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So long as prospecting is a part of the selling process, we might as well make that process both fun and lucrative.
We do this by developing, what I call, “Personal Walking Ambassadors.”
These are typically “Centers of influence” (those who already have largë, prestigious personal spheres of influence and have lots of credibility within that sphere) who will enthusiastically connect us with those people who are ready, willing and able to buy what we sell. In other words, they cross the “Marketing Bridge” in that they “need it, want it, and can afford it.”
Imagine, if you will, a huge, beautiful rainbow spread across the skyafter a terrific rainstorm. As legend has it, at the end of that rainbowis what? That’s right, a pot of gold. In a sense, we could say that pot ofgold is “where the monëy is”...where those who can and will buy ourproducts are standing and – even if they don’t know it – waiting for us(or our competitor) to arrive. Too many sälespeople spend the majority of their time at the beginning ofthe rainbow, doing the work that is hard, unsatisfying, and often notparticularly profïtable. They make cold calls, send out promotionalpackages to the percentage-wise few who are interested (or “say” they are)and follow up, follow up, follow up. While this, of course, is a legitimate part of selling, it’s also the mostdifficult, the most time-consuming and the least profïtable. The answer, of course, is to cultivate a network of endless referralsbusiness. The two key words in that sentence are “Network” and“Referrals.” Networking was one of the business buzzwords of the 80’s and 90’s andcontinues to be to this day. And, like before, it’s a term used by many,understood by some, and successfully practiced...by far too few. So, let’s define our terms, first with what Networking is not! As one who spends much of his life speaking throughout North America onthis very topic, I’ve been exposed to just about every false premise andpreconceived notion regarding Networking there is. In my opinion, mostpeople see Networking as personified by the stereotypical, fast-walkin’,slick-talkin’ sälestype; the one who aggressively sticks a business cardinto the face of everyone they meet and says such things as, “Hey, give mea call – I’ll cut you a deal.” We know that, far from being Networking, that’s simply...actually, I’m notexactly sure what it is; but it isn’t Networking. I define Networking as “The cultivating of mutually beneficial, give andtake, wïn/wïn relationships.” The emphasis is most definitely on the“give” aspect. But is that “real-world” type of thinking? Yes, it is. Why? Because, “Allthings being equal, people will do business with, and refer business to,those people they know, like and trust.” And part of developing thesefeelings toward you in others is to first add to their lives in asignificant way. When you Network according to our definition, with a genuine concern forsomeone (regardless of whether he or she is a direct prospect) and asincere determination to help that person accomplish their wants, needs,and desires, it becomes a very effective way for you to do business. It also becomes very profïtable, as you’ll find yourself developing alargë number of people who want to do the same for you. As you do thisconsistently, on an everyday basis, you’ll find that not only will thequality of names on your list continue to add, but they will multiplygeometrically. The reason is that all of these people with whom you are developingrelationships know many others to whom they can eventually refer you. (Infact, it’s been documented that the typical person knows 250 other people– thus every time you develop a solid relationship with one new person,you just increased your own personal “sphere of influence” by a potential250 people every...sïngle...time.) In a sense, you could say that the ultimate goal of networking is thebuilding, cultivating, and developing of a very largë and diverse group ofpeople, who will gladly and continually refer you lots and lots ofbusiness. While, of course, you do the same for them. In a nutshell, you’re dramatically increasing your referral business,without spending significantly more time or monëy in order to accomplishthat goal. In other words, you’ll be hanging out by the “Pot of Gold” at the end ofthe rainbow, dealing only with people who are qualified to buy and havethe desire to buy. At that point, your business will become very fun, alot less stressful, and a lot more profïtable. While we’ll discuss this further in the next article and begin lookingclosely at the “how-to” aspect of cultivating your wïn-wïn network, let’send this segment by looking one more time at what is perhaps, thekey-concept in the entire “Endless Referrals System”; what I call “TheGolden Rule of Networking,” and that is: “All things being equal, people will do business with and refer businessto, those people they know, like and trust.” If you can keep that phrase at the very top level of consciousness everytime you meet someone new, you will be nine steps ahead in the game...in a10-step game. About the Author: Bob Burg - http://www.burg.com - speaks to säles organizations on thetopic, How to Cultivate a Network of Endless Referrals. He is author of“Endless Referrals: Network Your Everyday Contacts Into Säle.” And“Wïnning Without Intimidation: How to Master the Art of PositivePersuasion” (each with over 100,000 copies sold). He also has a frëeweekly ezine newsletter which you can receive by visiting http://www.burg.com and clïcking the appropriate icon. Note: Endless Referrals, totally revised and updated, goes on säleSeptember of 2005. Purchase one for yourself and recommend it to everyonein your organization. Nevër again be at a loss for new people with whomyou can share your products and services.
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