Sean Failla
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I'm sorry but I couldn't let this one pass by without commenting. Based upon my near 20 years of Sales/Marketing experience, numerous awards for achievements and other stuff QUANTITY IS AND WILL NEVER BE A SUBSTITUTE FOR QUALITY.
I am all to familiar with the "seagull philosophy", for those who aren't familiar, you fly in crap all over everyone and fly back out. I found these related posts to be just that and they are insulting.
Business networking is about finding your comfort zone for marketing your products and services. It assumes numerous forms and fashions, find the one which best suits your personality. Keep in mind that some may take more effort than others. Also, set realistic expectations as to what you want to get out of the task and this may take some trial and effort.
Lastly, you might be surprised to discover within your existing circle of family, friends or neighbors who you already have within your reach.
Sales is not an act of aggression but a skill or profession, consult don't preach, find out what is important to the other person not what you want to say and as soon as the other person starts talking, SHUT UP AND LISTEN. Without a doubt, this is the biggest mistake sales people make and the hardest objective I have had to overcome with the over hundred sales people I have trained or worked with in my career.
And, never be discouraged by self professed "experts", even me!
Best of luck,
Sean
> Althea Garner wrote:
> Whoa! Too many communications!
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>I receive over 250 e-mails a day - outside of Ryze network communications.
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>Sorry, but I am going to have to switch off from this network. While I find that some of the content is useful, I cannot be interrupted every five minutes with a response to a response to a response, if you get my drift?
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>Three, four, five questions a day from the Network Leader to drive traffic to his network, is too much for me, as the recipient - there is work to do.
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>Thank you all...............
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>Over and out!
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>:)
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>>> Eric Sohn wrote:
>>> Steve -
>>>Actually, I was talking about true cold-calls - i.e. Selling to VITO calls, where you don't know they have specific needs, other than knowing that all companies can benefit from the service.
>>>That was when I thought I'd market to large companies. I had initial success in that market when, by chance, I met a SVP from Pitney Bowes, who agreed to refer me in to the Executive Development area. But, local networking makes it hard to meet those folks - few large company reps (other than sales) show up to Chamber of Commerce events.
>>>I tried an ExecuNet meeting once, on the premise that by helping the out-of-work execs with what I'm expert at (presentation skills), I'd be able to contact them after they landed. Don't remind me - it actually was a stupid strategy, as it diluted my perceived focus.
>>>FInally, I realized I'd rather "go small". I've since tried a lot of face-to-face marketing (trade shows, speaking, networking events), with little success. I found the educational gap to be the primary problem - unless someone has a proximate need, few are all that interested in spending more than 2 or 3 minutes understanding what I do.
>>>Believe it or not, Ryze has reinvigorated my marketing. The ability to demonstrate, through posting, what coaching is and that I do it competently, is unique to the message board mechanisms. And, to be fair, I think I'm more relaxed in this medium - I respond to people with expressed needs, which (other than "wanna buy from me") is not that common in face-to-face networking.
>>>And the results show it - One client found me through my posts, someone gave me a card at one of the mixers, and yet another person posted initial interest on my GB. That's more bites in less than 3 weeks here than over a year of doing it the "old-fashioned" way.
>>>Go ahead, Steve - let's have some questions.
>>>Coach Eric
>>>> Steve Levy wrote:
>>>> E-
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>>>>I'm making an assumption that you make calls when you hear or read of a real opportunity - for example, a brand new CIO at a local company that has had "cultural problems" the past few years.
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>>>>Anyone who is a CIO probably has spoken at conferences or has been quoted in a local or national business journal - perhaps even giving you fodder for identifying "issues." Take all you can find and formulate a list of possible areas of need that may be coachable.
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>>>>Here's where it becomes creative. With the list complete, it's time to create calling plan. Hint: The CIO's assistant probably knows about the CIO's personal and professional needs better than you.
>>>>
>>>>So Eric - I'll stop here and see how you're "hmmmm" turns into questions to ask.
>>>>
>>>>See you in a few hours.
>>>>
>>>>> Eric Sohn wrote:
>>>>> Folks -
>>>>>You've probably noticed that I ask a lot of questions. Normally, I'd ask them one at a time, but the inherent slowness of doing this online (not via iChat) makes that infeasible.
>>>>>The purpose of the questions, as you might have guessed, is to get people to question their assumptions and limits, and consider other possibilities currently walled-off to them by their own hand. Coaches try to ask questions that make you go "Hmmm..." :`)
>>>>>So, how about you ask me questions to help me with a problem?
>>>>>As I said, I hate cold-calling. I don't know how to approach calling someone I don't know on the phone, and being asked what this is all about. When I've done it, I've identified myself as a business coach and asked if we could get together to talk about coaching over coffee. All but once, I got "we're not interested" and "Click!"
>>>>>To me, it feels funny to say "I just want to get to know you" - actually, it feels phony, which I don't want to be.
>>>>>So, what questions would you ask me to figure out how to market with initial phone contact - or to decide to abandon it as a strategy (my current choice)?
>>>>>I am open to the possibility of changing my attitude and behaviors about this, so... ask away!
>>>>>Coach Eric
>>>>>Some of you are coaches... I'd prefer you lay low on this one, except to comment on other's questions - Thanks! Private Reply to Sean Failla (new win) |
