Take the Elevator to Success

Ed Bobrow's company specializes in marketing and marketing management to such clients as Honeywell, Dow Corning, Gillette and Norelco.

Additionally, Ed is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at New York University. He lectures extensively to businesses, trade associations and universities. He has written 5 books and over 100 articles on sales and marketing.


Ed is founder and president of Bobrow-Lewell Associates, a highly successful manufacturers' representative organization in New York. He credits networking with helping him achieve specific goals in all of his various endeavors.

We discussed with Ed the networking techniques he found most helpful as he built his various businesses to their current successes.

FOUR NETWORKING TECHNIQUES

There are four specific things which come to mind when we think of Ed Bobrow's networking technique. He was one of the pioneers in using die-cut letterheads and business cards.

(Die cutting is part of the printing process where a sharp steel die cuts the paper in a desired design.) Ed used a bold letter "B" at the top right hand side of his stationary and business card. The die-cut came around part of the "B" and the rest extended beyond the edge of the paper. It was attention-getting and provided long memory retention value to his correspondence and for his business card.

Ed also took advantage of color and used a distinctive shade of brown for all of his printed materials. People who received either his letters or business cards almost always mentioned how original they were. It was simply a matter of using components of the networking process - letter writing and business cards - and adding a unique touch.

THE ELEVATOR TRICK

Next Ed developed his elevator introductions. It is important to know how to properly introduce yourself in an elevator and how to hold a conversation before you reach your floor.

Everybody's had it happen at trade shows or conventions. You get on the elevator and someone sees your badge. "Oh, you're from the XYZ Company," they say, "and what do you do?" Ed has had to prepare himself to be able to give a quick but effective answer along with his card before the car reaches one of the stops. He states that your ability to quickly describe who you are and what you do is an important networking technique for almost any kind of chance meeting.

THANK YOU CARDS

Another networking technique is one Ed calls "drop a card for a card." Here's how it works. Every time you receive a business card that you expect will have some value or that you expect to keep and file, you respond by sending that person a post card or note reminding them of the occasion of the card exchange and something that might have happened in connection it.

"Thank you for sharing some time with me at lunch yester day," or "Thank you for the valuable ideas you shared with me at the meeting this morning/' or "I really appreciated the good service you gave me."

Remember, people like to be thanked. It's an important key to building respect and friendships.

NEWSLETTERS

The fourth networking concept that comes to mind may be the most effective one for identifiable results. That's Ed's use of newsletters.

Ed has been using them for years. They continually bring him both good contacts and actual assignments. First of all, he doesn't charge for them. And he doesn't publish them on a regular basis. That eliminates the problem of people expecting them when he might not be ready to publish for many reasons.

Ed always tries to incorporate helpful information along with news of what his company doing. And he does a little advertising for both his clients and himself. Often he'll write about situations where he's trying to put people and companies, or companies and companies' together. To protect confidentiality, he describes the situations but codes them for replies. This system has really worked well for Ed, with responses often coming long after the receipt of the newsletters.

Newsletters have a greater memory retention value than most people appreciate.

It's been fascinating to watch how Ed Bobrow has networked his way to success.

NETWORKING FOR CHARITY

Often Cat-Net is called on to help with charitable causes, and Don Crescimanno is quick to respond. He notes, "As a volunteer fund raiser for several community organizations, I have access to the Who's Who in Honolulu corporate, small business, professional, political and service organizations."

The Variety Club of Honolulu wanted to donate a brand new van for the use of a worthwhile children's organization for a full year. The chairperson, being new to the Island, didn't know where to turn for qualified applicants. Don, with his vast network was able the very day he was contacted to put the chairperson in personal touch with a reputable organization who could really benefit from the use of the van

It was a typical example of the charitable side of Cat-Net.

NETWORKING REWARDS

Don sums up his networking experiences this way, "The real fun in my business is the very interesting successful people I am able to meet and introduce to one another. A French chef never had as much pleasure as I do in creating 'possibilities through people,' a stew which only gets better with age as new individual ingredients are added."

Thus, a business can only be successful if the businessman himself is enough smart and competent to come out with options and facilities that can render them with a good amount of profit on regular basis. A dumb-headed individual who is not prone to all the traits and tactics can never become a successful businessman. By incorporating the qualities that are required to become a successful businessman, one can surely get the innovative ideas and techniques to reach to great heights in the printing business. More the experience, better will be the results!