturns in the market.
Customers are still buying product. In fact, those businesses that are still buying are some of most successful people in their business category.
As a networker, you always want to buy from someone that thinks like you. That includes someone that is positive; offers value added services and have a positive outlook on life and on business. Successful networkers then represent the best customers. Those that get out and mingle, meet, greet, offer value, offer free advice, deliver, assist and generally make the world a better place will still survive. In Canada, the strong and creative will continue to help build the country. It will then be in the best interest of every business person to help other businesses grow and that can be done through networking.
So in conclusion, as the snow falls along with the Dow Jones and the TSX, try not to get caught up in the negativity of those moments. As industries try to find ways to change how they do business, your challenge wil be to improve the way you do yours. As a networker, you already know there are a significant number of business opportunities found on every street corner and at every business meeting. Just like there always were and always will be. So just get out and share what it is you have and you will surprised about how much business you can attract. So Network, Network, Network.
We sincerely wish you and your organization all the best for a prosperous New Year of building your network and your business in 2009.
Kensel J. Tracy is the Marketing Coach and is a Senior Partner with the Corporate Coachworkz Inc. a Coaching Company located in Chelsea, Quebec. He is also the new President of Business Over Breakfast Clubs for North America. If you have a news story on Networking in Canada, he can be reached at kenselt@sympatico.ca.
____________________________________________________
Posted to THE NATIONAL NETWORKER. To subscribe for your free newsletter, go to www.TheNationalNetworker.com. For the complete National Networker Relationship Capital Toolkit and a free RSS feed, go to: http://thenationalnetworkerweblog.blogspot.com.
Forward/Share This Article With Colleagues And Social Media:
No comments:
Post a Comment