---BREAKING NEWS--- Sales Partners, Inc. to co-host November “Gathering”

About the “Roadmap …”

Each issue of the “Roadmap to Sales Success” will contain items of interest to the business (especially the sales) community.

Following is the schedule for this volume, “Tales from Sales Street” – real-life examples of successful selling situations:

This Month’s Sales Tips …

“In any organization, being on the Membership Committee affords an opportunity to speak with ALL of the members!” - - Joyce’s Law #20  

Please see:
http://www.salespartnersinc.com for details

Networking Works - - Vol. 2 No. 5 - - November, 2004

LAST of a SERIES - New series starts next month:

“Profitable Sales Management – for Managers AND Salespeople”

Sure part of the “end game” of networking IS getting help, but to achieve that, you’ve first got to build a network. The way to do that is by building a reputation for yourself – as a resource, a helpful person, somebody who can be trusted and be counted on when needed.

If you’re helping others, people will gravitate to you.

“Networking isn't the only way to improve your personal/professional circumstance; it's just the easiest way.” -- Joyce's Law #12

What is Networking anyway?

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, defines Business Networking as “… a group of people that have some kind of commercial relationship.” And goes on to say that, “According to the experts, networking works best when you offer to help someone else with a connect, rather than asking for yourself.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_network

“… the new model is about connected specialization. The pipe (connections we make) is more important than what's in the pipe (what we know now)." - - George Siemens, Author of “The Art of Blogging”

How to start/enhance our networking efforts:

Jim Joyce, the President of Sales Partners, Inc., remembers when he first started the firm and, basically, didn’t know many people in his “neighborhood” - the Research Triangle Park area of North Carolina.

Then came the “revelation.” Instead of trying to get people to help him, Jim now has only one objective at networking events: “To find the 1-2 people that he can help.” (Or, if he personally can’t help them, introduce them to people who can.)

Jim always achieves his objective and, in fact, people now approach him. Why? Because they’ve heard that he’s only there to help people and they’re hoping that he will help them.

Now, of course, networking involves more than events, it is/should be a part of one’s lifestyle.

As mentioned in our May 2004 Newsletter, “Networking for Results” http://www.salestraininginc.com/newsletter/2004/may/ effective networking needs a plan, goals, actions, measurements, people, resources, budget, etc.

And, like so many other aspects of (business) life, a working Contact Management System.

And, don’t forget “online networking.” A good reading on this can be found in the article “Business Development Through Online Networking” by Scott Allen. Please see: http://www.onlinebusinessnetworks.com/blog/2004/3/18/business-development-through-online-networking

Now for a real life example of how Networking Works:

Annie had been laid off by a large computer company. For the first time in nearly 20 years, she was faced with the prospect of looking for a job – in a “down” economy. Unfortunately, her high-tech skill set was all-too-common amongst the ‘downsized” in her town.

So, Annie started attending local church job-seekers and self-help groups. At one of these, she met a couple of “inveterate” networkers, whom we’ll call Pat and Mike.

When Annie got to the locale, there were over 500 people already present.

Annie, a natural introvert, was literally terrified.

When Pat and Mike arrived, they found her standing at the bar – HOLDING ONTO IT - in fear.
“What do I do?” asked Annie, her voice and body trembling.

“Go and get 5 business cards” answered Pat. “And bring them back to us” said Mike.

Despite her fears, Annie went and got the five cards.

“Now get 5 more and this time, from people that YOU can help” she was told.

So, she dutifully got the next five cards.

This exercise continued for much of the night until Annie had a stack of cards from useful contacts.

She used them to send follow-up letters/e-mails with offers of help/introductions.

After repeating this effort at several events, Annie had built up so much confidence that she began to teach networking techniques to her peers.

At one event, Annie ran into her old boss from the computer company. He was there, practicing his “lifelong networking.”

He did not know that she was still out of work and, when he found out that she was available, he hired her back!

TRUE STORY. (There are a lot of lessons to be taken from this. One is “Never stop networking, even if you’re satisfied with your contacts/your job.”)

Next issue:

Be on the lookout for next issue of “Roadmap …” where we’ll begin our new series, “Profitable Sales Management – for Managers AND Salespeople”

Until then, Good Selling!!

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