Do people buy YOU or your BUSINESS..?

Since I started networking in a big way I’ve made one of the most important discoveries of my business life: Things have changed 180 degrees from the old days.

What do I mean? Well imagine you wanted a website built. You searched through the Yellow Pages and found a designer. Once the work was commissioned you might have got to know the chap and if you were lucky you may have ended up friends. Eventually you’d come to trust him. But how has this model changed?

Networking has brought about a new model. Now we get to meet people first, grow to like them (sometimes through repeated exposure), become friends, and finally learn to trust them. THEN you do business with them! NOW you place your business with someone you know and trust, taking much of the worry out of the transaction.

So how can YOU fit into this model if you don’t network as much as you think you ought to?

Well this is the simple bit: most of us in business already have a corporate website. This is fundamentally designed to promote our products or services but says little about us.

Never forget the old adage: “People buy people”. It’s possible that your site may have an “About Me” section, buried somewhere in the main menu. Maybe not. But now you can have your own personal web presence in your corporate branding, and which links through to your main website – and YOU control it!

A Profile Builder one-page website is designed to showcase you – the individual. It will act as a natural link to your main website, but will tell everyone about you, just so people can get to know you better. It can be placed on Facebook as your main business page, as well as popular forums, such as 4Networking where it acts as your full profile. It includes that all-important Blog facility (for getting your thoughts or new industry information to your potential clients), Twitter Feed, Facebook and website links. You can let people see rolling testimonials, and maybe a short video about yourself – there are no limits.

On top of all this you can showcase elements of your work through the Portfolio feature, or provide links to downloadable pdf files or e-books. AND the site is optimised for new smart phones – one of the most popular ways for business owners to find out about you.

This site is an example. Here’s another. See what you think…