Let us say that you are interested in having a home theater set-up installed in your family room or den. You belong to a networking group or have met someone at a Chamber of Commerce meeting who owns a company that offers this type of service. Would your first thought be to contact this person, whom you have met and maybe had a conversation with, or to search on-line or in the telephone book for someone?
Most people will answer this question affirming that they would first contact the person they know. Why? They have:
1. Met him or her personally
2. Shook his or her hand
3. Looked in his or her eyes while speaking with them
4. Listened to a brief description of his or her business
5. Watched how others in the group reacted to this person
6. Possibly heard how they serviced someone else in the group
7. May have had an opportunity to ask questions and gather information and specifics about the nature of the business
Think of every time you meet someone and he or she has asked you what you do (referring to your work.) This could be many personal “hits” and marketing at its best.