Jeff Says:

I’m often asked, “Jeff, where do you get your leads? Is networking is an effective replacement for cold calling?” Wow! Great, and important, questions. Leads can come from many sources and no one who works with leads should ever be without a large supply. They’re out there waiting for you if you just know where to look.

Is networking a replacement for picking up the phone and dialing? In most instances, no. While networking can get you leads it’s typically a long process as people get to know and trust you. Cold calling has a more immediate and dramatic affect on your pipeline of appointments, which always needs to stay full if you want to make a lot of money.

That said, how do we improve the quality and results of our networking? Here are some tips, gained from personal experience over the years:

Tip #1 – When you get to a networking event, look for people you DON’T know.

Many people, when networking, walk into an event and look for familiar faces. They then proceed to spend the rest of the event drinking, eating and chatting with their friends. While networking with friends is important too, you can do that anytime. Pick out someone who looks interesting, walk up to them with a smile on your face and your hand stretched out ready to shake theirs and say, “Hi Dave, (assuming they have a name tag) my name is Jeff Goldberg. Nice to meet you. Great event, isn’t it? Hey, I’m just curious, what do you do?” Dave will then explain what he does for a living and while he’s doing that you should be actively engaged in listening. This is not the time to check your watch or look around the room for other people you’d like to meet. Give the person you’re speaking with your undivided attention and make them feel important and special. When Dave finishes, he will almost always end with, “So what do you do Jeff?” This gives you the opening you need to move on to Tip #2.

Tip #2 – Have your “Elevator Speech” polished and ready to go.

When someone asks you what you do, that’s not the time to figure out how to describe your job. If you don’t have a well crafted “elevator speech” in advance of needing it you might very well blow your small window of opportunity to make a connection. Your elevator speech must be brief, clear and concise. It must quickly explain to the listener what you do and where you add value. It must be delivered in such a way that the person listening could then tell others what you do. There should be nothing in your elevator speech that causes the other person to think, “What does that mean,” or “I don’t understand.”
Here’s an example –
“Well Dave, I’m Jeff Goldberg and I own my own company, Jeff Goldberg and Associates. We're a sales training and consulting firm specializing in helping salespeople improve their skills, no matter what their current level of ability and experience. I teach salespeople how to get more appointments, shorten their sales cycle and close more business. With more than 32 years of sales experience and 18 years of sales management experience, as well as having trained nearly 5000 salespeople in the last two years alone, I’m in a unique position to work with sales professionals in a fun and highly productive way to help them close more business and make more money.”
Brief, to the point, easily understandable and repeatable.

Tip #3 – Know what constitutes a good lead for you.

Know what a good lead is for you and make it easy for the other person to help you find people like that. A clearly defined good lead for you makes everyone’s life easier. For example, a good lead for me is a CEO, President or VP Sales at any company, anywhere in the world, that has a sales team of 10 people or more. I suggest you include your, “A good lead for me is,” at the end of your brief commercial. So mine would sound like this: “I’m in a unique position to work with sales professionals in a fun and highly productive way to help them close more business and make more money. By the way, a good lead for me is any company, anywhere in the world, that has a sales team of 10 people or more.

Tip #4 – You have to "Give to Get."

Most people network to get leads or referrals, and of course that’s what you should hope to do. The problem with that is there’s no WIIFM. (What’s In It for Me) Each of us does the things we do and makes decisions based on WIIFM. If we go to a networking event thinking about all the great leads we hope to get, the people we meet and network with will “smell” the greed coming off you in waves. When meeting and speaking with people, I suggest you should instead be thinking, “How can I help this person?” It often happens that I’ll be at a networking function and after listening to the other person speak, I immediately offer some leads to the person. If someone gives you a gift don’t you feel better about, and perhaps even a bit obligated, to give one in return? By offering help, others are more likely to give you theirs.

Tip #5 – Make specific requests.

If there is a particular company you’re looking to work with or a particular person you want to be introduced to, ask. “By the way, Steve, I’m very interested in working with Microsoft. By any chance do you know Bill Gates or someone else who might be able to help me meet him?”

Tip #6 – Loosen up and have some fun.

No one likes to talk with people who are bored, boring or depressed. Conversely, almost everyone enjoys speaking with others who are upbeat, excited about life and who show they are genuinely interested in them. Did you ever notice how someone who is interested in you is more interesting to you? Show people you’re interested in them by asking good questions and actively listening.

Make these tips part of your networking arsenal and watch your lead flow increase!

Make It Happen!

Jeff