2.2 Using your personal networks

Word of mouth

Many people, when they start their new business, say that “Word of Mouth” is going to be their most powerful way of promoting their service. It is true that personal contacts and recommendations can be a most effective way of attracting customers. But word of mouth recommendations don’t just happen – you will need to make them happen. And the best way of doing that to start with can be to look at your personal contacts and networks.

Personal networks

Most of us don’t appreciate the value of our personal networks. We don’t realise how many people we potentially have contact with, or just how useful those contacts can be.

Mapping out your own networks can be a quick and easy way of finding out who you might be able to talk to about your business, and who might be able to help you to promote it.

Start off by taking a blank piece of paper (the bigger the better). Draw a small circle in the middle of the sheet and write your name in it. Then draw some lines coming out of the circle – these are going to be the start of your network map, linking into some of the people that you know. Start completing the diagram, one contact at a time. In the example below we have added Sue who may be a nextdoor neighbour, an old school friend or the mum of one of your kids’ schoolfriends. Now ask the questions: Who does Sue know? What does Sue do? Where does Sue go?

The Doing Good Business Programme is funded by Big Lottery and the European Social Fund

Me

Sue

Nursing home

Will

Yoga Class members

Residents

Staff

Cafe

Football club

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Now, as you answer these questions, and start to complete your network map, ask yourself whether any of you contacts, and their contacts, might be able to help you to promote your business, or to put you in touch with useful people. In the above example:

Sue might work in a nursing home: Would it be useful if she could put you in touch with the staff or the residents? It

could be if you provide gardening services, or are a mobile hairdresser, or …Sue might go to yoga classes:

Would it be useful if she could put you in touch with other members of the group? It could be if you are a personal fitness trainer, or a personal coach, or …

Sue might know Will who works in a café and runs a youth football team: Would it be useful for you to chat to Will? It could be if you bake cakes and want to

see if he can sell them in his café, or just if you want him to put a few business cards on his counter.

Would Will let you give flyers out to the parents of his footballers? Could be useful if you organise kids parties, sell children’s clothing, provide child minding services, bake birthday cakes or …

For each of your contacts, ask those questions and think about whether any of them, or the people that they know, or the places that they go could be useful to your business. Use the map that you produce to draw up a list of actions:

People that you want to be introduced to Places that you can take promotional information to Events that you could attend

Keep the map and keep adding to it. Add new names, list new contacts when you discover them, and come up with new actions and ideas that you can follow up to help you get your business in front of other people.

The Doing Good Business Programme is funded by Big Lottery and the European Social Fund

1.

Your personal network map

2. The Doing Good Business Programme3. is funded by Big Lottery and the 4. European Social Fund5.

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