Networking to generate business 17 Point Checcklist

" The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about!" - So the playwright Oscar Wilde is reputed to have said. It is not a bad maxim for salespeople.

An increasingly popular method of  new business generation through priming the likelihood of people talking about you and your company through introductions, referrals, recommendations and word of mouth advertising is networking.

Networking provides you with an channel through which you can  publicise  yourself and your business by personal communication with as broad a selection of individuals as possible.
The more people talk about you and what you offer, the more business you are likely to pick up through referral and contacts.

Popular networking situations include:-

1.       Formal networking events organised specifically for potential buyers and sellers to meet each other e.g. lunch clubs

Gulls Networking event in City of London

2.       Business events which are organised for a different specific purpose but as a sideline provide a a networking opportunity . e.g. trade exhibitions

3.       Social, family and leisure events where some of the people you meet are potential prospects to give business or recommend you to people who they know. ( suspects) e.g. parties, sports clubs, pubs, Round Table

4.       Ad hoc  spontaneous contacts who by pure chance may be able to connect you with business opportunities e.g. near seat neighbour on a train, plan etc. ex –school friend on Friends united website.

Networking Objectives

·         To win business

·         To collect details of people who may give you business or refer to others who may give you business ( so that you can follow them up)

·         To give these people details of you, your company and your offer so they can proactively contact you.

·         To create a positive and accurate impression of what benefits people can achieve by working with you.

·         To get yourself and/or your business remembered so that you will come to mind when people come across a suitable opportunity for you.

As with so much in selling there is no such thing as luck in networking.



'Luck is where preparation meets opportunities.'

So here a simple but useful checklist for networking

Event:_____________   Date:_________

·         Timings of event ______________________________________

·         Acceptable sent?______________________________________

·         Venue_______________________________________________

·         Host Organisation_____________________________________

·         Directions and car parking details_________________________

·         What is my role?______________________________________

·         Who is the likely role?__________________________________

·         Is there a guest list?____________________________________

·         Who are my key contacts?_______________________________

·         What is their reasons attending?__________________________

·         What are my objectives?________________________________

·         Have I prepared my elevator speech?______________________

·         Will I need a “Just a minute” speech_______________________

·         Colleagues attending?__________________________________

·         Business cards in pocket/case?___________________________

·         Research – FT.com, web, Newspapers/local newspapers?______

·         Other information or actions required? ____________________

Festival Masterclass in Body Language + 6 key aspects of Body Langauge in Selling - London Festival of Mime

The importance of non verbal communication in professional selling has been known for many years. It is important as much for us to ensure our body language is consistent with the message we are putting across to our buyer as trying to interpret their body language.


The  business books and courses advise us to  take into account Congruence by aligning both verbal messages and non verbal signals, Context of the situation and environment and Cluster of gestures. ( Scroll down for the six key behaviours)


Good Body language helps us build solid business relationships and trust with our buyer.


In addition to reading and attending workshops to keep up to date and refresh my technique in body language, I treat myself to a particular form of masterclass in body language by expert practitioners.

Each January in London we are particularly fortunate have a two week festival of the art body language with consummate artists performing at the London Festival of Mime ( now in its 45th year) as well as this year Cirque du Soleil, London with 'Totem' at the Royal Albert Hall.


These artists from all over the world show how humans can perfectly well communicate without words at all. Apart from the wonderful entertainment value they emphasise through the skills of mime and circus craft the power of body language.



On Sunday Jan 14th in the  afternoon I attended a matinee show by the  Baccala Clowns (Camilla Pessi + Simone Fassari) from Switzerland.

To some a ticket to a show ,
to others a certificate of attendance to a masterclass in Body language skills

 Their performance "PSS PSS" involves mime, juggling,  diabolo, acrobatics, trapeze, music and audience participation - all with no words sustained for over an hour.

In one sense the performance was like the stages of the journey of a ' sale'.


It was fully planned , researched with clear objectives - you can't do the acrobatics these two artists do without rehearsal.

Their purpose was  to entertain clearly through gesture. They knew how to keep our attention with interest peaks throughout the performance. So with a sale that must be paced with variety of stimuli to hold a buyer's attention throughout.

They questioned us through gestures and listened for and to our reactions just as we must do with clients.

 They came off the stage into the audience and involved the audience in both One on one encounters and in groups. Similarly in sales we must involve and engage our customer not simply talk at them.


Baccala Clowns showed us how conflict , co-operation, moderation and enthusiasm all need balance in both a physical and emotional sense.

Below are 6 behaviours relevant to selling that the Baccala clowns demonstrated with mastery.


They also knew how to close their show and leave us wanting more.

The London Festival of Mime runs from 11-29th January 2012 at various venues across London.

Go, watch, enjoy and Learn

Six key Sales Bootcamp bullets on Salespeople's  Body Language -  what to avoid  and what to portray to clients.

1. Lack of Interest

§Wandering eyes

§Rapid nodding

§Scratching, leaning on chin on hand, fiddling with pen, papers etc.

§Slouching, frequently changing position

2. Thoughtfulness and Interest

§Eye contact, 75% of time listening

§Tilting head

§Touching cheek, stroking chin, pinching nose, sucking specs

§Leaning forward to speak, leaning backward to listen, keeping still

3. Defensiveness

§Avoiding gaze, looking away

§Not smiling

§Clenched hands, folding arms, rubbing hands

§Leaning away, crossing legs, feet pointing away

4. Friendliness + Co-operation

§Looking at face

§Smiling, nodding

§Open hands, uncrossed arms, touching face occasionally

§Leaning forward, uncrossed legs, moving closer

5. Anxiety

§Rapidly blinking

§Licking lips, clearing throat

§Frequent opening and closing of hands, hand over mouth, ear tugging

§Fidgeting, leg jiggling, feet shuffling

6. Confidence

§No blinking, lots of eye contact

§Chin forward

§Hands behind back never touching face, steeplingingers

§Keeping still, sitting with legs stretched, sitting or standing straight

Wise Words

“A man’s gestures and postures provide a considerable demonstration of his dispositions and habits which sometimes as manifested in the most trivial actions…From outside appearances, from his gestures, words, movements, and the least externals, one can get to know the most important internal matters. That is where the saying comes from- to know someone from his face.”Aristotle, Ancient Greek Philosopher
From a old programme note in English National Opera’s Figaro’s wedding ( Marriage of Figaro)
Related links

Books

Book review 'Body Language in Business'

http://fruitsofsuccesswithhugh.blogspot.com/2011/07/body-language-in-business-book-review.html

Suggested Booklist

                        Title                 Author                                    Publisher       ISBN Number

                                                                                    and date

The definitive book of       Allan +  Barbara        Orion              0-75285-878-5

Body language                   Pease                         2004

People Watching                Desmond Morris       Vintage          0-099-42978-0

The Desmond Morris                                               1997,2002

Guide to Body Language

Gestures                               Roger E Axtell          Wiley              0-471-53672-5

The Do’s and TABOOS                                          1991

Of Body Language

around the world

Body Language Courses
Click for link for UK Bodytalk

4 essentials for using Social Media to promote Sales events

Modern sales people increasingly hold Social events either virtually or in reality. these can be webinars, seminars , exhibitions, workshops etc where it is key to build a community not just sell bums on seats or ticket sales.

Here are some simple but effective sales boot camp bullets to use to promote your sales events.

1.Engaging your community

Let people feel they are being consulted as if part of the organising committee - advising on set up, content, pricing, positioning.

In return the community will fall in behind you and promote the event forcefully to everyone in their network.


2. Set up your social media tools

• Set up linked In group
• Set up Blog
• Set up Bookings/ticket sales
• Set Up twitter account
• Set up Facebook Page
• Set up You tube channel

3. Let them decide how they want to communicate


Use all the channels ( platforms) available to you. the objective is to get folk to talk about your event and then let them promote it for you.

Sales boot Camp Bullets open for business

So make sure that if they facebook they can
tweet they can.

Should they like to connect on linkedin ensure they can.


4. What to Say and how to say it


Your blog is your voice to the industry

Post blogs about the event, about the current themes, interviews with key personell, organisers, main exhibitors and anybody that's interesting.


Back it up with videos on You tube, clips from last year if appropriate , highlight key speakers, run a webinar taking suggestions.

Invite all you main contacts on LinkedIn group and start some discussions to get things rolling


Get a #tag around the event and use it in every tweet
Research and send tweets to relevant industry #tags and get every relevant sector involved.

Use facebook as a fun community part of the event- run competitions surveys etc.

Get to each platform everyday and at regular intervals during the day.

You need to answer questions, moderate conversations and lead the excitement.

Old skool new School


Maintain your email contact, keep in phone contact Get journalists to write up stories etc.


But remember Social media  can't do it all.

Related Links

See Heather McGregor IOD Blog on Buidling a community and getting noticed
  http://blogs.iod.com/2012/01/09/building-a-network-and-getting-noticed/#more-2034

Special Event

If you are looking for fresh ideas for your sales plans for 2012 why not apply for the free TACK Taster session in Manchester, UK click on Planning for success 2012 January 13th at the Radisson Blu Hotel? or contact SallyM@tack.co.uk

Sales Boot Camp Bullets The sales swamp of sameness check

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Wow  its time for some fitness work!!!

 Sales Boot camp bullets to the rescue!

Nushi Stach putting an 'old sales soldier'

 through their paces at TMI TACK Vilnius Sales

 (Photo from Sales Boot camp session last summer -  Nushi and I ran a Sales Boot camp for the Group).

Many Salespeople today feel that their offerings are almost indistinguishable or insufficiently different from the competition and that make their  2012 very tough.

 Conventional unique selling points USP have come to have a certain 'hollowness' about them.

With tougher times  in 2012 of economic slowdown or double dip recession. If we are not careful this negative mind set can take on a stranglehold of an energy sapping quagmire. That is not good for the start of a new sales year.

For many selling is becoming almost entirely commoditised with excessively restrictive purchasing policies from the buying side or by market rules with incessant drive for year on year savings (YOYS).

This ‘slough of despond’, is their “swamp of sameness” - that place where, it is believed,   a cheaper price is the only way to keep afloat in that swamp.

For some salespeople, selling has become less fun. They feel unduly shackled by dull process of worthy best practise and mandatory guidelines.

The ‘swamp of sameness’ is of course a partly ‘real’ and partly ‘virtual’ place.  It is both a rational and emotional phenomenon. It is both a reality and a perception.

 It is located in a salesperson’s mind because the mind is where the first sale is made.

Are YOU wallowing in the ‘Swamp of Sameness’?

Sales Boot camp Bullets - Your Swamp of Sameness Check

(Please use this check list to find out how deeply you are in the “swamp” and be honest with yourself- no one’s looking. ……………yet !)

1. Do you know the rules of Buying Team  PowerPoint “Bingo” and RFPs ?   Y/N                                              

2. Do you keep your customer record systems  (CRM /CEM)/in the Cloud) up to date and USE them ?                                                                                        Y/N

3. Do you know how much Prospecting work you have to do to achieve your company’s “New Business Target for 2012”?                     Y/N                                           

4. Do you have a detailed plan as to where you will be next week

and who you will be contacting ?    Y/N                                                                       

5. Do you know how much business you have in the pipeline at quotation stage ?                                                                                           Y/N

6. Do you know how much business is likely to result from firm orders NEXT MONTH ?                                                                               Y/N

7. Do you prepare a forecast of how much business you reckon you will produce in the next month?   Y/N

8. Is your forecast sufficiently specific for you to pin-point any specific

customer that isn’t coming up to expectations ?                         Y/N                                                     

9. Do you know whether you are neglecting part of your product range ?                       

Y/N

10. Do you know what your Average order value is ?    Y/N                                              

11. Do you know what your average “Calls to quotations” ratio is ?                         Y/N

12. Do you know the key strengths of your competitors ?                                           Y/N

13. Do you have at least 4 names of buyers and influencers for each customer ?        Y/N

14. Do you know what specific objectives you have for contact in a customer ?         Y/N

15 Do you know what questions to ask to really drill down deep into customer’s        Y/N concerns, attitudes, opinions and issues beyond conventional fact finding technique ?

16 Do you know how to overcome voice mail and answer phone barriers ?               Y/N


17. Are you still not on LinkedIn, Twitter etc.

18. Are you using LinkedIn , Twitter to best effect?

etc.                                                                                       

                                                                                            Totals      Yes              No

                                                                                                           =====       ======

                                                                                                          ---------     ---------

More than 6 ‘No’s’ and you’re in the swamp -  losing sales, wasting time and subconsciously working for the competition !  Read this series of Sales Bootcamp bullets and use its advice and all that will change  in weeks.

Need a charge up to fight the swamp of sameness?

Special Event

If you are looking for fresh ideas for your sales plans for 2012 why not apply to the Managing Sales Workshop hosted by Croydon Chamber of Commerce

Thursday 16 February 2012, 9.15am - 11.30am
Jurys Inn, Wellesley Road, Croydon, CR0 9XY
Cost: Complimentary to Premier Plus & Local members / £20.00 to non-members
BOOK PLACES ONLINE