Marketing is about building relationships.
Many MDs get caught up in the day-to-day and don’t make the most of contacts so having a list of things they can do easily, and putting in place a simple system to doing it, can work well in getting the KIT habit.
It also helps to think of it as sharing contact, rather than making contact – it’s about building and maintaining relationships that benefit both of you. This mindset can be very powerful and helps you to think of what would be helpful or beneficial to your contact, not just what you can get from them. Our clients who get this are invariably the more dynamic and successful businesses.
Make a point of contacting everyone you get a business card from at least twice (and preferably more) – once just follow up and say hello or do whatever it is you agreed at the initial meeting, and the second time find something that would interest them. Of course you should also suggest they sign up to your blog or newsletter, follow you on Twitter etc. (and that message will be incorporated in your e-mail signature won’t it?) and you can link to them on Linked-In. You can include them in your mailings too of course. Start a conversation with an air of curiosity, grow your network – business relationships and meaningful referrals are built on the process of know, like and trust.
Don’t just stuff the card in a drawer – even if they are not a likely customer, they may come across people who are. It really is worth making this a habit, and keep spreading the word. We can help in building effective KIT systems – that not only make the process easier but also ensure you have the tools to monito the relative effectiveness of each channel and each initiative.
