Networking for Qualified Prospects: Do It Like a Pro

Most sales professionals agree that networking is an essential tool for meeting qualified prospects. Why, then, do most of them do it totally wrong? You know what I want to say. You’re enjoying happy hour with some folks at the Chamber’s weekly meet-and-greet when a guy bursts in and announces, “Hi, I’m Willie from the Gulf Breeze Feed Store. Everybody knows Gulf Breeze is rocking.” heaven, and all the happy pigs get their feed from the Gulf Breeze Feed Store.” She takes a deep breath, vows to think of him the next time her pigs are hungry, and accepts the business card he offers, hoping he’ll go away. It’s unfortunate! Such an approach NEVER works. So when networking, follow these 9 easy steps and do it right. Do it like a pro!

1. Identify your target prospects and the organizations they are affiliated with. Nearly all of their top prospects are involved in industry, community, public service, and other organizations. And they are very likely to be centers of influence in those organizations, taking an active role in activities and governance. Your goal is to directly target the best prospects, always mindful of the dozens to hundreds of other qualified prospects within your sphere of influence.

2. Prioritize the organizations in which you will play an active role. It is absolutely essential to periodically evaluate the organizations with which you are affiliated. Invest more time and effort in those with the highest reward in generating qualified leads and sales opportunities. Forget those that take up your time but give limited results. But in any organization, you have to do more than attend luncheon speeches and happy hours. Take an active role! Initially, you will not have a government position on the executive board, but you should be able to volunteer to take a leadership role in a special activity or project, giving you the opportunity to show that you are an achievement-oriented person. who can do things.

3. Take advantage of your active role in the organization to strike up a conversation with your best prospects. You are no longer a pup handing out business cards. You are a colleague and a partner, engaging them as a business professional. A good opening for conversation? Ask for their advice and counsel on the issues and challenges you face in your special activity or project.

4. Get the prospect to talk about himself. People love to talk about themselves, how they became successful, and why people like doing business with them. Make them talk! Not only will they appreciate being able to brag a bit, but they’ll also tell you about the benefits that are important to them.

5. Ask what THEY are looking for as a prospect for THEIR business. Ask them to build their ideal prospect profile: age, income, type of business, specific problems or needs, anything that describes what they’re looking for in a person or business they’re best positioned for.

6. Tell them it was nice talking to them and ask for their business card. Don’t worry about giving them YOUR business card, because right now they really don’t need it. Just out of courtesy, they may ask for yours in return, but they will most likely do with it what you did with the one you got from Willie at the Gulf Breeze Feed Store. No problem.

7. Send them a qualified referral with your name on it, without expecting anything in return. This is where he begins to network like a pro. You are going to become the referral expert. Regardless of what someone wants for their business, for themselves, or for their home, they have someone who can meet their needs. The person you refer will appreciate a solution to their problem or need, but more importantly, when your best prospects get a reference from you that fits their ideal prospect profile, they’ll feel gratitude and appreciation for your gesture. They are NOW willing to meet you in person to consider the possibility of a business partnership.

8. Follow up on the referrals you feel. A quick email will do it. Please note the name of the person you have referred to and their contact information, in case your main lead wants to initiate contact. By doing this, you also eliminated the possibility of the person you sent as a reference not mentioning the fact that it was you who sent them.

9. The next time you meet your top prospect, greet them by name. You may want to add your name to the greeting, as they may only vaguely remember who you are. Doing this will also maximize the chance that your best prospect will take this opportunity to personally thank you for your referral. This is your moment! Jump on it! Casually recall some of the important benefits you noted in your previous conversation and suggest that you have some ideas that might be of interest to them. Just remember: this is not the time for a presentation, and it may not even be the time to make an appointment. Simply agree that you will contact them in the next few days to arrange a convenient time to meet. And oh, NOW you could offer them your business card. They are NOW willing to meet with you, and even if you gave them your card in a previous meeting, they probably threw it away.

Follow these 9 easy steps and you too can network like a pro. Direct your efforts and do something for your best prospects, without expecting anything in return. You will get a lot in return anyway.