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This page will give you lots of information and do's and don'ts on how to network effectively, in person or through social media and build strong relationships with colleagues, peers and potential life coaching clients.
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With the Covid pandemic there were restrictions on group gatherings. Making contact online became the norm with Zoom or Skype. But there really there is no substitute for, when it is possible, having that physical personal connection.
You actually get to meet and check out for authenticity the people who may be able help and encourage you as well as connecting with potential clients and creating successful alliances for referrals.
Rather than spending all your time on the computer connecting, posting and commenting in various groups, you get to get out and enjoy a real, convivial get together.
You can have great conversations and more often than not listen to an interesting presentation as part of the event.
Networking function, such as a breakfast, lunch or evening meeting, whilst not being free, as on social media platforms, may even include a meal and a glass of wine!
However, finding the best in person networking groups to join to promote your life coaching can be quite a challenge. Here's how I suggest you go about it.
It's important in learning how to network to find networks that are going to be good value for your budget. Some business networks, and even community groups have a membership fee and/or an attendance cost so take your time before commiting. You could try Googling "Business Networks" in your area to see your options.
There are some excellent tips below the video to help you get it right.
I'd suggest that you look for associations or networks to join that cater for your particular coaching focus or niche. For instance, if you have financial background, you may find your ideal clients if you network in an association or environment that caters for accountants, bookkeepers or bankers.
You won’t have so much competition and can
easily establish a rapport with potential clients because you know the industry.
Having said that, if your specialty is in a personal coaching niche such as, communication, relationships, confidence, etc., there will be people in all industries who will be open to being coached by you to help them move forward.
Some branches of business networking groups such as BNI (Business Networking International) limit members to one or two from each profession which can give you more scope for getting clients and referrals. So this is something worth taking into consideration before joining.
If possible trial a networking group with three visits before you actually join and pay any membership fees. Unless you immediately feel confident, one visit is not usually enough to really know if joining will be of benefit. Three visits gives you a better opportunity to see if you like the environment and if the members are in the sphere of your coaching niche and/or ideal clients.
Many generic business networking organisations, (i.e. they don’t arise out of a particular profession or interest group) can be over-stuffed with members who are consultants and life and business coaches all looking to make connections with potential clients.
I’ve had the experience where every other person I speak to, or
is at my table, is in the coaching or profession. So whilst
you may enjoy the event and the conversations, be aware the client opportunities may be limited.
I've prepared this list of powerful tips on how to network effectively when physically present with others. I learned many of these from my long time friend and networking guru Robyn Henderson who has written several books on the subject. Other tips come from my own experiences and observations.
So DO....
In addition to the Do's and Don'ts I've given you above and below, you may find The World's Worst Networker by Timothy M Houston, a great and often amusing read to hone your networking skills.
It's full of actual experiences of what not to do when networking which really bring home the Don'ts as well as emphasing the Do's.
Houston has also written a couple of books on getting referrals and converting leads which which also be useful in your networking.
Some of the best business networking behaviours tips and tricks are what NOT to do if you want to make good connections with people so they will want to talk to you again and not flee when you appear.
So don't...
The world is your life coach networking oyster when you go online for social media networking.
Online or virtual business networking platforms such Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter (or X), Instagram, Pinterest and and the like means that networking regionally and globally is well within the reach of anyone. And you don't have to dress up or arm yourself with business cards to do it!
And if you need to have a face to face conversation with a contact or prospect you have made half-way across the world, there is always Zoom or some other online meeting platform.
On all these social media platforms you can join various groups with a shared life coaching interest to initiate discussions and make comments. You can also join groups where you see the potential for adding value and establishing useful relationships.
You know how you have to do it for the growth of your coaching buusiness but stepping into the jungle that is social media, let alone using it as a marketing tool to attract clientscan be quite scary.
The Social Media Marketing Workbook by Jason McDonald could be really useful in, in addition and in more depth that the tips I have given you below, in helping you get a handle on how to use social media.
It is up to date (2024) and packed full of practical information and links to worksheets and videos.
There are things to be aware of when joining Social Media forums such as LinkedIn and Facebook.
1. Is the special interest group well moderated? Some life coaching groups are so full or irrelevant and self-promotion posts that there are no real discussions. This means making good connections is really hard. So have a good look at the quality of the posts and the comments before you get too busy posting.
2. What is the purpose of the group? Many groups for life coaches are set up by life coaches in the hope of attracting clients. Nothing wrong with that and you might even consider doing it yourself.
However, the host coach, while giving great advice and starting good conversations, will most likely not encourage a contributions from another coach wanting to make connections with possible clients.
3. Coaches are the target market. There are also people who set up groups aimed at life coaches where the agenda of the group host is to to market business building their services or products to coaches. Neither of these groups will give you the networking opportunities you need.
In my role as a moderator for a coaching the Coaching Forum, Coaches Helping Coaches, I often look up a members FaceBook profile. Why? Because, for several reasons, I want to see who they are as a coach.
So often this is not possible and really frustrating because their coaching information is missing. I get to see their family, pets, social occasions and personal views, but learn nothing about them as a coach. This is a huge, free and simple promotional opportunity missed to anyone who clicks on your name.
So my how to network tip when joining a social media forum is to make use of the space that says “intro” where you can give a brief description of yourself as a coach and/or a link to either your website or business page and fill in the "about" section.
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Good social networking manners are very important if you are to engage people so they want to connect with you. Here are some of my favourite how to network on social media tips as well as some social media behaviours to avoid.
A lot of coaches (me included), find keeping up a constant stream of social media posts a real chore. The solution that is often advised is to outsource your posting to a social media "expert". They will either edit and post what you have written or create posts from your website content. Sounds great but make sure you check they...
a) Understand your voice. That is use language you would use and write in a way that connects with your audience. Until you are confident of this, best to check the proposed posts before they are posted.
b) Make sure you or the person you outsource to actually read the rules of the forum the posts you are paying for may just be declined. Follow up and check that the post has been posted and if not, take notice of any feedback. This is especially necessary when a post is being place on multiple social media forums as a routine process.
Why? On some forums that are strictly moderated (like the Coaches Helping Coaches forum where I am one of the moderators), there are strict rules on what will and will not be accepted for posting. If these rules are constantly broken you may be banned from that forum.
So the bottom line here is not to "delegate by abdication" when you outsource your social media posting, but keep a close eye on how the outsourcing is working for you.
In conclusion, however you choose to do networking in person or online, it should be an enjoyable experience as well as a great marketing strategy that builds your profile, gives you credibility as a coach and attracts clients.