All things being equal people want to do business with people they know, like and trust.  That includes Not For Profit Organizations.

I am speaking a the AFP or Association of Fundraising Professionals on Friday.  I am the opening act in a line up of highly professional speakers on the topic of Social Networking, or Web 2.0.

I will be speaking about how Online Networking enhances your Face to Face networking and builds stronger networking relationships.   But, I am a little perplexed, I am not sure that many Fundraising or Not for Profits really do face to face networking.  I have met very few of them at a BNI meeting or at a Rainmakers meeting.  Thinking of the chamber events I go to, I meet few if any of them there.  So, I ask myself why don’t I ever meet them?  Where are they networking?  Do they network? Are they meeting the Small Business Owers, or are they just looking for the big guys?

Gleaners Food Bank is an example of a Not for Profit that networks face to face and does it well.  They are active in BNI and have even taken leadership positions in their chapter and in the region.  Because of their participation, many BNI members have taken tours, BNI Indiana does an annual fundraiser for them.  We learned that Gleaners does not just feed the hungry,  they help pantries around the state feed the hungry.  Not just the hungry but children who get backpacks of food and senior citizens who get food delivered to them.

They have gotten volunteers, like Stacie Shipley with JNS Electric who delivers senior boxes for them every week.  They have create positive word of mouth when the had Aaron Prickle of Lushin Associates take a tour so he could understand what they really do, and he now clears up a lot of misconceptions that he and many of his associates were once under.  Victoria has educated a lot of BNI members about the organization all because she believes in face to face networking.  Unfortunately they have embraced less of the Social Networking.

The Indianapolis Human Society has done a good job with social networking, I see them on Smaller Indiana and on Twitter, but I have never met anyone from the humane society at networking meeting.

If you are a NFP or a Fundraising Professional it is important to understand that people want to volunteer and donate to people they KNOW, LIKE and TRUST.  Getting out to business networking events are important activities, it allows people to get to know you and your mission, to build a relationship, to volunteer, to spread word of mouth and to be advocates.

Using Social Media to amplify those relationships is the icing on the cake.  It is a new economy and everyone is holding on to their dollars, it is time for Fundraisers to come out of the offices and board rooms and meet the small business people in the community.  After all small business owners want to help, they are the fastest growing sector of the economy, but they also want to know who they are helping and why.  They want to meet you face to face.

Hazel M Walker, owns three award winning franchise’s. She is a 10 year owner of two BNI Franchises where she teaches members how to leverage their time and network to build each others businesses. She is also a Referral Institute franchise owner and teaches Business Owners how to harness the Science of Referrals to develop Referrals for Life. Hazel is a published author in New York Times best sellers Masters of Networking and Masters of Sales. As a member of the National Speakers Association she travels the world speaking to businesses and women’s organizations on the topics of networking to create a life you love.

A random bizarro-world event I just had to write about …

Today I received a phone call from an area code that seemed familiar but the caller did not leave a message.  I decided to call the number back and find out if I knew the person on the other end.

A women answered the phone and told me she hadn’t left a message because people normally do not call her back. She was a healer and was reaching out to people in the coaching profession to offer free healing sessions in return for referrals.

Somewhat interested and a little skeptical,  I shared that I already partner with a healer and wondered if she could share her website or blog with me. This way I could learn more about her credentials and share her site with people who may be in need of her services.

This is where things started to get strange. The “healer” (now in quotations marks because I’m thinking  – not so much) began to tell me that most people who have websites and blogs are phonies with misleading information on their websites.  She had been in business 10 years and has never needed a website. I agreed that word of mouth is great but argued a lot of honest people have reputable sites that serve as a menu of services containing valuable information.  …  Insert Theme from JAWS sound effect … Our egos had become involved in the conversation.

and then … As if the silly disagreement about the value of the internet was not enough.

I made the mistake of telling her that I too fancied myself a healer.  I made the statement as a connection bridge after the failed internet tete a’ tete.

BAD IDEA

This statement pushed her over the edge to straight crazy!

Had she let me finish,  I would have shared my personal healing experiences with yoga, teaching yoga, and coaching people through low self esteem and self sabotage helping them become whole and healthy again.

She would have none of it.

She said  “You might be psychic and intuitive but you are not a healer.” This was followed by her telling me that  I was arrogant, out of balance and in need of significant healing – followed by the powerful grand finale of hanging up the phone.

Conversation over.

WTF?

I tried to call back to straighten things out and make a peace offering.  When I finally got through to her, she hung up on me again.

The person on the other end of the line was a “healer”  … and I’m an arrogant phony in need of healing?

Seems like I would be a good prospect for her.

Hmmm

What do you think the lesson is here?

Have you ever triggered somebody in this way?

How did you handle the outcome?

This was a no win phone call.  The “Healer” was insecure and triggered before our conversation could get off the ground.

Next time … I will not return any random phone calls nor will I feel responsible for making peace with a angry suitcase carrying “healer.”

I will send out good intentions and let it go.

Shann Vander Leek is the Founder of True Balance Life Coaching and Co-founder of Seize True Success. She is a Coach Training Alliance certified professional coach, and certified yoga instructor. Shann is a prolific blogger, published writer and co-author of the Best Selling Book – Wake Up Women BE Happy Healthy & Wealthy. Shann’s personal style and direct approach have guided and inspired many in overcoming personal and professional challenges. Her background in sales, marketing and client development, along with leading a talented sales force for many years prepared her for the business of professional coaching. Shann inspires women in transition to create balance in their lives through personal coaching, yoga and creative expression. Telephone and email consultations make her accessible to clients all over the world. To find out about her Coaching Programs for Women, call Shann at 231.668.111 or visit www.truebalancelifecoaching.com

People have to hear things and see things 7 times before they take action, so advertising is important and PR are very important to your business.   but I agree that word of mouth is a powerful way to build your business. It is ALWAYS WORKING, it may not be in your favor, but it is always working. 

Here are a few things to remember about word of mouth.

1. In order for WOM to work well for your company or you as a person, you MUST have a clear, concise message that others can carry easily and repeat to people they know. For instance, I have a friend who reviews property taxes for commercial buildings, if you are over paying then she will file an appeal and get you a refund of the over payments. That message is too long…here is the message that everyone carries for her….. Denise takes the pain out of property taxes, you should call her.  Simple, easy for others to remember.  Most business people have a muddled message.

2. WOM is the most dangerous form of marketing, in that you cannot control people. They may carry the wrong message or a negative message.

3. Word of Mouth is always working, it just may not be working in your favor. Negative WOM travels faster than positive WOM.  Dr. Misner discusses this topic in the book, Truth or Delusion.

I remind BNI members and Referral Institute graduates regularly that WOM is always working. It is important for them to keep the message simple, consistent, and positive. A great message backed up by poor service or a poor image is going to create Negative WOM.

Hazel  owns and operates a franchisee of Referral Institute, a worldwide referral marketing training organization. As a Master Trainer, Hazel provides business-expansion expertise to entrepreneurs and corporations by teaching business professionals comprehensive referral marketing stratagem. In 2006, her franchise earned both the Top-Grossing Franchise award and the honor of hosting the Referral Institute International Conference.