Sometimes in business we make oddly poor decisions. Perhaps we hired that PR firm on their promise to do amazing things. Or we invested in a “home-run idea” that we heard about. When we look back on some of our choices and decisions we wonder later – why?
I think part of the reason for poor decision-making comes down to moving too quickly through our workload to get everything done. In our attempt to do more,
If your clients are not talking about how great you are – perhaps, just perhaps, they don’t recognize all that you do. If a client has been working with you for several years, do they recognize all the above and beyond activities that are being done for them or do they consider it just regular service? Do your clients know how unique you are compared to the competition? Do they have something interesting to tell their friends and colleagues about what you do?
In general, networking to increase sales quickly can often be a frustrating undertaking. Many professionals join their local chamber of commerce or business-networking group, and are initially excited at the prospects. But the unfortunate reality is that these groups often don’t live up to expectations; so we quit and look for another way to drive sales to our business. But wait! There are principles of networking that do work – and they may be the opposite of what you may believe about networking.
It used to be that if you asked someone to do something, it got done immediately. In the “old days” your employees listened and acted exactly as you said. That’s how they kept their job. But today, because of the swarm of communication that happens in a day – directives, projects, initiatives, emails, face-to-face conversations and instant messages – it isn’t easy for an employee to intake all the details, especially verbally, and then prioritize them correctly and get them done right with one request.
If you want to truly engage a prospect or client, instead of talking, it is actually more critical to listen. The key with engagement is interaction. Most (and I really mean most) people are focused on themselves and are more than ready to talk about themselves and their products. But how do you get the other person to begin talking?
Great questions lead to great interaction and will allow you to be in control of the conversation while gaining all the benefits of listening and learning about the other person.
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