60 SECONDS PART 3

A series of occasional pieces on how to construct a 60 second pitch that GETS RESULTS

TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT, WHAT YOU REALLY, REALLY WANT

Remember the Spice Girls song? Well that is the perfect template for getting business from Networking groups.

Getting referrals from networking events is straightforward. However the first thing you need to do is change your view in the process.

Have you ever heard people at networking events ask for introductions into Small businesses, or start ups, or better still to people who want to save money? You have been told to be specific in what you ask for as a referral and to a point all of the above are specific. Well they maybe to you but are they to the rest of the group?

Asking for something is a skill that has been conditioned out of most of us. When you were a small child you thought nothing of picking things and expecting mummy or daddy to pay for them. One of your all time favourites was “Mummy can I have?”

Over time with the continual No response you asked less and less.

Your ability to return to the times of asking for specific things when networking is so much more powerful than may think.

I will explain: Often I hear people asking for a business group they believe are good potential customers such as Start-Ups. Obvious people to target, they will need a printer, designer. Web designer, Banker, Accountant and a whole range of services networkers can provide.

At this stage I ask one question, “So how would I know that?” The answer is I probably don’t know someone has started up on their own until they tell me. Or if it is a neighbour you notice a changed pattern of behaviour. The car leaves at a different time, they seem to be around more, or less. These signs give you clues things have changed but do not tell you the person has started to work for themselves.

When selecting targets to ask for in you networking groups, it pays dividends to think about your audience.

Ask yourself how your audience will remember what you are asking for?

When you hear people in your group ask for referrals ask yourself “So how would I know that?” Be specific and you will get what you ask for, be general it you will take longer to get where you want to be and you may not get the results you are looking for.

I will be posting a couple of examples in the next Blog.

Paul

Helping Real People do Real Business through Real Networking