10 top tips to effective speed-networking

Speed-networking is fun, energetic and dynamic and a very effective way of meeting a lot of new business contacts in a short space of time

How it works is simple – two business people each have 90 seconds to tell the other about their business and what they can offer them. 

You are seated opposite each other and when time is up one of them moves on.

Think of it as a mini interview, make notes and ensure you follow up afterwards.

1.   Ideally be in the group of people not moving

2.  Be natural don’t sound as if you are following a script

3.  Try to go second, then you can tailor your pitch based on what you have heard, they will be more focused on listening to you and not what they are about to say

4.   Exchange cards at the beginning of the session

5. Either have a brief leaflet on what you do or lots of business cards

6.  Have a pen and write down notes on the back of their card to make it easy for you to follow up afterwards

7. Lean slightly forward when listening to show you are interested and focussed on what they are saying

8. Remember their name and use it for the biggest impact

9. Practice does make perfect so the more sessions you attend the better you will become

10. Make sure you follow up afterwards

Business Conferences are great for building relationships

Research shows that conferences are proven to be a brilliant way of meeting new business contacts to build your business
Technology now rules the world which is cutting down on our face to face interaction.  We say we are too busy to go out to events but are your competitors going?.  Are you missing great opportunities for building business relationships?

Many businesses are losing the personal interaction with their existing customers and are busy always trying to get new ones but don’t forget the ones you have.

A study by Travel Weekly of more than 2,000 business people found that half felt they had a lost a contract because they did not meet enough and over 80% felt that meeting in person was the best way to sustain a long term relationship.

Business psychologist and body language expert Hazel Carter-Showell said:

‘Although developments in technology allow business men and women to make achievements in meetings that would have been impossible a few years back, meeting face-to-face continues to ring significant benefits that are much harder to obtain through virtual channels.  One of these benefits is building trust, which research has shown is behind many profitable companies. Trusted companies have higher morale, productivity, lower employee turnover and create deeper relationships with their customers’

Social media can lack the personal touch which is so important.   There really is nothing like gathering in one place and meeting face to face.  This is what builds business relationships that last and what better place to do it than at a Conference, more so if it is FREE to attend!

Former Porsche & BMW MD announced as keynote speaker of the Kent B2B, Ashford

Kent's longest running business-to-business exhibition and conference, the Kent B2B, run by Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce welcomes a giant of the business world to its Ashford event on 7 July at the Ashford International Hotel. Kevin Gaskell has worked with leading luxury car marques Porsche and BMW and is recognised as one of the most capable leaders of his generation.

As a well-respected keynote speaker Kevin has experience of speaking at a variety of business environments including Google UK. Richard Trinder, Director, comments on one of Kevin’s recent keynotes; “Thank you for the inspirational speech you delivered to open our Google Think event last week. Your on-stage presence and natural charisma shone through. This coupled with the strength of your content and the clarity of your messages raised the quality of our event from the outset. You injected gravitas, humour and credibility.”

Bringing his open and involving style to the audience Kevin will help delegates to better understand how they can define and implement change in their own organisations.

Brand experience

Speaking about his scheduled appearance Kevin commented: “Great companies and amazing brands are not seen or heard, rather they are experienced. Using practical tools and real examples I help leaders to transform their organisations, achieve results – and have fun!”

Full conference programme and 100 exhibitors

Warren Knight will also be appearing at the Kent B2B in a conference programme that is designed to meet the needs of businesses from Ashford and across the county.  The Kent B2B which is sponsored by Caxtons, will have more than 100 exhibitors showcasing existing and new products and services – many with special offers and competitions on the day. The day kicks off with a business breakfast, sponsored by Jelf, featuring Clive Lewis talking about Edward De Bono’s “Six Thinking Hats” and will finish with the Chamber’s Annual Dinner, sponsored by Furley Page with Guy Browning.

Jo James Chief Executive of the Kent Invicta Chamber says “We’re looking forward to our 29^th year of the Kent B2B and a productive day that will offer businesses of all sizes and from all sectors a place to meet, network and do business.”

Top ten secret tips to exhibiting!

1  Set your objectives -  what you wish to achieve 

   
    Design your stand to meet your objectives and plan your staffing needs early

2  Train, train, train

    80% of the success of your stand is down to your staff

3  Exhibiting is not just for leads but also to find suppliers and to ...

    Develop customer relations, find business partners, research competitors, 

    launch a new product, get new ideas

4  Market your stand to both customer and prospects

    Invite them to meet you at your stand or in the networking area

5  Messages on your stand
 
    Should be simple, visual and in LARGE print which stresses benefits, less is more

6  Can I help you?
    Not a good question, ask open questions that require more than a one word answer

7  Don’t just wait for visitors to visit your stand

    Lead generation can be anywhere, getting coffee, at workshops and speaker sessions-   
    Talk to everyone you can wherever you are!

8  Networking is about helping other people

    Hard sell is not appropriate and not appreciated and less effective

9  Don’t

    Use a mobile, eat on the stand, sit down, have your back to the aisle, have a messy stand
    or have cheap tacky giveaways

10  Follow up
      Follow up leads as quickly as possible after the exhibition

       

2015 could prove to be a crucial year for small businesses

With the General Election looming many are talking about what policies will make the difference for small business owners this year and whether the winning party will be able to build on the foundations of the growth of the last 18 months. We take a look at what small businesses need to do to continue to succeed and what the other trends might be for small businesses over the next 12 months.

FSB’s 2015 General Election manifesto

A recent post by the FSB’s John Allan, national Chairman spoke of the rise of the small business in 2014 – whose numbers broke 5 million for the first time. 2014 also saw an exponential rise in the number of small businesses innovating, growing and taking on their first employee – helping to tackle the unemployment rates. Coupled with this small firms saw there productivity grow and Mr Allan commented that small businesses were finally beginning to get the recognition that they deserved.

In order for firms to continue this upward trend the FSB argues that changes need to be made, and as such it has produced a manifesto that outlines what they believe needs to be the focus post-election. Mr Allan continues that the party that wins the election will need to look at ways to support and nurture all business not just big or small – it will need to help sustain growth ensuring responsible business practices, whether that be via using apprenticeship schemes, enhancing supply chain activities or ensuring a better flow of payments between businesses. He warned that whilst the future looked good the uncertainty in the Eurozone could still have an effect on the year ahead and that the FSB’s General Election manifesto contents that include reforms to access to finance, unfair business rates and the still growing skills gap would offer a more sustainable route for small business.

Alternative funding routes

Others have spotted the issue of access to finance and the route by which small businesses can source additional funding as a key trend for 2015 too. With the development of crowd funding sites such as Kickstarter, Crowdcube, Buzzbnk and Seedrs the route to funding has diversified – no longer is the bank the only option. These platforms also enable a globalisation of funding and experts are also pointing towards an increasing appetite for risk once more – good news for the innovative entrepreneur.  

Growth of the tech scene

James Caan, the well known angel investor, entrepreneur and equity head points towards our growing tech industry as sector to watch in the coming year. Silicon Valley is, of course, the giant of the sector but East London has been building a reputation as the go to area in the UK for tech services - providing a great platform for US companies to cross over to the UK, as well as for startups to work within a community. Caan suggests that the next 12 months will see the UK learn even more from their US counterparts and that signals the possibility of greater growth. However the tech industry isn’t solely in the capital and along with areas such as Manchester and Bristol parts of Kent has also been hailed a tech hot spot with Canterbury, Folkestone and Ramsgate highlighted as tech centres for the county. A mixture of great links to both London and the continent and lower business costs means that Kent could be well positioned to further take advantage of the growing tech industry in 2015.

Social media continues to diversify

Linked to the growth in the tech sector many are also urging small businesses to continue to take full advantage of social media. Caan points to the development of advertising on Facebook and Twitter and that images are becoming an increasingly important way to attract clients – meaning that 2015 could well be the year for Instagram. Small businesses have historically used social media extensively and Caan urges small firms to continue this trend. The opportunities that a strong social media plan can have on your business are huge and will only continue to grow in 2015.

2015 is going to be an interesting year across all business, but especially for small businesses – as ever the key is for small business and entrepreneurs to grab opportunities and run with them. The General Election and the winning party have the chance to make some real differences to the way that small businesses work in the UK, and with small businesses and entrepreneurs making up an growing percentage of the UK economy the parties would do well to listen to the sector, their votes could be the deciding factors.

Networking in a digital age

As the digital world continues to develop and it seems that more and more of our communication takes place online, over email or via social media is the art of networking face-to-face becoming obsolete? The growth of social media and other networking applications such as crowdfunding sites has undoubtedly led to employees spending longer in front of their screen and less time out meeting contacts, peers and clients face-to-face. Unarguably, online has opened up many businesses to otherwise unreachable international markets and information that would have previously taken weeks to research is now available at your fingertips. The growth in this technology has opened up many alternative commercial channels for businesses, large and small; however, it has also meant that employees now spend time sifting through vast swathes of information – making decisions as to what is useful and what is not.

Networking is an important skill

As the tide of social media has continued to grow there has also been a growth in the number of people discussing the need for face-to-face meetings and nurturing those so-called softer skills of networking and developing relationships. Interestingly, Julia Hobsbawm has long heralded the need for businesses to maintain more face-to-face contact and the need for employees to “come out from behind their screens “ and actually meet people. She has such weight within the business community that the Cass Business School based in the City, London have recently made her their inaugural, honorary Professor of Networking. Julia has long argued that the process of building networking skills is integral to the development of a solid, productive team, that networking is less of a soft, additional skill and that is should be brought to the forefront of business skills that firms should be demanding from their employees. Proving that an ability to network matters and can make a difference to the bottom line of a firm takes the skill swiftly away from its lightweight roots or comical images of standing alone in a conference room with a handful of business cards and takes it into the realms of relevant, contemporary business thinking. 

Larger firms recognise the need to network

Hobsbawm argues that, in fact, it is a disservice to think that employees don’t want to or aren’t capable of networking in this way. Large businesses such as BT and Regus have proven business techniques that show that in order for employees to work at their best, face-to-face contact is required. They ensure that new managers go out and meet all their teams – even though their corporate policies rail against “unnecessary travel”. To run a successful business is obviously a far more intricate operation than employing people to sit behind desks connecting through their PC’s. Employees should, and need to be encouraged to take the opportunity to network as and when they can. Hobsbawm comments that these opportunities may also come from the most unusual of places, but are necessary in order to push those employees onto the next stage of their career (and prevent them from becoming disillusioned). Businesses themselves need to aspire to be dynamic and forward thinking – they must remember to look beyond their own walls and engage with the wider world. 

Networking whether it is in your social circle, with peers at a curated external networking event (such as those run by the CIPD), or at a focussed business to business conference or exhibition should be a firm and regular fixture of any business. Starting a relationship online is great, but the cement that will hold and build that business relationship into a longstanding, mutually profitable one will be done face-to-face.

5 reasons to consider event sponsorship as part of your marketing plans

As marketing budgets begin to increase once more many organisations will begin reviewing their spend in terms of both finance and the channels that they use. Whilst the march of social media and online marketing continues apace many marketers are starting to look at some alternative means in order to get their brand out there and recognised. With the growing noise across many channels, an alternative strategy may be the way to be seen and heard by more of your audience. So, along with a return to the more traditional areas of print marketing, the arena of event sponsorship should also be considered as a great way to build your audience and grow exposure. 

Choosing the right event and what you sponsor is absolutely key to your sponsorship success. Consider should the event align itself with your business? Is it attracting the right audience for you? Could it open a new market for you? These are all questions that you need to be pretty sure of the answers before going ahead. One thing is for sure though many business directors agree that exhibitions offer a great way to meet new clients,  so surely extending that to sponsoring makes sense? And do you know what? Sponsorship needn’t cost the earth - it’s not always about sponsoring the whole event, or the event guide - there are generally lots of other smaller opportunities for business to get involved with. Take a look at five reasons why your company should look at event sponsorship.

1. Build credibility with a targeted  audience

Events like B2B exhibitions and conferences are a great way to get to meet your clients, develop relationships with new ones and build authority within your sector. Alongside taking a stand having your company branding elsewhere at the event will help to build recognition of your product or service. Sponsorship will enable you to stand out from the crowd to an audience that has been created for you. What does this mean? Well, a carefully managed exhibition or conference will have heaps of delegates that are ideally placed to be receptive to your product or service - thats’ the job of the event organiser. For them to make the event successful they need to have the right delegates meeting the right exhibitors … and sponsors! Be sure to do your homework and find out exactly who the target market is.

2. Remember the people that aren’t actually there

Now this may sound bizarre but when you are speaking with delegates, contacts or other exhibitors always remember that they most probably have a book full of other people with similar interests or who are in a similar sector, so, remember the people that aren’t at the exhibition and make an excellent impression on those that are. This still holds true for sponsorship - sponsor the event bag or some promotional items and the chances are they will be seen by far more than just the person who attend - gaining you and your business further exposure. 

3. Increase your media exposure

As part of the organisers role the event will undoubtably be well advertised both on and offline - as a sponsor you gain access to this. For businesses that look at becoming a headline or major sponsor the opportunities to spread your reach can be huge. Advertising tends to come as standard on all the events marketing including web sites, email marketing, advertising, but be clever and you can get more involved - creating social media campaigns or other content that align you to the event and build your exposure.  

4. Big or small 

Whatever the size of your business, there is likely to be a sponsorship  opportunity for you. Larger firms may be interested in becoming a headline sponsor - like Caxtons for the Kent B2B’s this year. Not only does it give them great coverage across the county - which is their main target market - it also goes to show that they are genuinely interested in the local area and businesses within it. 

David Gurton, Director at Caxtons comments. "As a professional firm, Caxtons looks for ways to magnify and enhance our corporate message, and we found a particularly valuable one in our partnership with Kent Invicta Chamber.

As headline sponsor for the Chamber’s B2B events, we have achieved face-to-face countywide exposure that has helped us to capitalise on our existing marketing and PR activities.  It has meant we can meet clients in an informal business environment, and can introduce them to knowledgeable members of our team. 

The wide ranging promotion of the exhibitions including emails, advertisements, press releases, blogs, workshops and speaker slots prior to, and at events has increased our brand exposure to both the business community and customers across the county, which has extended our business reach."

However, if you don’t have the resources for headline sponsorship what can you do? One of the best ideas is to pick up the phone and call the event to see what the other options are - there are usually opportunities to sponsor event bags, perhaps the coffee cups (what a great way to get your brand noticed as people stand, chat and network!) or, even get involved with a workshop or sponsor a networking session. 

5. Make more contacts

For some events, becoming a significant sponsor can also open up the events contacts lists for your business. If you have chosen well this list could be one of the premium benefits to your firm - offering you access to a list of delegates that potentially are interested in you.

Making sponsorship opportunities work is a two fold deal - firstly, you need to ensure that the event you are looking at is in the right sector and that the organisers are targeting your potential clients. Then it’s down to you - negotiate well and you could come out with a package that’s worth far more than the money you pay for it. 

Interested in finding out more about sponsorship of our events? Call Carole on 01732 758530.

Ex-dragon Doug Richard forecasts “The Perfect Storm” for creative entrepreneurs

The Kent County Cricket Club at the Spitfire Ground, Canterbury hosted the third of the Best of Kent Shows on Thursday 11^th September for the Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce. This leading business to business event encompassing an exhibition and a conference with leading speakers and workshops welcomed over 600 delegates and 60 exhibitors, who used the day to network, building existing and new business contacts.

Doug Richard & the creative entrepreneur

Keynotes came courtesy of Andrew Priestley, QJ and serial entrepreneur Doug Richard, who gave an inspirational speech on the rise of the creative entrepreneur in the UK. As the greatest nation for creativity – a recent report published in January by Department for Culture Media and Sport revealed that the creative industries in the UK outperform all other sectors, generating over £70 billion a year - he laid out a case for now being the perfect time to start a creative business. He argued that with the democratisation of access to finance making it easier to tap into alternative means of funding such as peer to peer or equity lending and the growth of websites such as Kickstarter plus the fact that economically the UK is at the start of a new cycle equals, in Doug’s words, the perfect storm for new creative businesses to establish and grow.    

Having worked with a number of new businesses in the East Kent area he continued he felt confident that the area was also in great shape to support new creative firms in the future. As part of a strategy for success he also spoke of the need for businesses to re-contextualise their offering dependant on their location, that contrary to what many would argue, new businesses do not need to be able to create innovation for innovations sake in order to be successful. In fact, some of the most successful new businesses are created by taking an existing product or service and bringing it to a new area. By the very act of moving it to a new region the product or service changes becoming different and unique due to it being re-localised.

Carole Barron, Chair of The Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce, who hosted the day commented “It was a great day for local, regional and national businesses. There was a great buzz around the event with exhibitors and delegates making new connections and building relationships. All the workshops and keynotes were well attended with incredibly positive feedback on the topics and delivery.” She continues “Now, we look forward to the next Best of Kent Show; the North Kent B2B on Thursday 16^th October at the Woodville, Gravesend. Keynotes are from CEO and co-founder of Angels Den, Bill Morrow, Lauren Lovett and Barnaby Wynter and there will be representatives from the London Paramount project attending to speak about the latest developments."

Offering opportunities to all types and sizes of business

With all this on offer the North Kent B2B is an event where you can give your contacts list a boost and meet a range of diverse, interesting businesses. You can gain insight through attending the sessions scheduled by industry leading speakers and find out how to apply their lessons to your business to increase your sales and profitability.

The Best of Kent Shows’ North Kent B2B is sponsored by Caxtons, chartered surveyors, one of the largest independent property consultants in Kent along with Hatten Wyatt and Thames Gateway.

Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce runs the event, and members of the Chamber will also be available to offer free business advice. Jo James, the Chief Executive of the Chamber, comments “The Kent B2B's are the biggest events in our calendar and they draw businesses from across the county and the UK. This year’s events have shaped up to be a great mix of inspirational speakers, exhibitors, masses of networking opportunities and workshops. I look forward to welcoming businesses from across the county and further afield to an informative day.”