Some People Just Don't Get It

I spend a lot of time networking. People ask me all the time "Mike, how do you find the time?" quite frankly, it's my job. Now to be clear, my job is not networking. My job is to find new customers. Networking is the means to that end. I am the first to admit that networking is not for everyone. There are plenty of people that don't get it and probably don't want to. I know lots of people that call networking "notworking." So I wanted to go over some key factors for effective networking.

Networking, like sales is listening twice as much as you talk. Put simply, if you are in a networking group or you go to a meeting NEVER go in with the goal of selling to the membership. That is a perk if it happens. You join a group or attend an event to make connections that can lead you to a customer. When you meet someone ask them questions like "what service does your company offer?" don't ask them what they do, you will never get a useful answer. I've written before about having an effective elevator pitch and most people don't, so you will need to coax some information out of them. another good question is "what companies or industries have you recently sold to?" The last question I recommend is "what are some key words I might hear a customer say that would indicate they are a good customer for you?" Now here comes the hard part.... Shut up and listen. You are listening to learn and you are listening to gauge this person's expertise level. They may be in a complimentary industry but may be a novice and not really a good partner for you. They may be a seasoned pro and have an extensive network and you may be in over your head. But most important, listen to see if they have what it takes to collaborate. Given the chance, do they try to sell you or the company you work for? Are they overbearing or easy going? Do they mesh with you sales approach. do they volunteer to help you first All good stuff to evaluate for future opportunities.?

Networking, like sales  requires good follow up. I like to follow up with people by inviting them to connect on Linkedin. If they don't have an account I will send a brief e-mail to introduce myself and offer to help them set up an acct. Good networking is all about helping others. The more you help others the more they will think to recommend you,. You MUST resist the temptation to try and sell them, even if they are your ideal customer. Now if they say "hey Mike, we need help from someone like you" Then go for it. Otherwise, at this stage you are still building a relationship built on trust and mutual goodwill. When I connect with someone my message is simple. " Great meeting you today, I look forward to collaborating with you." Now, you will again sit back and wait for a response. If they are enthusiastic then offer to meet them for coffee or lunch and share some contact information. Otherwise, just add them to your network as a resource.


Don't selfishly prospect. If you see a name and they aren' t a good prospect for you are they a good prospect for one of your connections? I would say every time I go looking for business that I come across  an opportunity for one of my connections. When I send them that random message it's like their Birthday came early. The genuine gratitude that comes out of a referral like that is palpable, you can feel it.

All of these tips lead to the #1 key of networking. When you come across a good opportunity, you need to research who the contacts are and who you know in common. Many of my sales come from finding the right someone on linkedin and then contacting their mutual connection for an introduction. Cant tell you how many times I have reached out to a connection and they told me "sure Mike, glad to do it." Or I called a prospective customer and mentioned our mutual connection and they said "normally, I don't take such calls but if you are friends with 'fill in the blank' then I will talk to you." That is the power of networking

Networking is not easy, it is time consuming, but it beats the pants off of cold calling. So here is the summary:

Listen twice as much as you speak.

Follow up and engage the people you meet.

Build a foundation of trust and comfort.

Name drop whenever possible.

Thanks for reading today

Mike S.

BTW, follow me on twitter @mistertelecom