Over-thinking can ruin a GOOD THING.  It can make ALL things harder than they really are and can make New Newt Work Marketers Get Stuck and Give Up!

Don’t let Over-Thinking Stop You!

You are representing a company with amazing products that really change lives and or are exactly what people are looking for – even if they don’t know it yet.  ;)

Don’t worry about what to say, who to say it to, and how to say it. Say something to everybody.  Let everybody you communicate wit know that you are the go to person for that company.  If you talk to someone – they need need to know what you do or why you do it.  If you weren’t planning on talking to them, but you would like to because you think it would be good for your business.  Start with “Hi”.  The move on to, I m not sure if this would interest you, but I just feel like I really should share this with you and then tell them your story.

Network Marketing is easy!  Really, just don’t Over-Think It!

Ready to Grow Your Business?  Get a Featured Listing on FindSalesRep.com.  Click here to get 10% off any Featured Listing.

Not everyone markets their Home Business this way but Fairs, Expos, Conventions, Exhibits and Trade Shows are a great way to reach your target niche audience and also a fantastic way to demonstrate your items, talk face to face with prospects and create Immediate Cash Sales! 

So, We Asked A Few EXPO EXPERTS, that know how to rock the trade show world to share a few tips that will HELP YOU get in front an ideal audience!

  Heather Nickless To find them, I focus on what I am wanting to find. Bridal events are perfect for my product so I search for local bridal expos. It’s completely different than craft fairs. More people are willing to spend extra time at your booth and your marketing has to be definitely different. Where as with craft fairs, your focusing on the product, bridal events are more like what you can do for the bride, how you can help their wedding day and so forth.

  Emily Rios Sanchez I love doing shows. I have products that are popular with Avon Customers and sell those items. When doing shows, also talk to other vendors around you. You get great ideas from them. Raise your display tables high where a customer can see it at eye level. I use the bed risers from walmart.

  Kelly McKenzie I am a Military wife and I do events that usually consist of other military wives but not limited to only military wives. I always give out Avon samples with our brochures. I talk to everyone that comes by my booth and I always bring items that I can get at a good price so they dont have to pay much. I always decorate my table so it is appealing to the eye. I try to go with a holiday theme close to that date ie. v day, easter, halloween stuff like that or by the season. I always let people sample perfumes. I have a basket of goodies giveaway to get contact info. I use square so I can accept credits cards easily at a event so the customer has a easy payment option. I make sure to give out my business card with my info and sing up info on it. I usually do any event where I think women will be since Avon is more for women. I have done fairs, expos and conventions. Also get to know the other vendors cause that is how you can get more event on your schedule. Vendors usually stick together and help each other out by sharing event info,dates and such.

  Kina Oneal I generally search for local events, festivals and such most importantly health fairs and events to showcase Plexus Slim and share information, testimonials including my own of how these awesome products have improved my health and business opportunity have increased my wealth. Also have samples available so that interested parties can taste the drink first hand. I make available the 3 day trial packs for those that are skeptical but want try. People are having a hard time believing that there is a product that can help you lose weight without changing your eating habits and/or exercising it. I’m a walking testimony, I’ve lost 51lbs without doing either! When they see my pics and pics of others that are displayed…the become amazed and excited.

My purpose for doing events is to at least let others know there is an option that could work for them…..and possibly change their life as mine have changed. I’m so grateful and want to partake in as many events as possible to make a difference in somebody else’s life. I hand out brochures that include photos, business cards, offer chances to win prizes. I also connect with other vendors to see how we can help and/or work together including keeping each other informed of upcoming events. Events are a great way to reach a larger audience at once.

  Jean Ferraro- Young I have become a member of several womens business groups–Amazing women who do help each other. I have done various vendor events, which I have found on FB or through my contacts. I try to do a theme–holiday or special occasion with my presentation on my table. I will say the sales are not always the greatest, or would I would want them to be. I give out samples–have offered specials and always have a raffle, which does get me some names for future contacts. The vendor events do give me a great opportunity to meet other business women, who I have established friendships with and have open other doors for business opportunities.

  Shad A Drury Call the companies corporate offices and tell them what area you are in and if they provide leads they will forward your information along to their reps. If not, they will give you some names of reps in your area. The key is networking networking and more networking. This page, FindSalesRep.com is an excellent idea and will bring great opportunity for many people! Great work, folks!

Awe, Shad, you are making the whole corporate office at FindSalesRep Blush!

AND… Thanks to each one of you for sharing these insights.  You truly know how to reach a target audience and FIND a Fair!

If you are a Networker and you can add to this discussion, please leave your tips in the Comment Section.  :)

picture creds: motivationalposters.Co.Uk

I read a lengthy post this weekend from The Fast Company that gives a great definition of influence in the social age. The semantics of what influence means has been the subject of some controversy again recently, prompted by new lists of Recruiter and HR on-line influencers. A few people have really got a bee in their bonnet on the subject, either over whether the list should be kept to strict practitioners or what influence really means.
The Fast Track article cites research from HP Labs, quoting:

“HP Labs did a study earlier this year that defined online influence as the ability to overcome a follower’s desire to remain passive”

I think this is a good definition, linked to my previous post on engagement.

Dictionary.com defines influence as:

–noun
1. The capacity or power of persons or things to be a compelling force on or produce effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of others: He used family influence to get the contract.

The Fast Company post gave some really impressive figures for a collection of You Tube vloggers (video bloggers) that were achieving over 2.5Mn watches of their video. The interesting thing for me was the volume of clicks and looks they generate by talking about products, events or sites. the other important point is that none of them worked in the areas they were talking about, they were giving their own opinion and view-point.

To be considered influential in the past, you needed a power base to speak from. This was usually based on your position and public profile, where you were published or quoted. High profile personalities were enlisted to endorse causes, products, politics or issues, and their comment made us think about things, add our support or go and have a look. This level of influence inevitably took years to achieve and was achieved by few. This was restricted not by knowledge or value of opinion, but by outlet. It was hard for anyone without high-profile to be heard, seen or read.

Photo Creds: iqmatrix.com

Social media has been a game changer in this respect and has disrupted the traditional hierarchy. While some don’t like that, and protest loudly from the rooftops, (or their keyboards anyway).

Influence, albeit short-term has undoubtedly changed. It is important to note however, that long term influence in a traditional sense still exists.

I recently read a Facebook post from John Sumser that commented (this is my interpretation not the post), that in the on-line, social media age where everyone now has an outlet influence has changed. It is now possible to achieve influence quickly, but this is short-term influence rather than long term.

If an on-line influencer takes a  month off, the influence disappears and needs to be built again, in the past, influence was a lot more long term and permanent. In other words, you can only be influential whilst you remain active. It is short-term, real-time influence in to action and we live in an instant society with short memories. You are as good and as memorable as your latest content.

The next question comes to size of network and connections. It could be argued that someone with a small number of connections (be they friends, connections or followers) that achieve a high click-through/action ratio to posts are more influential than those with a large network that achieve a higher volume of actions but a lower ratio of actions to connections. Marketeers however would argue (with some cause), that eyes are everything. The more people looking, the better chance of converting viewers to customers.

Real influencers always share a “call to action” with their followers, connections, friends, fans and audience, and it is the consistent take up of a call to action that indicates influence.

In terms of influence, John Sumser and trakkr ranked me as the 4th most influential on-line recruiter, up from 6 in the last survey. This is based on 3 measures:

1: Reach (total number of followers and friends)

2: Relevance (Based purely on a measure of keywords you use on your posts, tweets, updates etc.

3: Resonance (measured by mentions and link-backs.)

I’m flattered because firstly, I’m no longer a practicing recruiter. My social content is clearly recruiter based according to the key-word count, and secondly because I don’t view myself as an influencer in the traditional sense. What I am achieving however, is plenty of mentions, clicks and calls to action.

I’m also flattered because I would have placed quite a few others ahead of me on the list in terms of influence over me.

What does “influence” mean to recruiting and HR?

You need to think through how you communicate in order to influence your target audience. The things you need to consider are:

Who makes up your target audience?

Where are their social places?  Channels, chats, games, forums, events etc

Who are the influencers in your target sector and what are they talking about?

What content has impact and what are people responding to? You can follow this by looking at posts that get retweeted or shared, blog posts that prove popular etc.

Picture Creds: KopowGames.Com

What is the best approach to networking for you? Shotgun or Sniper? (wide network inside and out or your sector or very specific and niche.)

When is the best times for you to be live and active in these networks?

What content is in most demand?

Influence will only come with credibility, and that is built by continuously sharing good content regardless of source, and being seen to be contributing to the network. If your contribution is rated, and you maintain a consistent presence, it wont be too long before you have a level of influence in your target sector.

This video from my friend and inspiration  Amanda Hite demonstrates a real case study of harnessing influence for the “No Kid Hungry” charity. I have blogged about this cause before, but it still impresses me how this campaign has gone viral by targeting a wide range of influencers who inspired action in others.

What do you consider on-line influence to be? How important is reach to you? What do you do to increase your influence?

I’d be very interested in your views.

Be ambassadors of influence,

Bill

Links Mentioned In This Post:

Are We Engaged?

HRExaminer/Trakkr Top 25 On-Line Influencers – Recruiters

The New Faces Of Social Media – Fast Company

Amanda Hite

No Kid Hungry