Where's Juli?
Upcoming Events
Netmasters Training Group
Time: Thursday, July 23, 2009 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM
Location:Century 21 New Millennium Building in Kingstowne (by Safeway)
5990 Kingstowne
Towne Center
Alexandria, VA 22315
Cost: $15
Subject: Effective One on One Meetings
RSVP to me
How to Close in the Sales Process
Time: Wednesday, July 29, 2009 from 5:30 to 7:30
Location: 7100 Baltimore Avenue, 4th floor, College Park, Maryland, 20740
Cost: $25
Register here
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Juli Monroe
1 to 1 Discovery
571-220-1891
juli_monroe@yahoo.com
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Greetings!
Last month I wrote about targeting the audience for your networking message. Who do you really need to meet? I spoke about creating specific triggers to help people find referrals for you. And I promised that this month, I would give you an exercise to help increase the referrals you get from your network.
Ready to exercise your skills? Read on.
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Drop and Give Me 50!
No, I don't really want you to give me 50 push ups. But the military does have it right. Skills need to be exercised, and networking skills are no different.
The following exercise can help. It's designed to show others how to help you.
I
suggest you approach someone who should be an excellent referral
source for you but hasn't quite met expectations. Obviously, it will
be most effective with someone who wants to refer you but hasn't yet
gotten exactly how to recognize a good client for you. Best of all is
someone to whom you have given several referrals. A bit of "karmic
guilt" makes this exercise all the more effective.
Offer
to buy him or her lunch or coffee. That makes for a comfortable
environment. We often build relationships better over food. Tell
your contact that you have pulled together a list of the
characteristics of your ideal client and you want feedback and
help.
Go
through your personal list with him or her. Watch carefully for
reactions (if any) to the various triggers. Make a note by those.
Ask
if the list generated any names. If you have created a good list and
selected the right person, there should be some wheels turning.
If
yes, ask if you can do some strategizing on how to turn those names
into prospects for you.
If
no, you either are meeting with the wrong person, or your list needs
refining. You are going to have to go with your instincts on this
one. Good signs are the other person offering to help you refine your
list or asking good questions like, "That list doesn't spark
anything for me, but I do work with these types of clients. Might
they be good for you also?" Bad signs are obviously a lack of
interest in the process or some sort of brush-off like, "Well, I
can't think of anyone right now, but if I do, I'll let you know."
This
meeting should have done one of two things for you. The best outcome
is a list of names your contact will speak to on your behalf, using
the strategies you mutually developed. If that doesn't happen, then
you have some ideas for how to tweak your list, or you know you need
to try a different person.
Don't
be frustrated if it takes a few tries for this to work. Each time you
go through the process, you will learn something about yourself and
the people you want to work with. With the right list and the right
person, you will get prospects, and those prospects will turn into
clients with a better closing ratio than mass mailings. You will also
get more clients than if you wait for passive referrals.
Once
you have this list refined and some strategies in place, I suggest
you go to everyone in your network and go through this exercise with
them.
And
of course, when your contacts come through with prospects, offer to
return the favor by helping them with their trigger lists. The more
you give back, the more likely you are to get in the future.
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 Feeling Winded?
I'd be happy to go through this exercise with any of my readers. Use me as a safe place to try it out!
Please forward this newsletter to anyone who might need the information, or my services.
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