Whats the etiquette in relation to introductions and networking for a consulting firm?
—M.N.R., La Crescenta, Calif. Referrals and networking are crucial to consulting firms and should be encouraged, particularly as you get started in business. Having colleagues who will recommend your work and put their friends and clients in touch with you before you are known in the community will get you started building a client base. How you motivate that behavior—and sustain it after you get established—depends on what kind of consulting you’re doing and who’s referring prospects to your firm. Saying thank you, both by telephone and following up with a written note, is absolutely required within a day or two of the referral. Returning the favor, and referring business to others, is expected in formal networking groups such as BNI International, which is headquartered in Upland, Calif. “If you’re getting a lot of introductions from someone, it might be worth sitting down with them to express your thanks or buy dinner,” says Jim Nightingale, a longtime business consultant based in C
