Touch Point Networking (Part One)
3/2/2007
by Michelle R. Donovan and Dr. Ivan Misner

Effective networking is about building relationships.  The people that are most likely to refer you over and over again are people who know you, like you and trust you.  This means that you must build the relationship, gain trust and then maintain and further develop it over time.

Touch Point Networking is making a concerted effort to develop long lasting, strong, profitable business relationships over time.  Consequently, “touch points” are very important in the networking process.  Touch points are the occasions in which you “touch” one of your clients, potential clients and/or referral partners.  Touch points are simply a communication mechanism and often an opportunity to give to the relationship.  Things like:  a phone call, email, newsletter, correspondence, personal meeting, greeting card, invitation, lunch meeting, etc… represent many of the different ways you “touch” your networking partner.

Some people have asked, “What’s the most effective system for follow up or staying in touch with someone?”  The answer is quite simple – the one you actually use!  The key is that you need some kind of system that works for you and that you’ll do consistently.  If you have a great system, but don’t use it, you might as well have no system at all. If you have a great system and fail to follow-up with it, it could also be quite damaging.   Think of it like a big air sandwich that may look good but it’s not very fulfilling!!  Equally important, the system needs to be appealing to those you are trying to touch.  For example, using email to connect with someone who prefers phone calls is not going to be very effective. 

Touch Point Networking helps you to remain top of mind to those people who positively impact your business.  It proves the notion that you genuinely care enough to want to stay in touch.  It adds mortar to the relationship, solidifying it for years to come.  It’s like the cliché says, “people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” 

Every effort that you make to stay in touch with someone has the potential to activate the “Human Law of Reciprocity” … if you do something nice for me; I’ll do something nice for you.  If you successfully work this concept in business, you’ll begin to create more of a life and not just a living.  Part Two of this article will explore five touch point networking techniques in detail, demonstrating how they meet the goals of keeping you top of mind and activating the human law of reciprocity.  Stay tuned!


About the Authors: Michelle R. Donovan, is The Referability Expert and owner of Pinnacle Training Services in Sewickley, PA.  Michelle teaches a referral generating system that covers all aspects of productive and effective business networking and referral marketing.  She can be reached by email at michelle@pinnacletrainingservices.comor by phone at 412-741-1926.  Visit her website at www.pinnacletrainingservices.comor visit her referral marketing blog at www.ptsnetworking.blogspot.com. 

Called the father of modern networking, Dr. Ivan Misner is a New York Times bestselling author and Founder of BNI (www.bni.com), the world’s largest business networking organization.  His latest book, Truth or Delusion can be viewed at www.TruthorDelusion.com.  Dr. Misner is also the Sr. Partner for the Referral Institute, an international referral training company (www.referralinstitute.com). He can be reached at misner@bni.com.

Touch Point Networking (Part Two)
Part One of this article helped to define Touch Point Networking while establishing the significance of giving time and effort to your networking partners by staying in touch with them regularly. We know that studies have shown that people who spend a significant amount of time together often build the most lasting relationships. The successful sitcom “Friends” seemed to demonstrate that very premise. This can also be seen in the business arena. There is no question that consistent referral business is a product of very strong relationships.