Listen, Learn, Engage

Selling? Don’t Forget Your Network! (Part 2)

Posted by Julie Bauke, September 2, 2010

In Part 1 of my blog post on July 27, I gave you an assignment and I am SURE you complied, right?! As a reminder, you were to make a list of your circles of influence, then give everyone an A, B, or C designation based on the level of “know, like, trust” that you are on with each one (A’s being your closest contacts). The point being, we all have a considerable network that we are often reluctant to reach out to as a business development strategy.

So what to do with that list?

Develop Appropriate Networking Strategies

It stands to reason that your A’s are most inclined to help. Can ALL of your A’s answer these questions correctly?

• What business is Bill in?
• Who are Bill’s target clients?
• Can I accurately describe what he does to anyone who asks?
• Can I recognize a business opportunity for him?

If the answer isn’t “yes” to all of those questions, you have some work to do! We cannot get appropriate referrals until our contacts are crystal clear on all of the above. Start with your A’s and work through the list, then move to your B’s. With some it may be a coffee meeting, or you might invite several people to lunch and ask them to answer those four questions about themselves and their businesses. Remember: good networking is about building mutually beneficial relationships. Help someone meet his/her goals and it will come back to you multiplied. Consider how appreciative everyone in the group will be for your efforts!

How about a quick update email periodically as to what and how you are doing? Make sure you are also offering something, such as a recommendation of a good book you have read. Describe your ideal client, ask for help with an issue or situation (people love to give advice!), or ask for introductions. And of course, you must offer to do the same in return.

Focus on educating those in your network in casual settings as well. Be careful—you don’t want to be the guy that people avoid because you talk nothing but business. The best way to get started? Ask the other person what he/she does, then listen for opportunities to give or help before you talk about your professional self. I promise, if you can make this a very small part of your conversation while at the soccer fields or at a neighborhood party (but not during every conversation), you will have planted a seed that will grow over time.

Pick a few people to start with and begin to set up a few coffees. Position it up front as an opportunity to help each other so people won’t feel like they are going to be put in an uncomfortable situation and be “sold.”

Follow Up, Follow Up, Follow Up

It’s easy to think that once people “get you,” you will be burned into their brains. I don’t know about you, but I feel like sometimes I forget things as soon as I hear them. You must stay on others’ radar screens in appropriate ways. Show sincere interest in people as more than just potential clients or referral sources. If someone tells you that he is getting ready to take his first child to college, contact him a few weeks later and ask how it went. If you see an article or a quote that reminds you of someone, send it along. Find an article about a contact’s competitors and share it. Really, this is not rocket science. It’s about building real relationships. Most people can smell a phony from miles away.

Don’t be that guy.