Alpha Dogs and Networking Success

Whom do you seek advice from? When you are looking to expand your technology or are curious about what trade periodicals you should subscribe to, who do you call?

The answer is easy. You need to call your Alpha Dogs. A.D.'s are a group of people that form a very unique profile. Now that the world has gone global, there is a whole new group of people that you need to focus on when you address your current marketing concerns.

If you go back in business history by twenty or more years, they were our community leaders. These leaders were also our opinion leaders. If these leaders liked or disliked a business or product, they told ten friends who told ten more and so on. They did not have the ability to start a blog and share their thoughts online or submit their views on a website for the world to know how they felt.

Times have changed. Alpha Dogs now have the ability to reach thousands of people with one comment placed on a key location within the world wide web. They have the know-how to make a connection with hundreds of people within a short span of time. They have the unique ability to get the word out fast when it is something that they feel strongly about.

If you are curious how to spot an A.D. within your circle of communication, look for the people that have a tendency to lead a forward-thinking life. They are usually leaders within their communities either in the business world, nonprofit community or civic arena. They believe that you reap what you sow, which leads to a pretty optimistic individual who believes that ultimately good prevails over evil. They like to take their ideas and develop them into successful venues. Most importantly, they are usually awesome relationship builders.

When you market to Alpha Dogs and they believe what you have to offer, you have the ability to control the market. You control the market because they will influence others by spreading the word. The next step to working with this important audience is to form a plan that will allow you to gain knowledge from this important group. This invaluable information will help your business grow and prosper.

Unfortunately, you will not find them running together. As nature has seen fit, they will be in charge of a pack of Beta Dogs (not influencers). It is your job to try to figure out who the best Alpha Dogs are for your product or service.

In This Case, Size Matters. You need to find eight to ten people considered to be Alpha Dogs and build a group who will help support your future efforts. Smaller groups will not function as well because your group dynamics will not be as effective. Ask your A.D's to participate in your six to eight month program, being careful to rotate people off and on so opinions stay fresh. This group has only one job. They need to listen, engage and commit to supporting your personal success with their ideas, content and support. They will share their point of view and clarify market access because they have the information you need to find greater success.

Communication Goes Both Ways. This is the true key to your newly formed group, communication. Your participants will basically be good relationship people. In this group, trust matters. Ask them to test products for your organization. Have this group look at your marketing and tweak it as they see fit. Be open with your world sharing products, services and marketing. Ask for honest input.

Put On Your Big Boy Pants. You are asking for their opinions. Be sure you are paying attention to what they are saying because their comments will be an early indication of what others will eventually be thinking. A.D.'s work best when they are trying to solve problems. Take the information and act on the suggestions to insure your business growth.

In exchange, you must remember to always give them great respect and social validation in front of others who run in the same social/business circles. They want to be liked and are proud of the fact that they are influencing you and your business. Share the news with others!

Track Your Dog's Success. Want to know how well this group is working? See if your participants are doing an effective job of getting their ideas out to the public. Find out what venues they are using like web sites, publications, articles, etc. Then track what they are telling others about you through the same sources.

Consumers are looking for guidance because there is so much information available. The Internet allows people to find others whom they trust that can offer good advice and information about current trends and upcoming products. They get this information from our Alpha Dogs. A.D.'s influence others because they are always informed on these issues and can offer solid, reliable help on these issues. They post their opinions on the internet and at other sources. They get the word out any way they can.

Get out your proverbial dog biscuits and start whistling for those Alpha Dogs. Gather them up and start building your support system. Give your organization the strategic advantage it deserves.

You can read more articles by subscribing to Carol's free monthly newsletter at http://www.urpr.biz or view her monthly column in the Heartland Messenger at http://www.heartlandmessenger.com