Do Not Sell to Your Network – Educate Them
By Dr Ivan Meisner
Posted by Andrew Crozier – Insight Photography – www.insightphotographers.co.uk
When entrepreneurs try to develop a qualified, consistent and dynamic circle of networking partners who are going to provide them with referrals for new business, their tendency is often to “sell” those individuals on their product. It’s as if by showing them all the finer points of what’s available, convincing them to try their product and closing the sale with their networking partners, they’ll somehow realize an influx of referrals.
It’s not disagreed that in order for the members of our network group to refer you effectively we must be familiar with what you have to offer; however, it’s important to resist the urge to sell to group members. What is meant by this?
Educating this chapter’s group members about the type of referrals you want–specifically, the names of the individuals with whom you want to meet and develop relationships with – is much more important to the success of your networking in a closed contact network than selling to other members. This demands a shift in how we see our networking partners. We are not the clients; we are, in effect the sales force. And for a sales force to sell effectively, we have to know who to sell you to and how to sell you.
Here are four tips for incorporating this educational style into our networking meetings:
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Teach members what your “dream referral” looks like.
If you could go to your next networking meeting with a walking, talking dream referral in tow, what would he or she be like? Describe this person in detail to your networking partners. The more details you can provide, the greater the chance that your partners will recognize that person when they come across him or her outside the meeting.
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Share customer profiles and case studies of current customers.
This is a highly effective way to educate the network about what it is you’re looking for in a new client. By sharing the qualities of your current clientele, you’re illuminating the canvas for the rest of the group so they can see the picture you’re painting for them. When appropriate, consider bringing in a customer or client as a visitor and talk about how you’ve helped him or her. These kinds of interactions go a long way toward educating the group as to the type of person you wish to have referred to you.
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Break your business down into its lowest common denominators.
Itâs very tempting to start your personal introduction with a statement like: “We’re a full-service XYZ Widget Company” - Resist this urge! We have 52 opportunities over the course of a year to talk about our products and services, don’t waste the opportunity to highlight one aspect of your business by by flinging a bucket full of jelly at the wall and hoping a bit of it sticks Be detailed! Educate usweek by week about the specific things you provide. Bring support material and do demonstrations, when possible.
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Ask specifically for the referral you want.
Networkers often say things like “Anyone who needs a. . .” or “Everyone whoâs looking for a. . .” Usually, when people hear “anyone” or “everyone,” they tune out, because we know so many anyones and everyones that we end up referring no one. When youâre asking for a specific type of business referral, your request from your networking partners should be specific.
By keeping the focus on educating the group about what type of referrals you wish to receive, you’ll find that the referrals you begin to get will be of a higher caliber and offer more chances of becoming closed sales than if you try to sell the members on what youâre offering. We should be trying to educate a sales force instead of trying to close a sale and that will certainly lead to more gains based on this giving of education.
