Relationship marketing can be an excellent tool for those involved in IT consulting. The following pieces of advice can help you maximize your relationship marketing skills:
1. Watch for really good contacts. As soon as you become part of a business organization, you should communicate with the office managers, business managers and administrators so you can gain access to the main decision makers of businesses.
2. Try to steer clear of people that will not give good referrals. Don’t waste relationship marketing time on people that only came because they were urged by a superior or on people that just want to ask for free advice about computer problems. Also stay away from Fortune 1000 companies and bankers that have in-house IT departments along with low budget non-profit professionals and salespeople.
3. Join multiple organizations and don’t go quite as frequently to meetings for each one. Relationship marketing is best carried out in a selective manner, a technique that gives you a better chance of meeting people and developing true bonds.
4. Actively participate in committees. Your best bet in relationship marketing for committees is educational committees because you can directly impact the topic of IT issues and suggest yourself as a speaker. Being a speaker is a great way to get your name out to the public.
5. Live demonstrations will prove very useful in your relationship marketing efforts because they allow you to show off your expertise using speaking engagements, committee work, discounted organizational work and other skills. A good performance will help people see you as a helpful and valuable asset to their companies.
6. Maximize free and inexpensive promotional activities with the organizations. Many will let you place your brochures, flyers or business cards in their offices as a member. They will also often list you and your business url in their own online materials.
7. Put contacts immediately into your tracking materials. Even if you don’t think there is a need or even an interest right away, every prospect should get the same follow-up. You never quite know what type of person will be most receptive to your relationship marketing techniques.
Blogged By: Joshua Feinberg
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