It is not rare for us to hear from our business-to-business clients that networking and social media is more of a consumer play.  Studies, as well as real-life experiences, have shown us this is no where close to the truth.  We contacted one of our favorite entrepreneurs and the queen of networking, Gayle Falkenthal of the Falcon Valley Group, to help explain further.

Gayle Falkenthal, president, Falcon Valley Group

Falkenthal, who touts never throwing away a business card, started her company six years ago and has grown it to where she has more business than she can handle.  If there is one thing that is apparent about Falkenthal, it is that she is one plugged-in woman.  She seems to know every one in town, and if you look her up online you’ll find that she has 1,017 Facebook contacts, 953 Twitter followers and 500+ LinkedIn connections (as of 7/28/2009, those numbers will no doubt grow by the end of the week).

In this era of electronic networking, Falkenthal has successfully turned her “news writer phone book from 1978,” (San Diego Union-Tribune, 2006) into an online lead generating and relationship sustaining machine, all the while maintaining a gold-mine of in-person connections.

Read on to learn how you can use social media and networking to generate incredibly successful business-to-business marketing results.

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By Gayle Falkenthal, president and founder, Falcon Valley Group

I pushed back at first when I was asked to contribute a post offering B2B marketing advice. Me, an expert on B2B marketing? Really, you must have me confused with someone else. I don’t do a lick of marketing at all! How could I possibly consider myself an expert?

In six years I’ve never been shy of business leads, and in a down economy my independent public relations practice is thriving. As I write this, I signed a new client yesterday and I have another big contract in the pipeline. I’m referring business I can’t handle.

I must be doing something right. My approach to B2B marketing isn’t traditional, but it’s effective for me and it might be the right approach for you, too.

I don’t engage the usual tools like email campaigns, search campaigns, telemarketing activity, direct mail responses and so on. I don’t have anyone working on lead generation or sales. In the beginning, it was because I couldn’t begin to afford any of it, and I wouldn’t have known what to do anyway. The only so-called sales tool I had was myself.

“Bragging” about yourself doesn’t come naturally to most people, me included. PR pros are notoriously bad at building their own buzz. But most PR people are good at building relationships. We’re joiners by nature. It’s true for me.

A Master Communicator

So I went with my strengths when it came to my B2B marketing strategy. It came so naturally I didn’t even realize it WAS a strategy! Call my approach “Walking the Walk, Not Talking the Talk.”

I relish volunteering and I’m a sucker for a good cause. I’ve been on more boards and committees than I could list. While it’s intrinsically of value to the community, it’s also a personal showcase for me and my business.

In demonstrating what I can do through my contributions of time and talent, I’m my own living, breathing marketing brochure. I’m that free sample you get at the grocery store of a tasty new product - and how many times have you decided, “Sure, I’ll buy this!” and maybe even told someone else about it.

When people get to see firsthand what your capabilities are, it:

Just showing up isn’t enough, though. To make the “WTW” (Walking the Walk) B2B marketing method effective, you need to position yourself for maximum benefit to be successful. How?

B2B customers need to understand what you have to offer in much greater detail than a B2C customer. Letting them see what you can do firsthand fulfills this requirement in a way no mere marketing pitch can ever match.

Make no mistake; while the WTW method can be cost-effective from a budget standpoint, it takes an investment of something even more valuable: your time. In many ways it’s easier to hide behind a piece of direct mail. And sometimes it takes months or years for the seeds you’ve planted to grow. But they will.

I’ve found the payoff to be enormous. Organizations are grateful for your contribution and they sing your praises, often very publicly. Talk about a third party endorsement! It’s the ultimate word of mouth.

Every single client I’ve had in six years has come from a direct referral from someone I know, or an unsolicited inquiry. It’s much more fun and fulfilling to do something positive for your community that shows you off in the process than sending out a business solicitation. My personal mantra has always been “What goes around, comes around.” I’m living proof!