Sales advice, recommendations and interesting, useful and fun news from the world of selling!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Do You Really Get It?
Sometimes traditional networking gets a bad rap - after all, just having someone's business card does not mean you know them - or can ask for a favor! Today business growth expert Diane Helbig serves up a networking reality-check.
A friend of mine called me the other day to tell me about a 'networking' experience she had. She met a man at an event and they exchanged cards. The man then contacted her and said he'd like to meet for coffee to get to know her business better.
So far, so good.
Unfortunately, when they met he started into his pitch. He monopolized the conversation and spent the entire time talking about his business, how it could help her, and how it could help her clients. Instead of creating interest he had completely turned her off.
Now this concerned me because I know this man and thought he understood the art of networking. Apparently, I was wrong.
The question becomes, do you really get it? Do you really understand that networking is about relationship building, about learning about the other person so you can refer them when possible?
Here's a checklist you can use when you enter a conversation to make sure you are keeping on track:
1. Do I know what this person does? 2. Do I know what they believe? 3. Do I know why they do what they do? 4. Do I understand the value they bring to their clients?
Notice I have not said anything about YOU! The checklist does not include whether you have told them anything. It does include guidelines for how much you are learning about the other person.
Before you open your mouth, ask yourself if what you are about to say or ask will answer one or more of the above questions. If not, your focus is in the wrong place.
Now go network!
Diane Helbig is a Professional Coach, and President of Seize This Day Coaching. She works one-on-one and in groups with business owners, entrepreneurs, and salespeople. Visit her website at www.seizethisdaycoaching.com
I love reading networking expert Andrea Nierenberg's newsletter. She shares positive ideas that you can implement right away. Today she discusses the importance of staying in touch - something I'm sure we all could do better on!
Saying 'thank you' to your clients, advocates, friends, family - in essence - your entire network, is always in style.
One of our New Year's resolutions needs to be - 'am I staying on people's radar screen enough?' - with a simple thank you, showing appreciation or staying in touch.
It is human nature that when we reach out to someone in a sincere and appreciative way - it fosters stronger and better relationships. In business that can possibly lead to more referrals and opportunities.
I have always been a huge advocate of sending personalized, heartfelt notes and keeping up the 'high touch' in a high tech world. Always having special interest types of cards and notes is the added bonus in that your recipient knows you really took the time to think of them specifically.
Competition is alive and well and whatever you do to sincerely stand out from everyone else can be helpful in earning or keeping the business or getting that opportunity you want.
Here are some reminders:
--The Time is now - as part of your retention strategy, send a personal note with in 48 hours of receiving an order, assignment, or 'next step.' --Show your Personal brand - send a card either with your logo or better yet something that also represents your client's brand. --Put Thought into It - Write a short note expressing your thanks and be specific. An unexpected note that arrives in the mail always stands out. --Relationship Marketing - Often it takes up to twelve 'touches' before you make the sale or get the opportunity. Stay top of mind with frequent and sincere communication that brings a smile to their face.
Andrea Nierenberg is the president of The Nierenberg Group, a business communications company with a total process for educating, motivating and connecting people. Learn more at www.nierenberggroup.com
Getting Dressed Up? May as Well Take Your Business Cards
The holidays are full of parties just waiting to be turned into networking opportunities. Today sales trainer Renee Walkup shows you how!
Last evening I attended an incredibly fun networking event, disguised as a holiday party. The invitations went out early. There were no typos regarding the date, the time, or the address. Not only that, the event looked like loads of fun. The only sentence that made me ponder was this: This is not a business event. Please do not solicit new clients.
I paused and thought about that sentence. After all, wasn't half of the intent to network and make business contacts? The other half was to let our hair down and have some fun. Then I invited my networking and all-around-event-buddy.
I sent her the invitation with a note: "Amy, do you want to go to this with me?" She replied: "Renee, it looks great. But what do they mean by 'Do not solicit new clients?' Isn't this a networking thing?"
After arriving and grabbing a bite, I saw business cards being passed all over the place. It was like a feeding frenzy of fun, food and...you got it...networking!
Now, what about your parties this month? Do you want to do some double dipping fun and networking? Here are a few tips to get you started:
First, survey the room and approach someone who seems like you in terms of personality, age, attire, etc. Find the person you'll have something in common with to immediately put you at ease. If this takes a few minutes after arriving - so be it. You'll find this a valuable networking tool in all situations because people do business with people who are like them.
Next, open the conversation with a question such as: what brought you to the event, how do you know the hosts, and other connection topics that break the ice, and get your new contacts talking.
Also, avoid mundane or controversial topics such as the weather, politics, and religion. Think of creative topics to ask about before attending the event, so that when you meet someone new, there's interesting and stimulating conversation.
How about practicing active listening skills in the conversation? Make good eye contact, avoid distractions, and listen to the deeper meanings while your new contact talks. You will learn more than expected if you just pay closer attention and focus on the individual - not on who else is walking into the room.
Last, send a hand-written follow-up note telling the person how much you enjoyed meeting them, and if possible, include something slightly personal in the note to differentiate that this new contact made a positive impression on you. If this is a good networking prospect for you, invite him or her to lunch, coffee, breakfast, or even another event!
Renee Walkup is president of SalesPEAK, a national sales performance company, as well as a well-recognized keynote speaker, sales coach, and author, with a 25-year background in sales, sales team management and training. Learn more at www.salespeak.com
The SalesDog blog will be quiet tomorrow and Friday as we take time off to relax and celebrate the holidays with our families. Best wishes to you and yours!
Be a more effective networker this holiday season with this tip from Anne Miller:
Oh, no -- yet another networking event. -- and more coming with the holidays!
Are you ready?
Elevator speech? Check. Smile and business cards? Check Shoes shined? Suit pressed? Look like a million bucks? Check Objectives set? Check Up on latest news for smart conversation? Check. Discussion questions memorized? Check.
With everyone pretty much a networking clone by now, how do you get real interest in you?
Surprise people.
Ask this high pay-off question and watch them light up: "Tell me, what would someone have to say for me to recommend you?"
People LOVE this question. A. They feel I am really interested in helping them (I am). B. It gets them off their canned elevator speech and provides a much richer description of what they do that would really help me help them. C. Best of all, that interest in them sparks a deeper interest in what I do. A win-win all around.
Try it at your next event. Let me know how it works for you.
Anne Miller is a popular sales and presentations expert and author of the book, Metaphorically Selling: How to Use the Magic of Metaphors to Sell, Persuade, & Explain Anything to Anyone. She works with people in high stakes situations and clients like Yahoo!, Citigroup, and Time, Inc. to sell millions of dollars of business every year. Visit her site at www.AnneMiller.com and her blog at http://www.annemiller.com/blog/
Networking often seems like a no-brainer - you talk to people and then start working together, right? Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. You've got to capture their attention, create a sincere connection, and then follow-thru to create and maintain a working relationship. Sales blogger Scott Sheaffer has some great basic tips on his blog that will guide you through these steps and make networking much more manageable.
The rewards of networking are not things that come quickly or easily - but when the rewards do come in, they can make all the difference in you sales. That being said, what are you doing to get out there and network yourself and your business? Sales trainer Adrian Miller says networking is a contact sport, and I'd have to agree with her. Take her advice to make all your contacts effective.
"Networking is truly a contact sport that requires you to be proactive if you're going to win," explains Miller. "Are you guilty of taking a defensive networking strategy; waiting for others to contact you? If so, the following tips are well worth reading and following if you want to achieve any level of success from your efforts."
Ask How They Want to Be Contacted
Much of the reason why so many of us don't follow up after a networking event is that we simply don't know the best way to take that next step. Do you email, write a handwritten note, or give them a call? It can certainly be confusing, but there is an easy solution to this. At your next networking event, ask the individuals that you'd like to connect with again what the best method is to reach them. If they are vague, they probably don't want to pursue anything further. If they do tell you their preferred contact method, you can be confident about how to follow up, and most likely they'll be anticipating it, too!
Be Timely
Ok, you now have a stack of business cards, and the thought of contacting everyone can be overwhelming. But, you have to do it, so develop a plan of action. Separate your contacts into two groups - the group of individuals that you want to contact for a specific purpose and those who you simply met but have no specific reason to call. Call back the first group as soon as possible. Then, send a note or email to the others saying how pleased you were to meet them and that you are looking forward to seeing them again soon. Don't forget to add everyone's contact information into your database for future reference. Be a Sleuth
Thanks to the Internet many of your contacts will have an online presence. Google their name and see what comes up. Then, befriend them on LinkedIn or Facebook. If they have a blog, write a comment and let them know that you enjoyed meeting them.
Focus On Giving
Instead of hoping that someone will contact you with a potential opportunity, make a list of who you met and how you can help them. Do you have a recommendation or a contact for someone? Great! Follow up with the information. If not, consider sending an article of interest, an invitation to an industry event, or even just a note or email that you'll keep your eyes open for possible opportunities.
Adrian Miller is the President of Adrian Miller Sales Training, a training and business consulting firm delivering sales-level performance training and executive-level business development consulting. A nationally recognized lecturer, she is also author of "The Blatant Truth: 50 Ways to Sales Success".
"There is safety in numbers." A very true statement if you're out in the woods, and if you're in sales, says sales trainer Adrian Miller. "Make it a weekly goal to meet ten new contacts", suggests Miller. "The more people you can connect with, the more sales you'll make, and the less likely you'll be affected by the economic downturn."
Go to Networking Events
Too many people think that they're above having to attend networking get-togethers. Interestingly, these are the same people who are complaining about their lagging business. Commit yourself to attending events at least twice a month. Sure, you might generate some new business, but just as importantly, you may be able to provide help to someone who also needs a leg up. Become Active in a Group/Committee/Association
Undoubtedly, you're a member of at least one industry association or business group. While you may have ignored their email invitations to events when times were good, you could probably benefit from their support now.
Show Some Appreciation
Now is the time to thank all of those loyal existing clients who have given you business through the years. Be generous with your appreciation, and you might just drum up some new sales. Work Your Database
Make it a daily plan to start reaching out to everyone on your database. Begin with the smaller accounts and work upwards so that you don't miss anyone!
Reactivate Dormant Accounts and Cross-sell Everyone
Haven't heard from a customer in a while? Give them a call, send them an email, or even invite them to an event or function. Just don't let them drop off of your radar. If you're making assumptions about what your customers want and need, you're missing out on valuable opportunities to cross sell. Always provide information on all that you have to offer, and let them decide what they want to buy.
Adrian Miller is the President of Adrian Miller Sales Training, a training and business consulting firm delivering sales training and executive-level business development consulting. A nationally recognized lecturer, she is also a sought-after conference speaker, and an accomplished author of "The Blatant Truth: 50 Ways to Sales Success".
How many holiday parties have you gone to over the past couple of weeks? If you're turning down invitations left and right because you don't like to network, you're missing out on valuable opportunities. Check out this article from referral guru Joanne Black on how to network the right way - you'll be out there enjoying yourself in no time!
Build Your Business Referral Network Think of networking as building your Business Referral Network. These Business Referral Networks are the contacts you develop because you attend networking events regularly. You not only attend, but you become involved. Every organization needs and welcomes volunteers. Think about what you can contribute. Even if it is just a small amount of time, you will develop lasting relationships because others will know that you do what you say you will do and keep your time commitments.
Once you get to know people and they get to know you, you will find many opportunities to provide business referrals. You might refer someone to a potential client, alliance partner, or to a person in a similar business. You might even have a personal referral - to an accountant, banker, or mechanic - a resource that will help another person. We become referral marketing sources for others, and others do the same for us.
Referral networking is about building relationships and being genuine. You network to make friends, sell a product, promote your company, find a job, find new clients, learn the latest from others, or gain more visibility in the business community. Business networking opportunities exist everywhere - meetings, professional associations, alumni groups, sports groups, community groups, weddings, parties, and any place people come together.
Expand Your Reach During the holidays, we have an exceptional opportunity to meet new people at a very social and happy time of year. You have many networking events to attend at this time of year. Invite someone you'd like to know better to go along with you. They will have a chance to meet new people, and you both win.
Remember Woody Allen's old adage: "Seventy percent of success in life is showing up." Showing up counts. The more often you show up, the more visible you become, and the more people will get to know and recognize you.
Set Real Goals Your goal should be to attend at least one event per week at which you'll have an opportunity to meet potential referral sources. In fact, this is a non-negotiable part of my referral marketing strategy. You can attend a breakfast, lunch, or evening networking event - or all three. I have four goals when attending a business networking event:
1. Meet interesting people 2. Learn something 3. Get a new client 4. Have fun
If I achieve at least three of these goals - and I make a point to do so - I am thrilled! You will be, too. So go out there, build your Business Referral Network, and have a great time!
Joanne Black is a leading authority on referral selling and the author of "No More Cold Calling: The Breakthrough System That Will Leave Your Competition in the Dust" from Warner Business Books. Learn more at her website: www.nomorecoldcalling.com
Getting a referral from a friend is great - up until the moment they ask you not to mention their name! All of a sudden your referral is a cold call. Check out this story from business consultant Diane Helbig and remember her advice to make sure you have a good quality referral.
I have a friend - we'll call him Bill. Bill told Ralph that he was targeting CPAs. Ralph said, 'One of my clients is a CPA. Here's his contact info.' So, Bill called the CPA and left a message. A day later Ralph called Bill and asked how it went with the CPA. Bill explained that he had left a message. Then Ralph told Bill that the CPA had called him and asked him not to give his name out anymore. Yikes!
This kind of story is being played out every day all over the world. And the damage it does is deep and wide. My other friend Betty was in a leads group the other day and said she was targeting Human Resource professionals. Roger passed her a lead but had written on it 'don't use my name.' Huh? Don't use my name? Again, this happens daily. 'Roger' doesn't realize the harm he is inflicting - on himself!
How are these referrals? According to the dictionary, a referral is 'a person recommended to someone or for something.' The dictionary definition of 'recommend' is 'to praise or commend to another as being worthy or desirable; endorse.' 'Recommend; worthy; endorse.' Interesting words.
First I'd like to address the damage caused by these actions.
The referrer (and I use the term lightly) damages himself for the following reasons:
--The person he gives the referral to feels that his referrals are empty. --The person he refers others to becomes unhappy with him. --People talk and his behavior will be shared with others, thereby damaging his relationships with them.
The person who received the 'referral' is damaged because:
--In the first example he can't approach those referrals again. They have just experienced him in a negative way. -- Now his pool of referral sources has gotten smaller. He knows now that he can't trust that guy to provide him with quality referrals. --Getting a referral that says 'don't use my name' is really getting just a name. It's a cold call. He's no better off than he was before.
So let's talk about quality referrals.
The best way to get quality referrals is to be known as someone who gives them. Certain elements must exist in order for a referral to have quality.
They are: 1. You know the person you are going to refer very well. ---You are aware of their professionalism, their performance, their customer service. ---You believe in them completely. ---You would do, or have done, business with them.
2. You know the person you are referring to very well. ---You know what their needs are. ---You know how they feel about being contacted by strangers. ---You know what they look for in a vendor
3. You know the best way to conduct the referral. ---Do you make an introduction? ---Do you contact the person for them? ---Do you provide background information to your associate so they are equipped when approaching?
"Knowing the answers to these items will help you in creating a referral system that works consistently and productively," says Helbig. "Then as you work your system, you'll position yourself as a networking pro. In addition, you'll find you are referred more often because you can be trusted. Did you notice? This system treats everybody fairly and respectfully." Quite a difference from 'don't use my name!'
Diane Helbig is a Professional Coach, and President of Seize This Day Coaching. She works one-on-one and in groups with business owners, entrepreneurs, and salespeople. Visit her website at http://www.seizethisdaycoaching.com
Today and tomorrow we'll be finishing up a short series on SADD in America. Sales Attention Deficit Disorder (SADD) is a growing concern, according to sales trainer Colleen Stanley. Last week we identified one way to prevent it - turning off your Blackberry. A scary thought, right? Try this new idea out today, and you'll be helping to lower the frequency of SADD in corporate America.
2. Love the one you're with.
The grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence. This selling scenario often occurs at networking events and looks something like this: You are talking to an individual and throughout the conversation he/she keeps looking around the room to see if there is someone else more important they should be meeting. Actions speak louder than words and the message is clear...you are important; however, the grass may be greener on the other side of the room.
Some salespeople still practice the crazy networking principle of speed networking. This salesperson's main goal is to meet as many people as possible in an evening. Quantity is the goal, not quality. They carry an invisible time clock that rings after two minutes (hey, they have a room to work). They politely excuse themselves and move onto "greener pastures," (at which point their cell phone rings and they answer).
Speed networking or "working the room" is working yourself right out of a potential relationship. Savvy business people spot phonies and phony intentions. People that are serious about building business relationships take the necessary time to build that relationship. They know processes are efficient and people are not.
Colleen Stanley is president of SalesLeadership Inc., a business development consulting firm specializing in sales and sales management training. The company provides programs in prospecting, referral strategies, consultative sales training, sales management training, and hiring/selection. Learn more at www.salesleadershipdevelopment.com.
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Name: Editor: Kelly McLean
Location: Carlsbad, CA, United States
SalesDog.com, the internet's number one sales success destination for more than seven years, works with America's leading sales experts to bring practical selling tips and strategies to salespeople, sales managers, business owners and entrepreneurs. Over 30,000 sales professionals rely on its free weekly newsletter to keep them abreast of cutting-edge developments impacting their profession.
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