Making yourself know in B2B

Making yourself known in B2B

How to approach clients?
You need to find out about the company, and the person on the phone, often the receptionist, may not really know who to put the call through to. So sometimes I direct the receptionist, I present my company very quickly as well as my services. Then I ask them to put me through to someone specific, a marketing manager, the person in charge of office management, that type of thing. So I give a two minute description of my product, and sometimes you’re lucky enough to get someone who understands. What’s most important it to try to set a meeting.

Does networking work too?
I would say networking is a good way to get in touch with decision-makers directly. When I was still working as an employee, I was in a number of networks in finance… but I kept in touch. Now, for example, I’ve joined the federation of women business leaders, which is yet another good way to get in touch with decision-makers directly, and other people. When they don’t decide, they can at least direct you toward those who decide within their company. It really grows the circle of people you know and perhaps potential clients.

What about social networks?
Not all social networks! What I mean is that you need to know who your target is. Ours is companies so it’s best to use LinkedIn, for example. It was easier for me since I was already in finance, I had a profile and just needed to update it a bit. But despite my move toward art, all I had to do was update my profile. So then I became very active. Once my company was launched, I started posting on LinkedIn and I created a blog with a journalist friend. She recommended it to me. She said “Don’t wait for journalists to come to you.” “Make your own blog so people can learn and read whatever you want to share.” So she writes one article for me every month, and I post the first 5 lines on LinkedIn… because that’s what she taught me to do… with a picture and the rest is found on my website. And I’m realizing that I already have a number of people following me, and decision-makers following me and contacting me through LinkedIn. So the meetings I have now, the contact I have with decision-makers come from LinkedIn, they’re the ones who found me.