Networking Insight

9 Reasons Not to Follow-Up

When attending events, you have the potential to meet a lot of people. It is difficult to follow-up with everyone. Below are 9 reasons that will help you decide if you should follow-up with someone:

1. Don’t feel like you connected in your conversation
2. Person only talked about him/her self
3. No synergies in your conversation
4. Don’t have time to follow-up with everyone
5. Person was rude during the conversation
6. Bad communications skills
7. Didn’t feel that you could help the person
8. Person said that he/she would do the follow-up
9. Person doesn't have a good reputation or image

Keep in mind that you want to build quality relationships so quantity is not the key.  What other reasons would prevent you from following up with someone?

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Networking and Selling DO NOT Mix! by Larry James

Larry James of the Networking HQ BLOG share the following article:

Networking and Selling DO NOT Mix!

Networking and selling are not mutually exclusive. Networking builds relationships and relationships always form the foundation to satisfying client and customer relationships. Expert networkers know this and rarely ever use a networking event to demonstrate their selling skills. Networking is an incredible promotional opportunity to talk with others about their business and to do your best to help them make connections to people who can use their products or services.

It’s about making friends before you need them or their services. You do not sell at networking events. It is the time to prospect and build relationships. You can be a savvy connector for others and yourself.

“If (networking is) done properly you meet new people, engage in friendly conversation, exchange business cards, and usually after meeting these same people 2, 3, or 4 times at similar events you agree to meet privately for coffee, where you share greater detail about each others business in hopes that the other wants your product or service or at least knows someone else who MIGHT be able to use your product or service.” – Michael Schuett

Selling on the other hand requires you having to learn how to really be a salesperson. It is a skill that can be learned, yet lots of people who network prefer networking because they think they really don’t have to sell. These people are part of what I call the “business cards at the ready” brigade.

Many actually fear selling. You’ll hear them say, “I just don’t want to be pushy.” They haven’t learned the art of persuasion. People like this just don’t know any better. They become pushy and aggressive, self-serving idiots at networking events.

They hope that the contacts they meet will like them and automatically buy from them and they won’t have to do any selling. These people are misinformed. My friend, Tom Hopkins, once said, “People will only do business with people that they like and trust.” We are talking relationships here. Building relationship takes time. Networking is important but it is not the end-all – you still have to finish the process with follow-up and by closing the sale.

Networking is a business activity and not a friend-trolling activity. It will help you keep the focus on why you’re really there; to help others. Selling requires proactive activity by the person wanting the sale. It’s not passive, which networking tends to be.

Top sales people support their client or customer’s buying decision, give them the information they need to make the right decision and build trust in order to do business with them.

After networking comes the follow-up. During the follow-up is where the selling starts – where it is understood that you are selling your products or services.

I love people and networking is fun but unless you ask for the order after you have developed the relationship, you are just having fun and not selling. Many business owners and sales people today are simply hiding behind their networking activities, their Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook accounts. Remember, face-to-face contact is where the sale is made.

If you attend a networking event and become just a card collector and never follow-up you will become an undesirable addition to the “people to avoid” list at networking events. Being in sales mode at a business networking event is not only inefficient and stupid; it is a big turn off. 

Copyright © - Larry James. Reprinted with permission. - Larry James is a professional speaker and the author of, "Ten Commitments of Networking; Creative Ways to Maximize Your Personal Connections." Larry James presents networking seminars nationally and "Networking" coaching. Contact: Larry James, P.O. Box 12695, Scottsdale, AZ 85267-2695. LarryJames@CelebrateLove.com - www.TenCommitmentsofNetworking.com - http://www.NetworkingHQ.wordpress.com

Greater Chicago Networking Extravaganza - Next Week!

My annual event is happening next week on April 6!

The annual Greater Chicago Networking Extravaganza is the premier business networking event in Chicagoland, bringing together the business community for an incredible evening of mixing, mingling, education and fun. It will feature an abundance of business-development opportunities and informative presentations from two of Chicago's preeminent relationship-building experts, Lillian Bjorseth and Jason Jacobsohn.

Date: April 6, 2010
Time: 5:30-8:30pm
Location: The Metropolitan Club, Chicago
Hosts: Lillian Bjorseth of Duoforce Enterprises and Jason Jacobsohn of AEGIS Professional Services
Sponsors: Microsoft and technology partners, CK Interactive Design, The Metropolitan Club, Keller Graduate School of Management, Open View, Wheatle Peart, and ACN Communications.

For more information and to register, go to Greater Chicago Networking.

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Saying “No” to Requests Can Be Difficult

One of most important techniques to building sustainable relationships is to help others whenever you can. As you get a reputation as a giver and not a taker, you will get lots of requests. Some will even come from people who you don’t know well.

While you want to be a resource for people, be careful that you are not taken advantage of by some people either in your network or new people who you meet. It is okay to say “no” to some requests for the following reasons:

1. You don’t know the person well enough
2. You don’t have the time or resources to properly help
3. You are not able to help
4. You are not seeing any return help

We are all very busy individuals so there is sometimes not enough time in the day to help everyone.  Be polite about saying “no” because you want to keep a good relationship and image with people. You never know when you will need to turn to others for help.

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