The 4 most important to consider before ”working” online groups to ensure your ROI

Today’s media buzz is getting larger and larger and soon there are more social media sites than you can keep track of. At the same time the medias are almost all for free and any company would be a fool of not taking advantage of this. The question that now follows is where do I start and how do I know it is worth it?

The first thing to ask yourself before you even start is – what is in it for me? Yes – you.

Regardless that it is free you will be spending your even more valuable time and this is key.

Are you there to gain information? Become recognised as an expert? Build your network? Find leads or even sales?

Depending on your answer this will determine:

a) which groups you will join

b) how you will interact

c) how you will measure

d) what deadlines you will set for evaluation

Which groups to join – the better you know what and why you are there the better. Maybe you sell to private clients and you have a group fitting demographically plus they all have the problem to which you have the solution – bingo! Maybe you want to boost your expertise – so you find also groups for “experts” where you can show off your knowledge.

How to interact – to build networks long term is always good but to never close a sale won’t help either… be clear on what you want shall happen. If you are looking for sales you know you most likely need to build report and trust first before anything else. A good rule is always to treat others as you wish to be treated yourself. Be genuine. Show interest. Show respect. Be present etc. If you can help them maybe they will offer to help you etc. Yet keep your eyes on the ball; meeting offline, exchange of contacts or whatever it might be. If you never ask you will never gain and never forget to follow up!

How to measure – to get to the sales we have to validate and qualify however there really is a potential sale available. This means being clear on if the need is even there in the first place, if it is do they have a budget and who is in charge of that budget plus when do they want the problem solved. Maybe your goal is to get leads to sign up for your newsletter or e-zine. So you will then know how many members there are in total, how many you spoken to and how many finally signed up. If you are in the right targeted group you should have many sign ups by now otherwise you haven’t networked very well or they are not your audience. Another way to measure is how much and how people inter act. Building a long-term future network knowing who is responsive, reliable, helpful, a key contact etc is very useful. Make a list with their names and make a note beside it. You will soon know who to send those Christmas cards to or not.

Deadlines for evaluations – by keeping track on how much time you spent with a certain group, how many contacts/leads you got and so forth you will be able to distinguish however this group is worth spending any extra time in. Set goals before you start. Then you can easily set a new deadline if the time was wrong, maybe the group was too “quiet” for you to be able to show off your skills, maybe you yourself didn’t take enough time…set your goals, stick to the plan and don’t slide on your decisions. Numbers always tell a very clear language.

FINAL TIPS: before you start always ensure you have your bio, both long and short version, available and up to date, you know how to present what you do and what you need in a way the is compelling and interesting and if possible something to be remembered by. For best success do your homework – people always open up when you show them you are a “real” person who really took the time finding out about who they are and what they do. Good luck!

Copyright 2008-2009 Master Mind Group s.r.l.WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:Business developer and senior sale strategist Malin Carlberg is devoted to create and be the bridge between the micro and small entrepreneurs and the medium and large sized companies. Financial freedom and business growth is what liberate people to be who they really are and to create what they really want in their lives. To learn how to think larger and create more, register for her free weekly articles at www.MasterMindSpeculates.com