Selling Issue: Networking
for Business
The More the Merrier: How to Choose and organize a
Networking Group
by Maura Schreier-Fleming
Maura Schreier-Fleming works with business and sales
professionals on skills and strategies so they can sell more and be more
productive at work. She is the author of Real-World Selling for
Out-of-this-World Results. She is the principal of Best@Selling and can be
reached at info@BestatSelling.com or
972.380.0200.
Customers are not as isolated as you think when
making buying decisions. The people they work with and respect are a
source of valuable input. Many of your customers participate in
business networking groups where they meet people who provide buying
input. If you’re part of a networking group, you are meeting the
people who can influence and recommend you to others. These people
can help you shorten your sales cycle and make it easier to
sell.
How to select a group. Find a good match in a business group by
attending a few meetings. Then you should determine if good networking
partners for your business are there. A networking partner is someone who
is looking for the same types of customers that you are. If you sell
to manufacturing facilities, someone also selling to them with a different
product would be a good networking partner. Then set up a one-on-one
meeting with someone in the group. Ask that person if the group has
contributed to their business success.
The biggest mistake businesspeople make is when
someone dismisses a group saying “The members of the group are not my
business prospects.” Maybe the people there aren’t your prospects.
But who do they know and whom do they do business with? Those people
are the ones you’re trying to reach.”
How to start a group. If you want to start your own group, look
for centers of influence to join your group. These centers of
influence are people who are active in the business community and know
many people. They are either in their industry for a long time or
maintain their contacts if they change careers. These influencers
are out in the field rather than working in an office. A priority
for them is to give referrals and follow up with the ones given to
them. They have good reputations and are open to sharing their
contacts with others. Many of these centers of influence enhance
their own value with their customers by the quality of their
recommendations. You'll know you've got a center of influence when
the person says, “My clients don’t go to the Yellow Pages. They call
me for a business recommendation.”
The
group should meet consistently in both time and place. Meet for 1 ½
hours twice a month. Lunch meetings are more convenient for members
since some business professionals have family responsibilities in the
early morning that might preclude attending regular breakfast
meetings. E-mail is a good way to deliver a weekly reminder to the
group about upcoming meetings. Consider an exclusive business group
with one participant per industry. Forty members is a good size to
maintain exclusivity.
The group leader should always be looking for good
networking partners for members of the group. As you invite people
to the group, consider if they can refer business to others and if their
personalities are a good fit. Someone who is too quiet and less
comfortable offering referrals might not fit the dynamics of a
group.
How to be a good member of a group. Get the most out of your time investment once
you’ve joined a business networking group. It’s so important that
you follow up immediately when you get a referral. Thank the person
whether you get the business or not. Send a thank you gift for the
business you receive. You can send either a scratch off lottery ticket,
movie tickets or a restaurant certificate to customers who send
referrals. Get to know the members of the group. Make
attending the meetings a priority. 30 minutes isn’t enough time to
get to know someone. Set up a one-on-one meeting with someone who you
think will be a good networking partner for you. Make sure you don’t
try to sell them at that meeting. Learn about their
business.
Selling
through others is a powerful way to make selling easier. Which
response would you prefer at your next phone call? The ‘I don’t know
who you are’ tone of voice or the response, “Hello! I’ve been
expecting your call.”
To have Maura speak at your next sales meeting or
conference:
Please contact me:
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