Marketing: Reach out

Pubs are a favourite venue for networking, research reveals. Adrian Harvey explains how licensees can tap into the opportunity.

No direct mail or slick advertisement can ever replace telling someone, face to face, about you and your company. Recent research by British Gas Business discovered that among companies that network, 89 per cent have won new business as a result.

Yet despite the clear business case for meeting informally, most small businesses don't network. British Gas Business is running a campaign for the rest of 2005 to encourage this sector to network more. Pubs can play their part in the campaign by providing an environment for companies to generate business.

Pubs emerged in the research as one of the most popular places to network, in contrast to the more traditional established networking forums provided by business groups and associations.

So why not run networking events for local businesses? As well as showcasing your pub, you can bring in new customers and boost sales of drinks and food during quieter periods.

Some of the practicalities you might want to consider include:

• Making an area of your pub available to local businesses which want to network
• Offering your facilities to local business groups that can host their meetings at your pub
• Contacting your local media to announce networking events
• Producing promotional material with handy advice on how to network effectively
• Advertising the events in your pub
• Encouraging businesses to tell others about the initiative.

Of course, as well as hosting networking events you also want to ensure you are an ace networker yourself. As part of its research, British Gas Business asked experts for their best tips:

• Never go anywhere without your business cards
• Prepare a simple one-sentence description of your business and memorise it. Think of an anecdote to illustrate what you do
• When meeting someone for the first time repeat back their name when you are introduced. It will help you remember it
• Always follow up after meeting someone and make sure you store their details somewhere, noting down some interesting biographical background which will help next time you meet them
• Always try to give them something before you ask for anything in return. It could be as simple as putting them in touch with someone else you know who shares a similar interest or passion.

Net results​

• 42 per cent of businesses voted cafés, pubs and restaurants as the most popular places to network
• The best networkers are from Yorkshire & Humber-side and the worst are found in Wales
• Among companies that network, 86 per cent win new business, 77 per cent raise their business profile and 70 per cent benefit through
  discussing business issues with other companies
• The smallest businesses, with three or four employees, are least likely to network
• 69 per cent of those who do not network say it is not
  relevant to their business.

Adrian Harvey is commercial director of British Gas Business.​