Prospecting in Networking and Sales

Are you new to a sales role or networking? Then I would suggest you become familiar with the word prospecting. This is not your grandpappy’s prospecting for gold, but very similar. The things that he knew and understood when searching for a vein was knowing where to look, read the signs he found and follow up. As the new year begins there will be lots of people who have increased quotas for 2019. There are tried and true methods to understanding those you interact with, and I will share with you some I have found to work best for me.

I spent several years in outside sales, starting at a young age. One of my first sales ‘gigs’ was to pack sandwiches, candy and drinks into our cooler, load it into the riding lawn mowers trailer and drive around our neighborhood as it was being expanded during the early 2000s. I knew where to look for my opportunity. I also lived in semi-rural Mississippi, which meant snacks and cool weather are never close by. That summer didn’t start with mass produced sandwiches and trips around the neighborhood, it started by prospecting. My parents had a small company with around 10 employees at that time and I often spend my afternoons there during the school year. Which as a growing boy required lots of snacks, which birth my idea for a snack box. Which earned enough money to become a snack machine, then a coke machine. This then created experience, hungry workers need snacks!

My prospects in the neighborhood were the builders, and after talking to a few of them I realized I could provide a service. I chatted with the crew bosses and learned how many people worked on each house and about how long it took to build one. I used this to know how many drinks to buy at first, and what candy bars were most popular. I grew to know my audience and most of the crews by name. This allowed me to tailor my product offering to make sure my inventory matched demand and decreased dead stock. I was able to keep up demand most of the summer thanks to regular trips to Sam’s and a full tank of gas on the riding lawn mower.

As a person in sales you are not looking to force what you have on someone else. You are looking for the opportunity to help someone. Your entire reason for the opportunity, is to gain the trust and ability to advise them a decision. Look to help someone, not sell someone.

At networking events, people have enough patience for 1 – 2 back and fourths if they aren’t that interested in the conversation. Do not hijack the conversation or the person. Understand enough body language cues to know if your jiving or hijacking. As a job seeker or seller, knowing this can help you present a constant image of coolness and experience.

These days, I am very lucky to get to go to a lot of events and meet wonderful people. These events are not always business networking events with a pitch and a 30 second commercial about yourself. They can be soft restaurant openings or high-rise condo ribbon cuttings. I was recently at an under 30 networking event and while standing at a small group was introduced to a former Navy SEAL who just moved to Nashville. As someone in the Army our military service was an immediate topic of conversation. We were able to easily move the conversation along about their recent move to the area, and goals for their new business. However, the friend that provided the initial introduction felt obligated to hang around to ensure the transition was smooth. While he added great insights to the conversation, he was held hostage by his perceived need to entertain us.

By networking more you will likely get better at meeting and making connections, and soon will be providing introductions like this one. As a rule, you do not need to stay past a minute or two. His personal time could have been better spent making a new connection for himself. My friend did excuse himself, and you should not feel uncomfortable breaking away from a conversation that you just started with a stranger. If the interaction is not going well use specific language to move toward an ending. “Hey, it was great to meet you, thanks for the conversation.” “It has been nice learning about X, thank you for sharing.” This typical language signals an end and allows both parties to gracefully move away from the conversation. At these events there will be other people who are new to networking as well, and they will appreciate your honesty.

 As we are at the height of the digital era, business cards are still relevant. I will admit that some people do not use them, but I would say now more than ever they are a differentiator. When you are at the before mentioned networking events it is no longer the norm to plaster the wall with your business card. Think of them as your special greeting card to someone who you truly connected with at the event.

Most all of us have been at an event that has someone who is just walking around, introducing themselves handing you a card and moving on. Did that person really take time to build mini relationships and determine who could be the best connection for them? No. Just like during the gold rush you’ll need to know what you’re looking for on the ground. At networking events, take time to ask quality questions and use the answers to be a roadmap to further questions. Likely a response will include what a person really wants to talk about, take that opportunity and build a relationship.

Both selling and networking are about building relationships first. Just like Zig Ziglar always said, “If you help enough people get what they want, you will get what you want.” Take the time to understand the who the person on the other side is and what makes them tick. This will help you better understand what they need, and you can determine if you can help them. If not, your honesty will help them most.

When I was in outside sales, I walked in a lot of doors. You are often not the most welcome person when you walk in that way. However, persistence and relationships are key. One of my favorite people I met during my time of selling printing and promotional products bought very little from me for months. It was a wholesale flower shop, and I went by once and met her, got a card and left. During that time, I was going in 20-30 businesses a day to meet new people. Everywhere I could I got a key contact’s card, and sometime multiple people’s card. Each evening, I created an envelope with that card and a few notes. AND THEN, I followed up with a handwritten note card thanking them for their gift of time. To everyone.

That small handwritten gesture spoke volumes. Often times places that were rude and hostile toward me on my first unsolicited visit were much kinder and remembered my name next time. And because of my file and notes, I remembered theirs. People love to be called by their name, it’s one of the highest forms of respect you can give someone.  Back to the flower shop, about 2-3 weeks later, I went by and said hello again. This time we spoke for over an hour. We covered almost everything under the sun, but what I sold. Now, let me stop here because old school sells people will say “kid, you messed up here because you didn’t ask for the sale.” I say no. I asked for the relationship. On the next stop, a few weeks later (I kept notes on where I went and had a rotating schedule for parts of town and specific businesses), I stopped in and she was working on invoices. At which time she told me she was about out of invoices. She knew what I did, and then asked for the opportunity to not only be my friend but be my customer. I made the sale and helped her.

I took the time to understand who she was and what was important to her. I also, was observant during our talks and looked at the boxes of stationary beginning to dwindle, but they had large red office depot stickers on them. I knew she could get them there if she wanted, but I built the relationship.  Take the time when meeting new people to understand what their needs, and not what you say their needs are. I could have easily gone in and asked to quote her office depot supplied stationary, but I knew that the time would come, and I could have the opportunity to help inform her on a decision. I had to earn that right to help her.

The time it takes to build relationships these days is time well spent. Far too often we connect only digitally, and for short emails or texts. Generations behind us will be at a disadvantage because of their reliance on technology to create and foster relationships. When building a book of business in a sales role or networking during a job search, the strongest tool in your kit is the ability to build relationships. Take the extra time and effort to be an expert at connecting and talking to people. Finding out what they need, understanding the signs that are given and knowing truly how you can help them will build you up as much as it does them. Don’t think of prospecting as the ‘pre-sell’, think of it as ‘pre-relationship.’