“Power Networking in Motion”

Here’s my marketing secret of the winter. My favorite way to build business and resources for my company is “Power Networking in Motion” or “power walking”, as it used to be known. If you are trying to meet people, drum up new business, meet new business owners or potential vendors for your own company, or just get to know other potentially interesting people on a deeper level than those superficial networking events, there is no better method than a pleasurable walk on the beach. It’s the perfect way to stimulate conversation, share business tips, find clients or projects, and learn how to support each other’s business while getting that extra dose of exercise at the same time. You know, multi-tasking. And it’s free unlike costly advertising.

Virtually everyone I’ve offered this networking suggestion to is so relieved to get a walk at the same time that we network, share resources, get to know each other on a deeper level, learn to trust and utilize the expertise of the other person, or just get free therapy! It’s really simple: you get to know someone in much greater depth when you are moving, breathing hard, refreshed by the open air, inspired by your surroundings. Let me share a few things I’ve learned in the last few months in my own power walks.

I was awarded the contract to produce the Earth Day Festival for the city of Alameda as an indirect result of walks with a contact who needed help with the festival’s concept design, planning talks, creative sessions, resources and someone they could trust to just get the job done. As the Consulting Producer, I enjoyed establishing this festival, securing sponsorship, determining site design & truly engaging exhibits, setting up community involvement as a marketing strategy to increase attendance, securing a media sponsor and designing the media planning for the event. All this enjoyable work on a worthy project just from long discussions on walks with the person who championed me for this position.

Over a short beach walk with my new friend, Christine Buck, a technical writer now exploring journalism and other writing roles, I’ve found someone who can handle specific writing assignments that I can not do myself. In our walks, I’ve gotten to know her style, how far she’ll go for a client, how reliable she is, and how carefully she thinks through a situation . . . not the kind of superficial chat that comes up over a traditional business meeting. I’ve read her published articles and know I’d have her support writing stories for the media, when I need it. At some point, she’ll run into a growing company who needs advice on how to increase their revenues, create better marketing strategy so they’re reaching the clients they LIKE to work with, and I’m confident she’ll want to refer them to me now that we’ve talked about what I’ve done for other companies in that same position.

Paula Welsh of Welsh Marketing & PR, my marketing and entrepreneurial “power partner” is teaching me how to give back to the community through my business, the same way she makes this mandatory for her clients. Paula says it was when Princess Diana was killed that it became crystal clear to her that everyone—even small companies—should become philanthropic. She’s even shown me how to help my clients do this as part of what I offer to them. No, it’s not just giving financial contributions or free time (I already do plenty of that for many organizations to whom I contribute my time, talents & resources). After all, giving back is what most entrepreneurs tell me they want to do other than just earn cash to pay our bills. So, finding methods to implement this into our existing business is a treasure that will last a lifetime.

Paula likes to meet me in the morning to “talk the lake”, as she calls it—walk around Lake Merritt and talk out all the solutions to that day’s challenges (or solve the world’s problems, as we jokingly refer to it) so we can get back to work knowing just how to proceed. Paula is the one I can turn to if I have unexpected situations to resolve, need resources outside my realm of contacts, and for whom I can lend an ear or assistance to if she is at a tricky juncture in her own business. We know we’ll be referring lots of work back and forth and helping each other on projects this year.

Chris Roberts has transitioned from a corporate world into starting her own business and is in the early stage of entrepreneurial marketing, finding people who want her valuable offerings. She helps companies reduce stress-related compensation claims and improve productivity through office yoga workshops. I give her tips, she gives me insight into the deeper levels of life, tips on reaching a corporate market for some of my clients who need this, and we have a valued camaraderie I can totally trust. She always offers some truthful insight into handling those challenging situations that inevitably arise in business over time. And yes, I use the 5-minute yoga exercises she taught me at work to ward off those afternoon blahs.

Lisa Locke of Locke & Key Executive Search, my new colleague in Alameda, has a top-notch recruiting firm for businesses who don’t have the time to find qualified staff themselves, from executives on down. I met her in San Francisco at an event where I mentioned my favorite form of networking was walking on the beach, and it turned out that her business was a stone’s throw from my beach. Her services have already proven useful to one of my clients requiring continuous additional staffing and I’m sure she’ll be a great resource to others over time, since my clients are all entrepreneurial growing businesses.

So, if you want to schedule ‘power networking in motion’, simply call to arrange. If you need help with your marketing to find more clients, earn more money, expand your outreach to new markets, gain publicity, create an event, develop mailing lists, or produce promotional materials, just give me a call to discuss how I can help you. Pricing and services are listed on the website, so take a peek. (click on top of page)

Naturally, if you’d like to contact any of my walking buddies to use their services, I’ll be glad to hook you up!

Happy walking, Allison

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