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BUSINESS NETWORKING FOR THE ARBORIST

By Shai Patel

BUSINESS NETWORKING FOR THE ARBORIST

 

Previous articles in this series have looked at the “Why” of your business, the vision, mission, values of your business, identifying the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for your business, and looked at some tips on prioritisation.

 

This final article looks at business networking and why arborists should consider this a strategy for developing and growing their business.

 

Networking has been around since the establishment of bartering - meeting fellow individuals to exchange ideas, products, and services. To build a network of connections.

 

Today, business networking looks different. Before the Covid19 pandemic, most business networking was done ‘in person’, ‘face to face’, over a coffee or via a formal event.

 

The pandemic has forced most businesspeople to network online. However, the aim of business networking remains the same – to develop new relationships.

 

“But I am an arborist”, I hear you say, “I need to meet end customers and homeowners, not other businesses”. Some of you may even perceive that “Business networking is only for the ‘suits’” or “I’m too busy to go to meetings”. A few many believe that “It is expensive to attend a networking meeting”.

 

What is Business Networking

 

So firstly, let us just look at what (good) business networking is really about, then we can revisit some of the concerns raised above.

 

“Business Networking is the process of developing and activating your relationships to increase your business, enhance your knowledge and expand your sphere of influence.” – Ivan Misner (Founder and Chief Visionary Officer of Business Network International and often credited as the “Godfather of modern Business Networking”)

 

Notice that the keyword here is relationships.

 

Whether you are a B2B or B2C business, business networking starts with a genuine desire to build relationships to give and receive business. It is not purely about distributing business cards or snagging the odd transaction. If that is your perception of networking, then you may as well hire a loveable St Bernard dog. Throw a mini saddle over his back - with the side pockets full of your business cards for people to help themselves to and empty pockets for others to drop their cards in - and await his return.

 

Networking is about building relationships. It is about you investing time in going out, meeting people and educating them about your services. But wait, there is more to it than that. If you are going to invest your time networking, then consider this – don’t go Hunting for leads. Go with the intent of Farming relationships. Why? Because good business networking is more about Farming than it is about Hunting. It is about cultivating relationships and taking the time and energy to help them grow. Another way to view this is that you are developing social capital, and social capital is like financial capital. To amass the latter, you have to invest and grow your assets. Farming relationships, instead of hunting transactions, are very much the same. You must support and even help others with their business before you receive referrals to your business.

 

But in doing so, you have broadened your knowledge of other people and their businesses and are increasingly becoming a more credible business person.

 

Businesspeople tend to fall into one of two groups when it comes to their views of networking. For many, the current mindset is that networking is a passive business strategy, not a proactive marketing tool. This attitude results in a scattered, often ineffective networking approach that consequently wastes the business owner’s time and money.

 

Not surprisingly, when people feel they’ve been wasting their time and money on something, they’re understandably not going to continue that activity.

 

On the other hand, some business owners do consider networking a proactive marketing tool for their business. How can you tell? They make it a significant part of their marketing and business plans.

 

These business owners have networking goals.

 

Sometimes you go to increase your visibility and to connect with people you have never met.

 

Sometimes you go to establish further credibility with people you know. And sometimes, you may go to meet a long-time referral partner and do some business.

 

In any case, the true master networkers know that networking events are about moving through the relationship process and not just about closing deals.

 

They may even have a budget line item for networking. Most importantly, they practice it and live it every day. They are training other business owners to become their own sales force.

 

Your new ‘sales team’ is there to keep an eye out for potential clients. They grow to understand you, your values, your services and what they can look out for to refer more qualified referrals. This is a crucial difference. A lead is simply a potential client whose contact details you have received. A qualified referral is where the potential client knows a little more about you, what you do and has been vouched for by your network. You will also learn more about the client’s need as your network will have invested time to understand their particular problem before referring you. But this will only work if you invest time in networking, attend regularly, genuinely take an interest in people and, in some cases, give assistance to their business.

 

“Visibility leads to credibility, which, with time and effort, leads to profitability.”

 

Our Initial Concerns Revisited

Having discussed networking, business networking, building, and farming relationships, let us revisit some of the earlier concerns:

 

“But I am an arborist” / “I need to meet end customers and homeowners, not other businesses” - Remind yourself that each individual at a business networking is likely to be a homeowner, tenant or even a landlord. Furthermore, they will also know other homeowners, tenants and landlords they could refer you to. You will also meet other B2C business owners, who will probably refer some of their customers to you, and for you to refer yours to them. Examples here include tradespeople – plumbers, electricians, roofers, fencers, landscape gardeners, architects, to name a few.

 

“Business networking is only for the ‘suits’” – Many arborists will have their own branded workwear. Apart from ‘specific black-tie’ events, business networking events will be a mix of office-based individuals and those that are ‘on the road’- who will proudly be wearing their workwear. For those of a nervous disposition talking to strangers, the workwear is often an icebreaker for others when they notice you - “Interesting logo, what do you do?” or “Arborist? What does an arborist do?”

 

“I’m too busy to go to meetings” – Is that accepting that your business cannot grow anymore? Are you busy dealing with the end customer or busy running the business with meetings, the accountant or bookkeeper or trying to get your computer to print off your invoices and spreadsheets?

 

If there is a genuine desire to grow your business, employ people, and become more involved with bringing in more business, then many astute arborists will take the time to network. Remember, successful people have clear networking goals. They know what they want to gain with their networking time. Successful networkers have learned that breaking out of their routine is an enriching experience. They have found ways to incorporate networking into their schedule.

 

“It is expensive to attend a networking meeting” – some are free, others will charge for tea/coffee. Others can be membership-based, holding regular weekly or monthly events with guest speakers or themes. Consider the cost of, say, a full-page advert in a local newspaper or the cost of having a website, neither of which are helping to build relationships, just advertising that your business exists. We are not dismissing adverts or websites; they each have their place in the marketing of your business, but so does networking.

 

Some Networking Tips

Let us end the article with a few hard learnt networking tips.

 

Your goal at a networking event is to make yourself memorable without talking about yourself too much. It sounds paradoxical, doesn’t it? But, if you know how to do it, you will stand out in people’s minds when they look back on the event. The secret is simply to ask people about themselves and their businesses. To make your networking efforts work, you need to embrace a “relationship networking” mentality.

 

1. Have meaningful conversations with the people you meet - ask them: “how can I help you?”
2. Talk less and listen more.
3. Don’t go there to sell; go there to connect. Go for the long-term relationship, not the short sale or transaction.
4. Follow up with people you found interesting or who you can help in some way.
5. Meet these people in a one-to-one setting and learn more about them. They will learn more about you in the process and become part of your sales team.