It is often said that it is not who you know that matters, it is who knows you. Well I would like to expand this statement to say that it is not only who you know and who knows you, but how well do you know them and they you?
In business, networking is the ultimate form of promotion. It can help you to obtain new clients, a new job, or even help you to move up the corporate ladder. It is the process of building relationships. Any time that you attend a meeting, trade show, or a social function, you are networking whether you realize it or not. It is the relationship that you have with people, a prospect or a client that makes the difference between success and failure.
Often we fail to realize the reasons that we have for doing business with an individual or a company. When we consider products that we buy on a regular basis, what helps us to make the buying decision? Some buy a specific brand of product because they trust that brand to be of high quality or durability. Others make a buying decision based on price, although perhaps this is less important than other factors. Often we simply do business because we feel good about it. In fact most purchases or decisions to do business are based on two things. Trust and comfort. Trust is a very intangible emotion or feeling. How do you measure it? How do you develop it?
Trust can be generated through a process of letting someone get to know more about you than just your product, its features and price. I know a gentleman who provides a seminar on selling to C-level executives. He says that to sell to the C-level executive you have to be more than a salesperson selling a product or service. To sell to the executive level, you have to be more of an adviser. You have to discover the needs beyond those that you can fulfill through your product or service and help them to fulfill these needs. In doing this, you become a "trusted adviser." They will begin to feel comfortable that you have their best interests in mind, not just making a quick sale and a commission.
In our daily process of seeking prospective clients, do we often just look for a person to pitch, or do we spend a bit more time getting to know them before we try to sell? When we take the time to know a persons desires, dreams, and needs, and make an honest effort to help them realize that these things are important to us, we are really increasing their confidence in us. We are building the trust, comfort level, and most importantly the relationship that is needed to not only make the sale, but to create in them a resource for endless referrals.
As we go into the community meeting people who are prospective clients, we should keep the following in mind. The customer is a person just like me. The customer has needs other than those that I can fulfill. Until I understand what the ultimate goal or dream of the prospect is, I cannot fulfill it with my product or service.
Selling and networking are about relationships. You sell in everything that you do whether you realize it or not. The time is now for more effective selling. Change the way you think about the prospect and the prospect will change the way that they think about you.
No Dollar, No Client?
It takes money to make money, they say, and for the new business owner this seems to be the case, especially when you have invested all of your money in start-up and now you have to get the word out. There is a solution.
Should We Admit Failure?
If at first you don't succeed, don't try to hide from the world. Sometimes we define success with the wrong definition and in the process we cheat ourselves of celebrating the achievements we experience on a daily basis.
Are You Shooting Yourself In The Foot?
When we strive to present ourselves in a manner that does not suit us are we lying to ourselves or to others? If we are in fact pretending to be someone or something we are not, how long does it take before we slip up and how far does that rabbit hole really go?
