Climate Business Network

Are you having trouble getting sales? Is your lead generation low? Are you cold calling until your blue in the face? Do you feel like giving up? Is your job in jeopardy? Have you read these questions before? I want to be sure you won’t have to ask them again.

I hear and see the above being asked and pondered upon from so many sales people, especially in today’s business climate! In fact, as a business owner, not only was I struggling, so were all my sales people.

Before you read on, please know that there is an answer, and it does not include you having to be an Internet wizard in order to perform.

If your like me, and my guess is you are, or you would not be reading articles like this to try to find the answer, as to how to get on or back on track and enjoy the luxuries of the sales profession. The best part is… it does not have to be as complicated as so many people are trying to make it. You must understand, the more complicated someone makes a process, the more reliant you will become on those individuals, thereby, increasing their own sales agenda.

We are going to use a little different rendition of the KISS method here- “Keep it Stupid Simple.”

The Current Sales Landscape:

1. The days of cold calling are near the end, at least for now. It is getting harder and harder to reach your target audience this way.
2. Many businesses are still set up for yesterdays lead generation.
3. If one is only selling his/her product alone, you can only win on price, and good sales people hate to sell on price alone! Thus, having value added options is a must.
4. To whom you are selling to is changing.
5. A customer knows you before they meet you.
6. Networking is essential!

Remember networking.

Cold Calling is Losing Ground Quickly: I am beyond sure that, not only have you noticed this, but also wasted a lot of time in this area.

There are so many tools out to block this age-old tactic (voice-mail, junk-mail, spam filters, gatekeepers, etc…). If you continue down this path, you will find yourself frustrated and, most probably, out of a job. Beside the fact that this is now being considered rude and/or interruptive, you can’t afford the time nor the gas. Remember, with all of the knowledge available to you and your competitor, only those who sell efficiently and smart will win. Continue Reading

In the tough economic climate of today, networking is probably an even more important marketing tool than it has ever been before. The wider your network, the more likely you will have contacts in businesses and organisations that are less affected by the general slow-down in consumer spending. People have always bought “people” people. We all like to know who we are dealing with, what they are like, how they can help us and whether we trust them.

It is therefore very important to be confident in our ability to quickly build relationships, but unfortunately, many people find networking a truly uncomfortable experience. However, our confidence and ultimately our success at networking can be dramatically improved by adopting a few simple techniques.

Here are ten top tips that will help you out when networking face to face:

1) Have your own 30 second advert. When someone asks you ‘so what do you do?’ be prepared with a short answer. Most people will give you one minute to introduce what you do so make it count!

2) Go to the most appropriate event. It may sound obvious, but if you work for an accountancy firm providing tax and audit advice to local businesses, then don’t attend a national meeting of accounting firms. Vice versa, if you want business from large organisations, then don’t attend a local event targeted at SME’s.

3) Set yourself some targets. Think about the meeting before hand. How many people would you like to meet and from which types of organisations? What information do you hope to gain? Remember, preparation and planning will increase your chance of success.

4) Don’t sell – just network. The purpose of networking is to spend time with other people, to get to know them, and to find out some information that can be followed up later on. Save the sales pitch for another time.

5) Stay focussed. Remember you are networking to help to build your business further, so pay attention to the people you meet and to what they say.

6) Don’t act as if you are desperate for business. People generally like to talk to interesting, upbeat and confident people. You certainly won’t attract any new business if you act as though you are desperate.

7) Be interesting. People like to talk with interesting people so do some homework. Plan a couple of topics that you can bring up and that you will enjoy discussing.

Ask plenty of questions. In addition, have a number of conversation ‘openers’ pre-prepared. People love to talk about themselves so ask them what they like to do when they are not at work, what the most amazing place they have ever visited is or simply their favourite pizza topping!

9) Listen, listen and listen again. Pay attention to what people are telling you, and search for problems that you can solve. Follow up with your solution in business time.

10) Don’t forget that others will form an opinion of you from your interactions. Treat everyone you meet with respect and don’t make negative comments about other people or your competition. Continue Reading