Hate to Sell? Try Strategic Networking Instead

Some people hate selling so much, they think they can substitute it with networking. I understand that some business professionals like attorneys and CPAs hate to sell—they didn’t sign up for business development after all—but if they don’t get sales results, they will be out of business.

Many of these professionals don’t think networking works because they lack the strategic focus that successful sales people have. Networking, however, can work for anyone who learns how to network strategically. Here’s how.

Watch your time.  To be effective at networking, you must arrive early to business networking events. Why? The purpose of attending an event is to meet new people who might be prospects or new customers. When you arrive late, conversation groups have already formed and it becomes difficult to join a group.

Yes, this is just like high school, and someone who’s standing alone at an event might be grateful that you walked over, introduced yourself, and started a conversation. The beginning of an event is when you will more likely find lone guests looking for someone to engage with them in conversation. Later, when two or three people are engrossed in conversation, they may not appreciate your interruption.

Prepare.  It’s important that you learn who will be attending an event before you get there. That way instead of relying on chance encounters, you can specifically ask to be introduced to key people.

In addition to knowing who you want to talk to, have questions ready to start conversations. Ask people questions about themselves and their businesses. Hopefully they will be savvy enough to ask you questions about you and your business so you can plant the seeds of working together. Also, most business professionals are more relaxed at after-hours business events, and there you will have a greater opportunity to learn more about people and their businesses. It’s not like they can avoid you when you’re standing in front of them.

During these meetings, remember that you are not looking to sell. What you are trying to do is learn enough about a person’s business so you have a reason to meet with them again or to recommend referrals to them. Ask who their customers are, why they were chosen over their competitors, and how they got into their business.

How do you know if you have obtained enough information? You have enough information if you are able to introduce your new contact to someone else. Just knowing someone’s name and company name can be a good introduction. You could say: “John is a CPA with Company X, and he works with small business owners on the most up-to-date tax strategies so they pay the lowest taxes and grow faster.” In this example, you sound knowledgeable and professional, and you are demonstrating your listening skills if your work helps the CPA connect with other possible prospects.

Define your ideal prospect.  If you are unable to find out who will be attending a event, instead be knowledgeable about your business so you know who will most likely need and want what you sell. Consider your ideal prospect based on industry, age, gender and ask to be introduced to people who match that description. What you should be thinking is: “What is the best use of my time here to meet the most people who are likely to buy or influence a buying decision?”

If you hate to sell, networking can be a good use of your time. Pay attention and focus on attending the right events that will get you business. Think strategically at these events and you will find that you will get business without having to think about selling. It may surprise you, but what you’re actually doing well is selling.

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