This post was written by Patricia Frame of Strategies for Human Resources, our guest author for our solopreneur blog series.

We’ve all heard tips for business development and networking. These three tips aren’t new to you, I bet, but the real issue for most of us is whether we do each consistently – or not so much.

Tip 1: Smarter Networking

Research clearly shows that effective networkers have more successful careers and make more money.

Have you evaluated your networking efforts recently? Me neither. But it is on the calendar for this month. What are you doing each week to meet new people who might become clients or refer them? Yes, each week.

Once you do meet a potential customer or contact, how do you follow up? Following up is a vital skill and yet, from the proliferation of articles on the topic, one suspects many of us are not good at it. Contacting people you meet within a week of initial contact helps both of you remember the other. Sending any information promised is a basic skill here. Contacting people 3-4 months after any business discussion to keep the connection alive is another smart type of follow-up.

Networking online has value too. It is a great place to learn from peers, to find the top people in your field, to help people you know by connecting them, and to keep in basic touch with people you already know. But it does not substitute for actual human connections. Imagine my surprise when a well-known HR expert I followed on Twitter actually called to talk with me – a process I learned he does with all his new followers. Although he is not local, we have since met at a conference and exchanged help. Once you connect online, what are you doing to make yourself memorable? To get a connection from the barely-there electrons into a meaningful relationship?

Once you make a potential connection, whether at a networking event or a community/personal one or via a referral, what are you doing to convert that possibility into reality? Telephone calls, a quick coffee, or any other way to make the connection deeper and more meaningful are smart investments of your time for your future.

Tip 2.  Personal Notes

Yes, this tip comes right from what your Mom taught you as a child about thank you notes. Personal notes are fairly rare now. Yet you regularly hear about well-known senior executives and top level politicians who use them consistently. I doubt they know something we don’t – but they do execute better!

Thank you notes are the easiest. Write these in response to something a client or connection has done for you. Remind an old client or boss why you liked working with them. Congratulatory notes are another smart option. Just because you saw an event on LinkedIn or got it via a Google Alert does not mean you have to keep it online, although you certainly can. Advanced points for sending notes once in awhile to send a print article you have read to someone you know will find it of interest – bonus points if you have paid enough attention to do this for a hobby or personal interest.

Tip 3.  Remember the Basics

All of us think our existing clients, past clients, and the people we know well really understand what we do. But ask yours and you will be surprised at some of the answers. How do you combat this?

• Use a signature for all email and have it say something about your work as well as providing contact information.
• Use both sides of your business card. A brief description or list of your primary areas of work adds a lot of value and reminds people of all you do.
• Write a regular newsletter. The difficult trick here is to make and stick to a schedule. Email newsletters are still quite successful marketing tools. Or you can do this as a blog on your website if you remember to publicize each issue on social media or in other ways.
• Ask your existing and past clients for support or advice. Keeping them involved in your business helps you keep them as clients and referral sources. I recently asked several of my clients two short questions as part of a marketing project and got useful plus surprising answers that have been quite helpful.

Once you have the basics up and running well, then consider whether other social media or marketing materials are useful for your specific audience.

TIP OF THE MONTH

“The best tip I received was learning how to play to my strengths instead of doing what text books told me about building a business. A coach helped me too- so asking for advice and doing some self assessment would be a part of that. For me, this has meant being involved as a volunteer with organizations I like and care about, which in turn lets people see how I work; also going to events and programs that I find interesting rather than going to simply network; and sharing information and strategies and news about the field.” Jennifer Ayers, JL Ayers Consulting