If you have a networking event coming up (and if not, why not?), make sure you do not commit the two deadly sins:
- Go into it thinking, “What can these people do for me?” and,
- Make visual assumptions.
First off, attend a networking event and ask people, “What can I do to help you?” You’ll get more by giving.
Second…
A guy walks into a Cadillac dealer in Texas. He is slight, slender, and filthy from head to toe. Sales people look over their glasses and frown, choosing to pick up the phone instead of offering assistance. The man stays a while, glances inside a few cars, and then leaves the showroom, much to the relief of the sales staff. Outside, the billionaire gets back in his old station wagon and drives back to his ranch to climb back onto his tractor and continue plowing.
What’s crazier about this true story, that a billionaire would plow his own field or that a visual assumption killed a sale?
The trouble with networking events is that the biggest opportunities do not have icons over their heads like a game of Sims, indicating that they are your key targets. As such, you need to treat everyone the same, even those who are dirty from head to toe.
You never know which will turn out to be Ross Perot, the man in story above.
Bill Farquharson is the president of Aspire For. Contact Bill: 781-934-7036 or bill@aspirefor.com. Bill’s book, Who’s Making Money at Digital/Inkjet Printing…and How? will teach you how to be profitable, rebuild a loyal customer base, and get your sales reps selling. More information on that and his other book, The 25 Best Print Sales Tips Ever!, can be found on his website, AspireFor.com as well as Amazon.
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Bill Farquharson is a respected industry expert and highly sought after speaker known for his energetic and entertaining presentations. Bill engages his audiences with wit and wisdom earned as a 40-year print sales veteran while teaching new ideas for solving classic sales challenges. Email him at bill@salesvault.pro or call (781) 934-7036. Bill’s two books, The 25 Best Print Sales Tips Ever and Who’s Making Money at Digital/Inkjet Printing…and How? as well as information on his new subscription-based website, The Sales Vault, are available at salesvault.pro.