Prospecting is your lifeblood!

  

 

Thursday 17^th November 2011

I have been networking for well over 40 years and selling my product and services to both large and small business as well, both through appointments, knocking on doors and from referrals. Most of this has been through commission only, meaning that if you didn’t work, you didn’t get paid. This of course meant if you where ill, on holiday or just off work for any reason; you earned no money, sounds hard and yes, it was; however, it made you work twice as hard and work smarter than the next person.

Referral marketing was your “Lifeblood”, so you learned to provide quality products and quality work; if you said you could do it, you didn’t let people down you always did your best not misinform clients over delivery dates. Modern networking is similar. Here are a few tips that I’ve gathered over the years. I call them: -

“the three C’s Confidence – Commitment – Control”

 

If you adhere to the three C’s you will note that as well as covering your work ethics they also cover networking ethics as well

• Always carry plenty of business cards whenever you’re out of the office.
• Being approachable is a sure way of making quality contacts
• Making your first impression will stand out, so make it a good one, remember; you only have 8-12 seconds to make that first impression because you’ll not get a second chance.
• Your handshake will tell people what you’re like, not a limp fish and certainly not a bone-crusher.
• You were born with two ears and one mouth, so listen twice as hard as you speak
• Your goal in networking is to foster and develop relationships.
• You should learn to ask open-ended questions the same as you do when you’re selling.
• Always put the person you’re talking too at the front of things and yourself in second place.
• Being confident and having a positive attitude is very important but don’t become a bore, let them talk as well.
• You should follow up very quickly on the people you’ve spoken with at ALL the networking events you go to, this proves your genuine and mean business.
• Make sure you collect all business cards and write on them the date and venue, it certainly helps later.
• Always be yourself at every event you attend, this will leave a lasting impression, people will say I would like to me again.
• You should find out what events are in your locality and visit as many groups as possible; there are so many these days. You’ll be more than welcome at most and it’s cheaper than advertising.
• You must understand that to be successful you’ll need to be able to give to the group before you can expect to take from the group.
• Never miss a networking event. Prospecting is your “Lifeblood” in business.
• You should attempt to build a rapport with people. Become someone others look to as a font of knowledge.
• Aim always to highlight what you do and try to bring in anecdotal situations to build genuine interest.
• When you have joined a group, try to get involved in the background first before you push yourself forward.

Most of my business over the course of being in business has come from referrals and through going to networking lunches, breakfasts, evening events and visiting trade shows.

Networking is by far the better way of promoting your company, make a short, sharp and confident presentation and people will want more information from. You should understand, it’s not the person you’re talking too, it’s the people that they know that counts.