Who are you talking to in your network?
Let's do a quick little review of my blog in general, so far, to put Howard Stevens' (http://www.chally.com/thosewho1.htm) third rule into perspective, along with my focus for this blog. If you checked out this blog on day 1, and again today, you will likely have noticed that my introduction at the top of the page changed significantly. In fact, it changed three times.
Why? Because I have been trying to figure out a focus for this blog.
Why? Because, as my introduction now suggests, being professional is to do what you do with some sort of intent.
You may then ask, "So, why did it change over three days? Did you not have an intent to begin with?" Well, yes, I did have an original intent, and that intent still exists. The reason things have changed is that I have added intent to the original. Let me explain. In the context of Stevens' third rule, "Salespeople use networking to develop quality contacts", my original intent for this blog was to continue to build my professional network. In the past two months, I have set out to increase my network of connections on LinkedIn, very specifically other successful sales leaders, and at the same time expand my own knowledge and learning about sales and sales management. To do this I have intentionally undertaken a number of actions each day. The first was to review all possible connections that I could have given past relationships such as work, associations and so on, and I sent out a lot of invitations. The second was to research groups in LI, join those which make sense to my subject matter, and start reading them. The third was to begin putting in comments into discussions to get noticed and the fourth was to start my own group. All of these actions have expanded my immediate network on a daily basis. As I reached the limits of those growth actions, or became more proficient at them so that the growth happened in an easier fashion each day, I started looking for new actions to take. I noticed that others have turned to blogging (thank you to Paul Castain and his Sales Playbook! blog and LI group to show me the way). So, I investigated how this all works and took the plunge. So, my initial intent was to simply grow my network.
I am clearly an impatient person, because three days later I was uncomfortable with the product I had produced. I didn't just want any person ambling through the ether to connect to. No, my objective is to build a network of people who I can help, who can help me, and who can help the rest of my network. Professionals in the area of sales who are interested in furthering the discussion. This is my second, or enhanced intent.
So, what do I have to do to achieve this end? My original introduction was too wishy washy and general. It did not catch attention. It did not really say anything about what is important to me. So I changed it.
"Hey, Bernie, get to the point!"
OK. Two points:
1) Professional selling is selling with intent, which means that you have a concept of what you are trying to achieve (and this goes beyond simply making a commission) and you are evaluating what you are doing and how you are doing it to achieve that end.
2) Building your network, as a salesperson, is hugely critical. What is your market and how are you going to network with them? Who should you be contacting? What is the best regular communication mode you can have with them?
On point #2, I know of some young professionals who are not yet on LinkedIn at all. START YOUR NETWORK EARLY. Or they are not fostering it. At least not on LinkedIn. Facebook is NOT the place to build your professional network. If you have a profile, what do you want it to do for you? What groups should you join or post discussions in?
And LinkedIn is not the only place to build your network. Great place to keep record of it, but get yourself out into the world of wetware as well, to build connections. In my early years of technology sales, I made the effort to write articles in industry magazines which resulted in requests for me to speak at industry conferences, which resulted in me meeting a large percentage of the key people in the industry into which I was selling. As I confessed earlier, I am not really a "Closer" type sales person. I am not the effusive, extrovert type. But I figure out how, within my realm of comfort, I could best put myself forward in front of hundreds of people to build a sense of excitement and interest in my subject matter (what I was selling). I did not have to make the presentation a sales pitch. In fact I made them as "consultative" as possible to make it fit my personal style.
The challenge for many B2B sales, particularly technology and niche products, is that so much of that selling is done over the phone and with other communication technologies such as Webex and GoToMeeting. So, getting out to weekly meet and greets, or chatting up other parents at the kid's school or activities, just won't cut it. Fine if your territory is where you live, but if the world or the continent or even if a whole state or province is your territory, then you need to find other ways to build your connections.
Homework for today: Get to it. Determine the intent for your LinkedIn connections (what do you want from them) and then review what you are doing to make sure that your intended outcome happens.
Why? Because I have been trying to figure out a focus for this blog.
Why? Because, as my introduction now suggests, being professional is to do what you do with some sort of intent.
You may then ask, "So, why did it change over three days? Did you not have an intent to begin with?" Well, yes, I did have an original intent, and that intent still exists. The reason things have changed is that I have added intent to the original. Let me explain. In the context of Stevens' third rule, "Salespeople use networking to develop quality contacts", my original intent for this blog was to continue to build my professional network. In the past two months, I have set out to increase my network of connections on LinkedIn, very specifically other successful sales leaders, and at the same time expand my own knowledge and learning about sales and sales management. To do this I have intentionally undertaken a number of actions each day. The first was to review all possible connections that I could have given past relationships such as work, associations and so on, and I sent out a lot of invitations. The second was to research groups in LI, join those which make sense to my subject matter, and start reading them. The third was to begin putting in comments into discussions to get noticed and the fourth was to start my own group. All of these actions have expanded my immediate network on a daily basis. As I reached the limits of those growth actions, or became more proficient at them so that the growth happened in an easier fashion each day, I started looking for new actions to take. I noticed that others have turned to blogging (thank you to Paul Castain and his Sales Playbook! blog and LI group to show me the way). So, I investigated how this all works and took the plunge. So, my initial intent was to simply grow my network.
I am clearly an impatient person, because three days later I was uncomfortable with the product I had produced. I didn't just want any person ambling through the ether to connect to. No, my objective is to build a network of people who I can help, who can help me, and who can help the rest of my network. Professionals in the area of sales who are interested in furthering the discussion. This is my second, or enhanced intent.
So, what do I have to do to achieve this end? My original introduction was too wishy washy and general. It did not catch attention. It did not really say anything about what is important to me. So I changed it.
"Hey, Bernie, get to the point!"
OK. Two points:
1) Professional selling is selling with intent, which means that you have a concept of what you are trying to achieve (and this goes beyond simply making a commission) and you are evaluating what you are doing and how you are doing it to achieve that end.
2) Building your network, as a salesperson, is hugely critical. What is your market and how are you going to network with them? Who should you be contacting? What is the best regular communication mode you can have with them?
On point #2, I know of some young professionals who are not yet on LinkedIn at all. START YOUR NETWORK EARLY. Or they are not fostering it. At least not on LinkedIn. Facebook is NOT the place to build your professional network. If you have a profile, what do you want it to do for you? What groups should you join or post discussions in?
And LinkedIn is not the only place to build your network. Great place to keep record of it, but get yourself out into the world of wetware as well, to build connections. In my early years of technology sales, I made the effort to write articles in industry magazines which resulted in requests for me to speak at industry conferences, which resulted in me meeting a large percentage of the key people in the industry into which I was selling. As I confessed earlier, I am not really a "Closer" type sales person. I am not the effusive, extrovert type. But I figure out how, within my realm of comfort, I could best put myself forward in front of hundreds of people to build a sense of excitement and interest in my subject matter (what I was selling). I did not have to make the presentation a sales pitch. In fact I made them as "consultative" as possible to make it fit my personal style.
The challenge for many B2B sales, particularly technology and niche products, is that so much of that selling is done over the phone and with other communication technologies such as Webex and GoToMeeting. So, getting out to weekly meet and greets, or chatting up other parents at the kid's school or activities, just won't cut it. Fine if your territory is where you live, but if the world or the continent or even if a whole state or province is your territory, then you need to find other ways to build your connections.
Homework for today: Get to it. Determine the intent for your LinkedIn connections (what do you want from them) and then review what you are doing to make sure that your intended outcome happens.
Outstanding blog!
ReplyDeleteKeep up the fantastic work!
Your not so new fan
Paul Castain