Clarity Coaching

A wise man knows everything but a shrewd man knows everyone.

One of the most cost effective methods of marketing for the small and medium-sized businesses is word-of-mouth. How do you establish word-of-mouth referrals?

You could do that by simply being in the game for a long period of time, consistently deliver and build a reputation. How do you stay in the game long enough to build a reputation?

Clearly, networking is one way.

Before we get too far ahead, please understand that I am sympathetic to those of you who are allergic to networking. I have heard all of the excuses and I realize that a certain percent of people do not like the  networking “thing”. If that describes you, perhaps by the end of this blog, you will reconsider your position.

Keep in mind that networking should be one component of your Marketing Plan just like business cards, website,  advertising, direct mail, cold calling, articles, signage, newsletters, flyers, brochures, trade shows, voicemail messages, workshops/seminars, etc.

Consider this: it is said that the average person knows 250-300 people. Stop and consider that you are two introductions away from 60,000-90,000 people.  What do you think of the networking “thing” now?

I equate networking activities with running for office. Instead of securing votes, you are securing relationships. Just like a politician running for office, you, as the owner of a business, are always on stage, always networking, always building relationships, always building your network. 

 The Three Components of Becoming a Master Networker:

 #1 – Paradigm Shift 

#2 – Robust contact management system or strategy

#3 – Execution

In order to become a master networker, you need to embrace a paradigm shift in your definition of and expectation for your networking activities. What is effective networking?

Effective networking is NOT:  

1. A short-term marketing strategy. 
2. About you
3. For handing out business cards unsolicited
4. About being interesting 
5. About taking

 Effective networking IS:

1. A long-term marketing strategy (with some short-term results)
2. About them
3. About being asked for your business card
4. About being interested
5. About giving 

By embracing this paradigm shift, your new primary objective when networking is to build relationships and build a network while being genuinely interested in helping the other person. Getting clients or customers immediately is no longer your goal. Your goal is to become the go-to person and expand your sphere of influence.

This is much easier if you are genuinely passionate about helping people achieve their dreams by actively connecting with the appropriate people, groups and organizations. Under the new paradigm, a great outcome of a networking encounter is that you never get an opportunity to tell the other person what you do. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? Keep reading!

By giving, you are now very memorable and different to your prospect from everyone else who just wants to sell them something. You have created a friend. Never forget that people do business with people they like but they do more with people they trust.  What is the likelihood that they will actually take interest in you once the attention is eventually turned to you? VERY HIGH!

A robust contact management system is the second component to becoming a master networker. Given that your new focus is on the other person, you must have a stout system that allows you to follow up with the people you meet. Regardless of what you use, Outlook, ACT!, SalesForce.com, Goldmine or a Shoebox, the use of a system of some sort is non-negotiable if you employ the paradigm shift’s way of thinking of your networking activities.

You must have the discipline to follow up with the people you meet especially if you did not have an opportunity to introduce your business to them. Enter as much information about the person, their business and your conversation into your system for future reference.

Execution is the third component of becoming a master networker.  As a business coach, this concept is near and dear to my heart. I spend hours with my clients strategizing and building a plan to  capture their opportunities and overcome their obstacles but they are the only one who can execute the plan. My role is to offer accountability, brainstorming and provide clarity and structure to their endeavors.  To become a Master Networker, you and only you can execute the plan. 

Below is an abbreviated list (in order of importance) of how to execute the plan to become a Master Networker: 

• Listen to your prospect. Focus on them NOT you. Ask questions. Remember, the more someone talks, the more they like you. 
• Learn about your prospect. What do they do and what do they need? Who is an ideal client or prospect for them?  What makes them unique?  Sometimes is helps to pretend you are a reporter and you will be required to write a story about your conversation with your prospect. Take notes on the back of their business card.  
• Help your prospects by connecting them to people, businesses, groups, organizations or networking groups who will, in turn, help them achieve their goals.
• Build your network so you can refer people to each other.   
• Receive referrals. If you build your network up over time, connect people to each other and pass meaningful referrals, what you get in return will far exceed your expectations.

Employ these tactics and beome a Master Networker.

Happy Networking!

ATTENTION BUSINESS OWNERS, ENTREPRENEURS AND SALES PROFESSIONALS:

You must protect your passion and enthusiasm for your mission/job/company/clients/customers at all costs.

Without passion and enthusiasm for your endeavor, your motivation and drive will deteriorate.

Without motivation and drive, you will lose focus.

Without focus, you are like a rudderless ship subject to outside forces.

Protect yourself from losing focus. Protect yourself from negativity. Refresh your memory  as to why you initially got into the business you are in. If the fire and desire is gone, find something else to do that will reignite it.

Life is too short to spin your wheels for long periods of time and allow the rut to get deeper and deeper.

One of my favorite quotes from the Bible is James 1:19 – “Be slow to speak, slow to anger and quick to listen.” That about says it all! God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason and I believe we should use them in proportion.

Listening is an art. It is an art that, for the most part, has been lost in society today. In business and in your personal life being a poor listener can have some devastating effects. As part of my business, I network A LOT – Chamber of Commerce events, networking groups, civic organizations, referral groups, etc and it is readily apparent that listening is a skill that seems to deteriorate with each passing day.

If you have developed bad listening habits over the years and are committed to improving it, you must work at it just like any other habit. It will require patience, practice and discipline. It’s no different than starting an exercise routine or stop smoking or biting your nails.

WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH BUSINESS? EVERYTHING! 

Discussion:

In business as in life, your primary aim should be to build trust. Nothing builds trust faster than listening (other than, perhaps, saving someone’s life). THAT’S WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO YOUR BUSINESS!

Would you agree that the more someone talks, the more they like you?

Let’s conduct a short self-assessment: Are you a good listener? Do people feel better or worse after they have been with you? Would others describe you as a good listener?

Do you listen with your eyes? You must do more than hear the spoken words; you must read body language, interpret what is NOT being said.

Do you seek to understand rather than to be understood? If you are simply pushing your own agenda on someone or cramming your talking points down their throat, you may as well turn your back to the person. The impact of both behaviors is the same. There is nothing worse than a salesperson who is so focused on following their script as to miss a buying signal.

Do you ask great questions? Asking great questions is the secret to great listening. However, the ability to ask great questions is predicated on your ability to be a relaxed listener. In its simplest form, a relaxed listener is one who is more focused on what the other person is saying rather than their intended response. Think of yourself as a reporter. Your job is to get information or “intel, not to give your opinion. Granted, in a business situation, you will obviously be in a give-and-take conversation but your focus should be on the other person not yourself.

Are you an authentic listener? This simply means that you actually care about what the other person says. You are curious, empathetic and allow the other person to complete their train of thought without interruption.

If you have one take-away from this, remember that during an ideal sales call, you should be listening 75%-80% of the time. How else will you determine what the prospect’s pain is? If you don’t know what the problem is, how can you offer a solution?

One final thought: part of listening is the seeking of advice and counsel. Andy Stanley has an expression, “what and who you listen to will influence what you do.” Obviously, this has implications on business and life in general but we are focusing on business. Who do you seek business advice from? Who should you be listening to? Whose advice should you stop listening to? Who do you avoid when it comes to advice about business? Sometimes the thing you need to hear the most is the thing you want to hear the least. A big part of ‘the lost art of listening’ is who and how to seek counsel. 

Possible Solution(s): 

• In any conversation, be “interested” NOT “interesting”. 
• Practice being a relaxed listener by:

1. Focusing on what is being said and articulating follow-up questions. When in doubt try, how do you mean?” That is a great, all-purpose question that gives the speaker permission to expand upon what they are saying.
2. Learn to archive your responses. This takes practice. When you hear something that you want to comment on, archive it in your brain rather than remaining focused on your response.  Think of your brain as a filing cabinet where you file away your comment for later use (in this case whenever the speaker stops talking). If you do not practice this archiving technique, you will most likely stop listening as your entire focus is on your intended response. Imagine how detrimental that could be if in a sales situation. You have essentially ended the conversation without the other person’s knowledge. 

• Make eye contact! 
• Take notes when appropriate 
• Make listening noises – “I see”, “I understand”, nod your head, smile, grimace, lean forward.  
• Restate what is said.

Listening is a lost art. You will find this to be true whether you are talking about a professional setting or your personal life. We have all been told, at one time or another, the importance of making eye contact with the person you are talking to but DO YOU LISTEN WITH YOUR EYES?

Think about this story:

In Mitch Albom’s book, Have a Little Faith, he tells the following story, which was an excerpt from a sermon given by his rabbi in the 1950’s.

A little girl comes home from school with a drawing she made in class. The child is dancing around the kitchen and says, “Mom, guess what?”. The mother never looks up and says, “What?”. “Guess what?” she says again. “What?”. “Mom, you’re not listening.”. “Yes I am honey!”.

            “Mom, you’re not listening with your eyes.”

How can you apply the lesson learned in this short story to your next sales call? Or the next conversation you have with your spouse or kids?
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Shawn Brodof is the President and Head Coach of Clarity Coaching. Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, his focus is helping business owners, entrepreneurs and sales professional get organized by providing clarity, structure and accountability. He works with his clients either one-on-one, in group settings or in day-long boot camps helping them make incremental improvements in their business. He is also a public speaker offering training and workshops on various business-related topics. He can be reached at shawn@clarity-coaching.biz. Or visit the website at: www.Clarity-Coaching.biz.