Pro-Networking: Creating Great Connections

There are any number of different networking groups and events you could choose to attend. To make your networking more productive, it’s worth investing effort in identifying and sampling groups that look like they might suit your personal and business needs – here’s how:

Choose the network. Decide what you’re looking for from a networking group and ask around. Find out what groups are available and ask for recommendations and opinions from people you respect.

Contact the network. Phone the organiser of the group or event and ask questions such as these to help you decide whether this is a good place to invest your time.

§ What types of people attend this event?
§ What industries are represented at this event?
§ How long has it been established?
§ What three words best describe this group?
§ Is there an opportunity to promote my business?
§ Does this network have membership?
§ If so, how does it work? What does it cost?

Commit to the events. When you do find a network you enjoy, schedule the time to attend and become one of the regulars. This is a great way to establish connections with people as well as to let others get to know you.

Get involved. Volunteer to help – serving on a committee or helping with an event is a great way to get to know people: help on registration, collect business cards, offer to be the MC or help to arrange an event.

Always carry your business card. That means both in and out of business hours – even at social and sporting events; you never know when someone may need your services. Ladies, it is a good idea to keep a supply of business cards in all of your handbags while gentlemen, you may like to keep a supply in all your coat jackets.

Never hand out cards with incorrect or crossed out information. It is not professional. Information crossed out may give the appearance that you are disorganized or don’t have attention to detail. Business cards are not expensive to print and you should ensure each one you hand out is an ideal representation of you and your business.

Keep a good supply of cards. Don’t allow yourself to be in a position where you can’t give someone your card. Be aware of your stock and reorder before you get too low.

Ask for a business card. When you have met someone and had conversation ask, “May I have your card?” Always ask for their card first. Once you have received it then ask, “May I give you my card?” Don’t always assume that they will want your card. It is more polite to give it to them after they have said yes.

Ask permission. If you want to write details on someone’s card (while you are still with them) always ask, “Do you mind if I make a note on the back of you card?” Some people invest substantial money in their cards and asking this question demonstrates your respect.

Write notes to yourself. When you have finished a conversation with someone, take a moment to write something about him or her on the back of his or her card. This will help jog your memory when you contact them after the event.

After each networking event I gather all the cards I have collected and put a rubber band around them together with note to remind myself of which event I met these people at. I place the pile of cards on my laptop keyboard so I that I action them the next day. Some people invest in contact management systems, and many of them are good, however you can still establish an effective contact system using basic tools such as a business card holder and Microsoft Outlook or Lotus Notes.

Schedule follow up time. Whenever I book a networking event into my schedule I always book another 30-minute appointment with myself for the day after the event to follow up with the organisers and the people I meet.
Send handwritten cards. I handwrite thank you cards for those people I made a real connection with. I thank them for the time we spent, for the information they gave me or acknowledge some other connection that we made. Receiving a hand written card in the mail is so unusual and personal that it delivers with it a powerful impression, far stronger than a quick email might.

Book a 20-minute coffee. If you have connected with someone at an event and you want to know more about them and their business, make an appointment with them for a 20-minute coffee. Twenty minutes is an easy appointment for most people to fit into their schedule. It indicates that you value their time and shows that you are genuine about wanting to find out more about them. When you contact them you might say, “I’d like to invite you for a 20-minute coffee so I can find out more about what you do, what day is most suitable for you?” Make sure you honour the 20-minutes. At the 20-minute mark I always stop the meeting and say, “I promised it would only take 20-minutes so thank you for your time”. At this point the person you are with is able to choose whether they want to end the meeting or continue.

Send a thank you to the event organiser. Take the time to thank the organisers of the event, let them know why you found it valuable and include your business card in the envelope. There is a lot of time and energy that goes into organising events and people appreciate you taking the time to acknowledge that.

Women: Become a Sales Superstar: Get in the Know

To succeed in sales you need to be in the “know”

We are all in sales. We all selling in every role we have. Whether you are in sales, marketing, home business, looking after your kids, dentist, athlete or whatever your chosen field is – you sell. When you are “selling an idea” or pitching a business proposal or offering a product or service – it is all selling. You can choose to avoid it or be good at it. Have you ever met natural sales people and admired them? Have you wondered how they do it? It is simple – you just need to be in the “know”.

Know your style – how do you like to work? Do you work with a team, do you work for a manager, or do you work alone? Determine how you work best or how you need to work, and design a sales process just for you.

Know your personality – are you outgoing? Are you shy? Are you confident? Are you reluctant to meet new people? If you are an extrovert sales may seem a bit easier to you but I believe that the introverts who are exceptional at building relationships with people, are some of the best sales people I know.

Know what energises you – do you work best inspired by others, do you like recognition, do you like to set goals and achieve them. However you like to work you can use this same formula to boost your sales. If you like recognition but work alone, you will need to find someone who you can share your sales achievements with.

Know how to network – this is one of the most important skills in any business. Learn how to network in opportunities that are suitable for your business. If you want to find out more on how to do this you can read my latest book with other master networkers called “Network or Perish”.

Know your commitment – how much time can you allocate to selling as part of your role. If you run a home based business or work for yourself, I imagine you would be “selling” constantly to educate others on what you do and generate your next project or income opportunity. If you work with a sales team you may be required to bring in monthly targets. Make a note of how much of your time you need to spend in a sales mindset.

Know your weekly sales target – if you are part of a sales team, this will be easy as managers provide you with monthly figures. If you don’t have this target – create it. Look at your annual income or targets you want to achieve, divide it by twelve for a monthly figure then simply divide it by four – easy – now you have your weekly target. Place this target somewhere you can see it each day to remind you of what you need to achieve. Take 10 minutes each week to review how you went against your sales goal.

Know your strike rate – if you have to make sales calls (either on the phone or in person) keep a track for two weeks to determine how many calls you made and how many translated into sales opportunities. Some of you may have products or services with long sales cycles (for example in some businesses the sales cycle can be several months) but you will get a feel for your success rate. You might find out of 10 appointments you have 5 turn into sales – your strike rate is 50%. Now you need to make 20 appointments to achieve 10 sales in a week.

Know your team – if you work alone, build a virtual team. Your virtual team might include accountant, personal assistant, bookkeeper, mentor, web designer – you get the idea. Know the talents of those around you and learn from them. Outsource expertise areas to allow you to focus on selling. Know whom your team is connected with and how they might benefit from your product or service. Know how they like to work and ensure your sales processes support that.

Know how to ask for the sale – so many people I observe forget to ask for the sale. Don’t be scared of asking people if they want to buy. Find language that suits your style and just ask. It could be as simple as “Would you like to proceed with this? If so, when should we deliver it for you?” – don’t forget to ask for the business.

Know why people buy from you – understand what needs your product fulfils in people’s lives. Do you sell services that make people feel better about themselves; do you sell products that make people’s lives easier? What reasons do people have for buying from you? You could conduct surveys or hold focus groups to ask your customers what they think. Once you know this information it will assist your marketing and sales efforts.

Know how to thank your customers for their business – find out what your customers enjoy i.e. outdoor activities, entertainment, cooking – what are their interests? When you thank them for their business include something that reflects this. It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. Simply send a thank you card with an article inside they would be interested in. This shows you know your customers well and you think of them after the sale has occurred. Whenever I speak or train a new female client I always send a box of flowers the following day to their office. This shows them I appreciate the opportunity to work with them and their team.

Know how to generate referrals for your business – a good way to do this is develop advocates for your product. Find people who are willing to promote you to their customers or provide testimonials for you – this is very powerful marketing tool and makes your sale process really easy!

Know “no” is not the end of the sale – some people say no to a sale because they have more questions or are not completely satisfied they require the product. Don’t let no be the final word. Have a series of questions or statements you can make to help fully understand why someone doesn’t buy from you. Don’t be put off by the word no – don’t take it personally.

Know how to negotiate – this skill is essential if you are serious about selling. Learn the skill, get some training or observe and expert and ask lots of questions. Negotiation is a key part of any sale – no matter how large or small - get good at it.

Know how to make your service tangible – if you sell a service i.e. coaching, image consultation or something that doesn’t have a product your client can touch or feel – make it tangible for them. Simple ways to do this include business cards, brochure, website, a free analysis or one hour consultation, a manual, testimonials from previous clients, a CD or book on your topic of expertise. There are many ways to make it tangible – get creative.

Know more than your competitors – we all have competitors. Understand how what you are offering is different or better than your competitors. Be able to explain the differences to your clients. Know what your competitors are also offering so you can provide an educated and balanced opinion about how your products are different.

Selling is a great skill – you can develop it or improve it – make the decision to boost your sales by applying these strategies to your business.