Ewan Sturman

What is this networking thing?

by Ewan Sturman on December 27, 2012 · 1 comment

open networking 2“Networking – that’s not for me. Cheesy American rubbish! You can’t get business just by chatting to people, besides I’ve got better things to do with my time. Trust me; it will never catch on…”

I’ve had all these thrown at me in the past and I still probably hear one similar phrase a week dismissing networking as new age nonsense.

But let’s look at this a bit closer and see whether networking is new or American, or whether it even works. [click to continue…]

Destination….Networking!

by Ewan Sturman on October 29, 2012 · 0 comments

A few years ago, if I were setting off on a journey to somewhere new or unfamiliar I would have done a few things first: look at a map, calculate how long the journey would take, choose the best route and note down a few alternative ways in case I came across road works or delays.

We now have more modern technologies like Sat Navs which allow us to simply type in the destination and they do the rest. In a matter of minutes they calculate the route, the length of time the journey will take and they can even advise of alternative routes if you hit traffic or take a wrong turn.  [click to continue…]

There are three key questions you need to ask yourself before bagging a big referral.

Let us start with a basic networking question: what motivates you to do what you do?

Like most people you are probably working to put your children through school, to pay you’re your mortgage or to live a better lifestyle. However, clients want to know what really motivates you and why you chose this profession.   [click to continue…]

How to turn someone into a referral source?

by Ewan Sturman on June 15, 2012 · 0 comments

We have people who recommend us very seldom and some who recommend us not at all and if we are lucky we have a few people who recommend us a lot.

So what makes them different? It could be attitude it could be motivation but more likely it will be information that you have not given them and how often do you contact them.  [click to continue…]

Referral Strategy

April 16, 2012

First let’s have a look at what a network is. Dictionary definition: a supportive system of sharing information and services among individuals and groups having a common interest. For me it is a little bit different.  It’s a system of sharing information and services with people who have a common connection. When we look at it this way we have a much bigger network than we think.

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Don’t be afraid to tell your network what you charge

February 20, 2012

Quite often the cost of your services can stop you getting referred but not in the way that you probably think. You do not need to alter your costs or become cheaper to get referred more often. You’ll rarely hear people say: “I can’t refer him or her as they are too expensive.” It is not what you cost that stops people recommending you: it is not knowing what you cost that stops people referring you.

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Word of Mouth Marketing

December 15, 2011

“Word of Mouth Marketing “is it new? Just think about this for a second. How did we get business before we had print or before people could read or write. Newspapers although quite old only really started in the late 1800’s. Solicitors were only allowed to start advertising in the UK in 1984 so how did they get business before then? They Networked. They networked very well and networking is part of a “word of mouth” marketing strategy which is a fantastic way to get you the business that you want. For those of you who have not done any [...]

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