Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Developing Your Network
In sales, the network that you create is the lifeblood of your career. It is the only way to consistently grow your sales and income year after year.
If you are a tenured salesperson you most likely have created and continue to have a very solid network. This is developed through years of relationship building.
If you are a relative newcomer into your sales position, you are probably in dire need of a solid network. You are asking yourself, how do I develop my network?
Let's take a look at how to get this started.
If you have an existing customer base, that is the first place to start. I would recommend talking with each of your contacts about their network. If your customers are satisfied with your products and services this makes it quite easy to talk with your contact about their network that might have a need for your products and services. Nine times out of ten your will get a favorable referral from your customer when you ask them for their help.
This method works very well on many different fronts. One, you now have a contact name to go to the new prospect with which now makes it a warm call. Two, you can now name drop your existing contact as a point of reference and common ground. A small icebreaker on any new call. Third, you now may have your contact discussing you and your company with his network in support of your calls.
There are a wealth of other ways to gather information to start on your network, but, much more generic and quite a bit more challenging. There is the phone book, industry journals, local business associations, social events, lead generation firms, the Internet and of course the old stand by, the "Cold Call".
So how are you going to start developing the quality network needed to launch and maintain your career? Just think referrals! And when those referrals become customers, you have an entire new group of satisfied contacts to harvest the next group of possible prospects.
If you are a tenured salesperson you most likely have created and continue to have a very solid network. This is developed through years of relationship building.
If you are a relative newcomer into your sales position, you are probably in dire need of a solid network. You are asking yourself, how do I develop my network?
Let's take a look at how to get this started.
If you have an existing customer base, that is the first place to start. I would recommend talking with each of your contacts about their network. If your customers are satisfied with your products and services this makes it quite easy to talk with your contact about their network that might have a need for your products and services. Nine times out of ten your will get a favorable referral from your customer when you ask them for their help.
This method works very well on many different fronts. One, you now have a contact name to go to the new prospect with which now makes it a warm call. Two, you can now name drop your existing contact as a point of reference and common ground. A small icebreaker on any new call. Third, you now may have your contact discussing you and your company with his network in support of your calls.
There are a wealth of other ways to gather information to start on your network, but, much more generic and quite a bit more challenging. There is the phone book, industry journals, local business associations, social events, lead generation firms, the Internet and of course the old stand by, the "Cold Call".
So how are you going to start developing the quality network needed to launch and maintain your career? Just think referrals! And when those referrals become customers, you have an entire new group of satisfied contacts to harvest the next group of possible prospects.
