Expand Your Network to Grow Your Commercial Cleaning Business

Networking is one of the most powerful ways to grow your commercial cleaning business. It's not only a proven method for landing new clientele, it's also useful for creating strategic partnerships with suppliers and subcontractors. So finding ways to expand your network is a strategy you should include in your efforts to grow your business.

Like any other business activity, networking yields the greatest return on investment when it starts with a plan.

But first, what exactly do we mean by “networking”? In short, it means interacting with others to develop connections and, hopefully, further your business. This can be done the old-fashioned way (in-person meetings) or via social media.

What are you doing to expand your network?

Create a Plan to Expand Your Network

It's important to note that networking isn't only about getting clients. There are other reasons to expand your network such as finding strategic partners, referral sources and great employees. I belong to a local networking group and haven't gotten much business from it. However, here are some of the benefits I've enjoyed from expanding my network in the community:

• I found an amazing employee at just the right time
• I found a writer to help me with some content needs
• I found local experts to do webinars for our members
• I've gotten speaking opportunities from the network
• I found my realtor from the network
• I found a professional photographer that took amazing head shots for our business
• I found several people that provide services that I use personally
• As members have gotten to know me, they've given referrals to people they know outside this networking group
• Best of all, many of the members of this group have become good friends

Join Industry Associations
Joining an industry-specific association such as ISSA or BSCAI can help you uncover educational opportunities to broaden your knowledge base. But it is also a great way to broaden your network of contacts.

There are typically regional chapters to help make local connections. Most associations host annual conventions such as ISSA Interclean, that allow for face-to-face networking with peers from around the world (more about this in a minute).

It's too expensive and time consuming to be part of every industry organization. Instead, research the groups and join only one or a select few that promise the greatest benefit for your business. Each year at renewal time, reevaluate your memberships to make sure you are still getting your money's worth.

Of course, as with any networking endeavor, you get out of it only as much as you put into it. It's not enough to pay your dues and visit the website once in a while. You need to get involved and stay engaged to really see the benefits. Take time to meet and interact with other members—share your experiences (good and bad), ask questions (about trends, processes, etc.), and offer resources to help others.

Making the Most of Networking Events
Industry events, such as trade shows and conventions, can attract as many as 15,000 people. That makes them excellent avenues for making valuable connections—if you go to them with a networking strategy.

In fact, you should start your networking activities well in advance of the event. Very often, organizers will share lists of exhibitors, sponsors, and attendees online. Review these to identify people you'd like to meet and call or email to ask for an appointment during the event.

During the event, shake as many hands and collect as many business cards as you can. To help you later remember who everyone was, write a little note on the back of each card about the person, their business, and how you could work together.

When you're back home, send personalized messages to your new contacts. Be sure to remind them of how you met, pay them a compliment or share a helpful resource, talk about how you might work together, and ask for a meeting or phone call.

Also, remember to connect with these people on LinkedIn, Twitter, or other social media, and sign up for their company's newsletter. These steps will help you stay current on their company and provide timely reasons for you to reconnect in the future.

Online Networking
Social media sites can also be useful tools. Most notably, many business-to-business companies are getting results with LinkedIn, the largest online professional networking site.

Of course, you can't jump onto LinkedIn tonight and expect to have 20 new clients tomorrow. Virtual relationships take as much work as real-life ones, and probably more. People want to work with and help people they know and care about, and that extends to their online universe.

Blasting out nothing but a barrage of sales-heavy messages doesn't work. Most people quickly weed out selfish and impatient types online, and instead focus on those who engage in a consistent, meaningful way. To get social media networking right, you need to give as much as you take—share resources, answer questions, offer thoughtful tips.

Also, social media should never replace face-to-face networking. Sending a message via LinkedIn or chatting on Twitter can be a non-threatening way to break the ice. But it's important to quickly move those conversations to email, phone, or (best of all) in person.

Finally, it pays to do your homework. Read books or online articles to learn best practices for using any social site, such as LinkedIn. This will help you maximize your investment of time.

Prospecting and Client Networking
Networking extends beyond meeting peers, suppliers, and other industry partners. It's also possible to use networking to land new customers.

This starts by understanding your ideal client and the types of groups they join. As a BSC, this may mean learning the types of associations and events that appeal to building owners, facility managers, or hospital administrators. For example, many facility managers belong to BOMA or IFMA. Does it make sense for you to join one of these organizations as well?

In some cases, participation is limited only to those within the identified industry. Very often, however, there are opportunities to get yourself in front of your target market. This could be as a presenter at one of those industry-specific events, or by joining a general business group like the Chamber of Commerce.

Just as with industry connections, it pays to connect with prospects you meet at local events on social media sites and to subscribe to their newsletters. Use the information you learn as conversation starters or to offer helpful solutions to their problems.

 General Networking Tips

Now that we've covered some of the best places to network, let's talk about some of the practices for making every interaction worthwhile.

Have a purpose: Whether you're attending an event or using LinkedIn, set a goal for every networking opportunity. It may be to meet a certain person, look for a new vendor, find partnership opportunities, or ask for a referral.

Know your elevator speech: In as pithy a statement as possible, this pitch should talk about who you serve, what problems you solve, the benefits you offer, and what sets you apart from the competition.

Be proactive: Instead of waiting for people to approach you, take the initiative and walk up to someone who looks like they could use someone to talk to and introduce yourself. Ask them about their business. They'll be relieved someone is taking an interest in their business and will eventually ask about yours.

Break the ice: Don't lead with your elevator pitch. People love to talk about themselves, so ask the other person what they do and who their ideal client or referral is. Genuinely listen to them and use the interaction to build rapport.

Get contact information: It's fine to hand over your business cards, but always ask for one in return. Don't rely on someone else to follow up with you. Also, jot some quick notes on the back of the card to jog your memory about the connection later.

Follow up: When you get home, don't simply set aside the cards and forget about them. Make a point to follow up with the people you've met within a week. Start by connecting with them on social media. When connecting on LinkedIn, send a personalized invitation reminding them of how you met. If you can begin a short dialog in this way, it sets you up for a follow up by phone.

Be consistent: Repetition is the key to staying top of mind. Select just one or two groups to join at first, and attend their events regularly. Also, keep in touch with your new contacts on a consistent basis. Check in to see how they are doing, send congratulations when you read they've won an award, and share interesting articles you read.

Networking costs little but can take up a lot of time. Having a smart plan of attack will help you make the best choices to benefit your business and deliver the greatest return on investment. Done well, however, creating a healthy and thriving network can be the single greatest way to ensure the long-term growth of your contract cleaning business.

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