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Archive for June, 2010

Effective Networking As a Panelist

Monday, June 28th, 2010

Last week I was on a panel discussing networking and social media. It was a great panel, and I think I’m going to get some clients out of it.

What was interesting is that I think it was much better for me than for my fellow panelists. Why? Because I was the only one who worked the room in advance.

There was about 15 minutes of open networking before the presentation. One panelist spent that time with his nose buried in his Blackberry. I hope he was following up with a hot prospect. The other two obviously knew each other and spent the time chatting.

I, however, worked the room, making a point of speaking to as many audience members as I could. They were short conversations, but I did what I could to connect with them on a personal level.

All the panelists presented well and gave good information, so we were equal there. But which of us do you think had more after-presentation conversations? You guessed it. Me.

Being a panelist or speaker is very cool. It’s a short time of being a celebrity, and people like to rub shoulders with celebrities. Make it easy for them by being a person before you speak. They will listen more attentively and be more likely to talk to you afterward. And hire you later!

Tags: Networking
Posted in Networking | Comments Off

Building “Know, Like and Trust” Through Social Media

Thursday, June 24th, 2010

The key to being referred is having people know, like and trust you. There are lots of ways to achieve that. Being an authentic person is key, as is doing what you say you will. But social media can accelerate the process, if you do it right.

Knowing

First people have to know you. This goes beyond meeting you for the first time, although social media can certainly facilitate that.

I met my web designer through social media. One of my contacts followed him and tweeted a lot about him. He sounded interesting, so I started following him. I think it was a few weeks before I figured out what he did. We finally met in person and stayed in touch both in person and through Twitter.

I met him through social media, and because of his tweets, he stayed top of mind with me. Knowing was covered.

Liking

Social media can make or break this one. What you communicate will directly affect this. I started following Bob Burg, again because someone I knew mentioned him. I liked his tweets, and when his new book came out, I didn’t think twice about getting it, reviewing it and promoting it. I liked him and the book. He had that part covered very well.

Trusting

Knowing and liking are the easy ones, relatively speaking. Trust is harder. I know and like people whom I do not trust enough to refer. Why? Because I’ve seen them and their business in action, and I didn’t like what I saw.

Your actions in social media can both enhance and damage trust. If a problem about your business is reported through social media, you can ignore it, reducing trust, or you can address it promptly, enhancing trust. I actually like it when someone goofs. Then I get to see how the person or business handles adversity.

But trust isn’t just how we handle problems. It’s also demonstrating that we walk our talk. It’s why I’m skeptical of people calling themselves “social media experts.” It’s easy to check what they do vs. what they say.

I’ve gotten clients and referrals based on my blog. Because I’m consistent and write well, people tend to trust me, even if they don’t yet know me very well.

Know, like and trust are powerful. They will make or break your business. Use social media well to help you succeed.

Tags: Relationship building, reputation, social media
Posted in social media | 3 Comments »

Why I’m Not a Fan of Regulated Email checking

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010

I read a lot of advice on time management and am always looking for good ideas for my clients.

Something I’m not a fan of is advice to check email at specified times. Generally the suggestion is to check two or three times a day and discipline yourself to not check in between.

If you’ve read anything by me, you know I’m not big on one size fits all advice, and this one strikes me that way. I agree that many people waste time with email or feel that it controls them. So having a system to address the problem is good. But I think the advice to check a limited number of times a day puts the cart before the horse. First, you have to understand your issue with email and your needs with email.

Do you check email throughout the day as a way to avoid working? Or are you overwhelmed by the sheer amount you receive in a day?

Are you in a fast-paced business where quick response to email is key to your success? Or do you work in an office where up-to-the-minute response is not expected or required?

See my point? Each of the above situations indicate a slightly different response to email. The fast-paced business person who only checks and responds twice a day might miss opportunities.

The person who uses it as a distraction may have an underlying problem that goes beyond email. Like burned out on the job. Restricting access to email won’t address that.

Being in control of email and not letting it control you is important. But first understand the problem. Then work to find a solution.

In case you were wondering, I check email throughout the day. Processing it in short bursts works better for me and fits my personality and my business needs better than two or three marathon sessions each day.

How do you manage your email? Share your ideas and tips in the comments.

Tags: task management, time management
Posted in Time and Task Management | 3 Comments »

iPhone 1 Year Review

Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010

I recently passed my iPhone one year anniversary, and I thought I would reflect on what, if any, changes it’s made in my life and business. And no, downloading iOS4 yesterday didn’t influence this at all.

Let me start by saying that the iPhone has made bigger changed in both areas than almost any other piece of tech I’ve owned. Arguably, my first Palm OS device was bigger because it launched me from an analog and paper world to primarily digital, but in practical application, I still think the iPhone was bigger.

My old Blackberry introduced me to mobile email and frustrated me because it couldn’t cut it as a solo device. I still had a Palm organizer, an MP3 player and a stand-alone ebook reader.

Then I got the iPhone. One device does it all, and it does it all well. I can walk out the door with wallet, keys and my phone and manage my entire day. I’ve never been able to get away with so little.

Lots of people are writing about simplifying their life by getting rid of smartphones and other tech. Frankly, I think they are nuts. By having everything I need in one small package, my life is simpler. One thing that makes this possible is “Airplane Mode,” where I can disconnect completely while still having access to my productivity tools. My old Blackberry was much harder to disconnect from.

I’m almost completely paperless now. With a really good way to manage my calendar and tasks, I don’t need a paper organizer. Evernote allows me to take and keep quick “notes to self.”

But it’s not just lack of paper. My netbook could have allowed that. The iPhone allows me to have everything I need with me at all times. Oops! I can’t remember exactly where my next meeting is? No problem, I have the email where we set up the meeting in Evernote. Do I have time on the Metro to work? No problem. I’m actually writing this post on the train to a meeting in Bethesda

I don’t even wear a watch anymore. The iPhone fulfills that function too.

Plus books, music, movies and, don’t forget, Plants vs. Zombies! I use it for work, and I’m more productive. I use it to relax. It goes with me on vacation (in Airplane mode, of course). I kind of can’t remember what life was like before it.

I don’t think Blackberrys can do everything my iPhone can. ‘Droid phones probably can. I have mixed feelings on the iPad. One of my friends uses it more than his iPhone now. I think it’s a great device. But the portability factor of the iPhone can’t be beat.

And now off to play with my new OS. And dream about my future upgrade to an iPhone 4.

Tags: iPhone, task management, time management
Posted in iPhone | 1 Comment »

60/30/10 and Social Media

Monday, June 21st, 2010

Last week I wrote about how networking can get you in front of the 60% of prospects who don’t yet know you exist but probably need your services. Today I want to write about how social media can get you there.

Many of the businesses who are successful with social media in this way will be the ones who sell impulse purchases. Restaurants are a good example of this. Perhaps you are getting ready to go home and you check Twitter before leaving the office. One of the restaurants you follow has tweeted about a menu item and posted a picture. You look at it and think how good it looks. Before you saw the tweet, you didn’t have an intention of dining out, but that tasty-looking picture changed your mind. Before you checked Twitter, you were in the 60%–you needed food but weren’t actively considering a restaurant for that evening.

Retail stores can do the same thing. Posting a special to a Facebook page or a video of a new product on YouTube can create either a need or an urgent want for your product. Again, the prospects might not have been thinking about your product, but the social media interaction nudged them in a direction they were willing to go.

Obviously, you’ll want to be honest in your offerings. If you say you have something, make sure it’s in stock at the price indicated. Sure, you can trick a prospect into your store, but you won’t keep them, and they won’t come back.

You’ll notice I mentioned the use of pictures and video. We’re more likely to want something if we’ve seen it. The visual will trigger other sense or experiences. If we see the mouth-watering dish, we’re more likely to imagine ourselves eating it than if we just see a description. Use every technique at your disposal to enhance your odds. Creating the idea of scarcity is also effective. If we see a cool gadget and also see there are only 10 left, we’re more likely to give into the impulse to buy.

Okay, that works for impulse purchases at retail stores and restaurants. What about service businesses? Can you use social media to attract the 60% pool? Of course you can. And blogging is your most effective tool. If you give away information to introduce potential prospects to solutions you can provide, especially if those solutions are unusual in some way, you will attract people to say “Tell me more about that.” From “Tell me More,” you can ask questions to determine their needs and how you can meet them. If they reach out to you to ask, they are unlikely to start shopping your competition.

These are just a few ways to use networking and social media to attract clients who might not otherwise seek you out. Anyone else have any ideas to share? We’d love to hear about them in the comments!

Tags: blogging, Referrals, social media
Posted in social media | 1 Comment »

Networking Into The Right Prospect Pool

Friday, June 18th, 2010

Yesterday I wrote about the various pools prospects can fall into. Today I want to discuss how effective networking can get you introduced to the roughly 60% of people who need you but aren’t actively shopping for the solution you provide.

The short answers are clear triggers and strategic partners.

Triggers

What are things that your ideal clients do or say that other people could pick up on? We often experience pain points well in advance of deciding to take action. What are those signs? Let me illustrate with a couple of examples.

Before someone makes the decision to buy a house, they might say things like:

Rents have gotten so high
We’re tripping over each other in the house
Where are we going to put the new baby?

A business owner in need of some organizational help might say things like:

I can’t find my desk!
Where did I put those proposals and quotes?
Email has taken over my life

When people say these things, they are experiencing pain, but they are probably still at the point of suffering without looking for a solution. If you can train your network to listen or look for these signs, they can refer you at just the right point.

Strategic Partners

These are people in complementary but non-competing businesses. They are marketing to and servicing exactly the same clients as you. If they are good, they are probably already having conversations with their clients about pain points. For example, as a coach, I sometimes uncover a need for counseling. Some of my clients weren’t in the market for a therapist, but I was able to point them in the right direction. I was able to match the person to the right therapist, and none of them got “three estimates.”

Sometimes your strategic partners get it right away and don’t need coaching. But sometimes, they need help. That’s where you can sit down for a productive one to one meeting where you discuss questions they could ask to uncover referrals for you. Of course, I always recommend those be two-way conversations where you also ask how to find referrals for them

These two methods will increase the chance that you will get referrals from the 60% pool. If the referral is handled properly by all parties, these prospects will never need to move into the 30% (actively shopping) pool.

Tags: Networking, Referrals, Relationship building, Triggers
Posted in Referrals | 2 Comments »

Swimming In the Right Prospect Pool

Thursday, June 17th, 2010

When I started in sales, I read somewhere that prospects can fall into one of three general areas:

1. So deliriously happy with their current solution that they’d never consider switching

2. Actively shopping for your product or service

3. In need of your product or service but not aware that a solution exists.

The breakdown I remember was something like this:

If the numbers are correct (and in my experience, I think they are pretty close), there’s a 90% pool that’s worth going after.

Most salespeople go after the the 30% pool. They are the relatively easy low-hanging fruit. They know your product or service exists. They know (or think they know) that it meets their need. And they are relatively close to making a buying decision. So what’s not to like?

They are also actively shopping your competition. When I sold windows, we called them the “Three Estimate Crowd.” They knew they needed windows, and they were in the process of getting three estimates before making a decision. Your challenge in closing them is that they are highly price conscious. I went on many sales calls where my company had been given a glowing recommendation from a past client. And yet, they still got three estimates. Frustrating.

What about the 60% pool? They are harder to attract because they may have a need, but it hasn’t grown to the point where they are ready to make a decision. Or they don’t yet know they have a need because they are completely unaware that a solution exists.

But, and here’s the important point. If you can get in front of them and show them an answer to a question they hadn’t asked yet, they are highly motivated to buy from you. Think about it. You are hungry, but you don’t know that food exists. Then someone shows up and hands you an apple. What’s your reaction going to be? Hmm, an apple. I’m not sure. Let me first try out a pear and an orange and then I’ll make a decision. Not likely! I’ll bet you grab the apple, eat it and proclaim it good. Then you’ll go looking for more apples.

With prospects, it can be the same. Show them a solution to a problem they hadn’t known could be solved or hadn’t yet hit their radar, and they are more likely to buy from you instead of shopping around. They might not do it today, but if you respectfully stay in touch with them, they’ll get there some day.

Don’t get me wrong. You need the 30% group too. They want to write a check soon. You need those customers. But having a bunch of the 60% to cultivate can keep your pipeline full forever.

How do you find them if they don’t know to look for you? That’s where networking and social media come in. Over the next few days, I’m going to show you how to use those channels to attract those 60% and turn them into clients.

Tags: sales
Posted in Networking | 2 Comments »

Attend Events With a Friend

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

As you network more, you will often become the person people ask about where to network. Of course, you can and should give recommendations. But it can be even more effective to go together.

Obviously, it’s an opportunity to get some face time and deepen a relationship, but you don’t want to spend too much time together. Working a room is much easier as a team than alone. Unless an event is poorly attended, it’s difficult to talk to everyone. Going with a friend allows you to cover twice as much ground.

As with any other networking event, set some goals. The fun part is that you can set goals together. One of the easiest is that one of you might be interested in meeting with a particular person who often attends that event. If that person is present, one of you can make an introduction.

Perhaps your buddy wants to meet someone from a particular industry. You can work the room with that in mind. If you find someone appropriate, you can find (or make) an opportunity to introduce them.

Other than being able to cover twice as much ground, the biggest advantage to working a room together is that it’s easier to talk about someone else than yourself. When you meet that person who is just perfect for your buddy, you can say something like, “You know, I came to this event with someone you need to meet. She’s looking to network with people in your industry, and I’d really like to introduce you.”

Since most people come to an event with the goal of meeting new people, this approach usually works well. When you get the two of them together, you can say a few words about each to ease the introduction. Perhaps your buddy has had some real success in this particular area. You can tell her story, and it will be received better than if she told it yourself. Third party testimonials always have more credibility.

Your buddy, of course, can do the same for you. After the meeting, you can reconvene to compare notes. Did you both get a good vibe off a particular person? Perhaps you heard something in a conversation that your buddy didn’t. Did you both have a bad vibe off someone? Comparing notes can help you both focus on why you didn’t like the person.

Odds are you’ll both accomplish more than if you attended the event separately.

Tags: Giving, Networking, Networking Events, Relationship building
Posted in Networking Events | 2 Comments »

Archive for June, 2010

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