Would you attend a networking event with a bag over your head? Of course not. But people do it all the time.

This was the analogy I used this week while running an online training for a client.  It got a good laugh.  But the more I thought about it the more it is exactly right. Why would anyone put up a profile on a networking site without their photo?

I am an early adopter of technology and social media; I have been using LinkedIn for a long time.  LinkedIn has over 100 million users and has been around for about 10 years so it is a bit difficult for me to believe that so many people still haven’t caught on.  It’s not for everybody, but if you are in most businesses it is a powerful tool to help you find resources, employees, funding, people to collaborate with and customers.  Why not be on LinkedIn?

I am not a social media expert and I don’t bill myself as one, but I do use it and I do get results.  I find myself constantly having to convince people as to why they should use social media.  I will tell you this, it is time consuming, especially at first when you are learning and then if you really want to get results you must have a plan and follow through.

For LinkedIn, I am still learning.  I post mostly myself, but my intern does put up the events.  I answer all the connection requests and almost always send a personal note in return with some LinkedIn tips.  If I don’t know the person, I research them and decide about connecting. If I choose to connect I start to build a relationship and work to add value.

I don’t want to be connected to people I don’t know, because those connections aren’t useful.  My friend Caryn asked me to make an introduction the other day to someone I was connected to on LinkedIn.  I looked her up and had to tell Caryn that I didn’t know her or the person I was connected to her through.  I told her I would be happy to write a compelling note and send the request on anyway.  Well, it didn’t work.  I didn’t expect it to, why would anyone introduce someone they don’t know and can’t vouch for.  For all they know you are just trying to sell them something.

I spend a lot of time networking online and off.  It is my best lead source next to referrals.  Sales takes time.  I like to keep my funnel full and networking helps me do that.

P.S. If you still don’t know why you should use LinkedIn or how to use it to get connected to get results, join me on May 24th for my webinar; I’m on LinkedIn, Now What?

Have you ever wondered how companies get on the “Top” lists.  I recently made Evan Carmicheal’s Top 100 Sales Experts to Watch on Twitter.  He publishes this every month.  In April I was #77 .  Pretty exciting, I think.  How did I get on this list?  And what does it mean?  Does it get me any business?

One of the things it means is that I am showing up and someone is noticing.  Are you showing up and is anyone noticing?  And really not just anyone, but your ideal customers.  The game is to get noticed by them and have them contact you. Social media is certainly one of the ways to get noticed, along with traditional media and great customer service that turns your customers into a walking advertisement.

The real question is are you at the top of your customer’s list.  Do they think of your first. I’d like to think so, but I make sure.  I use social media, email marketing, networking, one to one calls and visits, handwritten notes, fun gifts, this blog and anything else I can think of to stay there.

This post was written by Jill Konrath, author of Fresh Sales Strategies Blog http://www.jillkonrath.com/sales-blog/

Several weeks ago I was in New York City doing a workshop for a client. I left early to meet with the VP of Sales before the session began. At the front desk of the hotel, when I asked for directions to the coffee shop, I discovered it was almost eight blocks away — which was a shocker since I thought it was just around the corner.

Dang! Now I was going to be late. So, I called Herb to let him know that I was walking as fast as I could. When I got him on the line, he said, “Get a cab. It’ll just take a minute.”

“That’s okay,” I replied. “I like to walk.”

But here’s the truth. I am a total taxi failure.They never stop for me. I can boldly step out into the street to flag one down just like New Yorkers do — and they drive right past me like I don’t even exist. It’s happened so often, that I’ve given up on it.

Clearly I was not born to be a taxi rider.

Over lunch, I finally fessed up to Herb and his leadership team. They laughed at me — and then let me in on a dirty little secret. If the lights on top of the taxi were on, they already had a passenger. If they were unlit, they were for hire.

Duh! No one ever told me that before. In Minnesota, where I live, everyone has a car. We’ve never learned the appropriate taxi-flagging techniques. And, I can assure you that it’s not an innate skill.

What does that have to do with sales? Over the years, hundreds (or maybe thousands) of people have said to me, “I just can’t sell” or “I’m just not a natural born salesperson.”

Here’s the deal. Sales is every bit as much of a skill as taxi-flagging. If you’re having trouble, it’s because you just don’t know how — yet!

• If no one ever gets back to you, it’s because you don’t know how to pique their curiosity.
• If you keep hearing the same objections, it’s because you don’t know how to eliminate them.
• If you keep losing to the same competitor, it’s because you haven’t figured out how to to beat them.
• If your prospects stay with the status quo too often, it’s because you haven’t helped them understand the value of changing.

But once you learn these things, everything changes. I can’t wait to go back to NYC with my newfound knowledge. This time, I’m confident I’ll catch a taxi.

YOUR TURN: Has anything like this ever happened to you? What did it take to finally figure out that you just weren’t doing it right? Please share your story in the space below.

Original article can be found at: http://www.jillkonrath.com/sales-blog/bid/122992/Why-I-Can-t-Catch-a-Taxi-And-You-Can-t-Sell

On Saturday night, I had the great pleasure of emceeing the Summit Awards.  NAIOP, CCIM and CREW, all commercial real estate organizations, give these awards annually to brokers, developers and construction companies.  It’s great for businesses to win awards for many reasons.  Once you have won an award you can position your company as “Award Winning” company. So how do you get that notoriety for your company? Every company should apply for awards.  There are so many different ones out there you can win.  Start by looking in your industry for organizations that give out awards and start applying.  If you think that is conceited or self promoting, guess what, the only way you can win most awards is by applying or asking someone to nominate you.  Awards are just another way to celebrate your accomplishments. Companies don’t spend enough time celebrating what they do right, awards give you a great opportunity to do that.  Take advantage and apply for an award today.  I’ve given you some places to start below.

The Addy Awards – given by the America Advertising Federation for great ideas.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Blue Ribbon Awards - 75 small businesses are selected for their innovative business practices and strong contributions to their communities. (I’ve won this award twice.)

The Stevie Awards – The world’s premier business award competition.

These are national awards.  You can find local and regional awards to apply for as well.  I am sure your local chamber gives out awards.  I won the Community Spirit Award from my chamber a few years back and yes, I asked people to nominate me. Is it shameless self promotion, maybe. But I really do a lot for my community and it is nice to be recognized. I also won Marketer of the Year from the Reno-Tahoe AMA, that one I didn’t have to apply for but that is unusual.   Our community also gives awards for the best places to work.  I bet your community does that too.  Your employees can nominate your company.  Your company deserves to be recognized for all it does.  If you don’t want to apply for awards you can still use the idea and develop an awards program within your company to recognize people and teams.  Hold an annual event and give out awards to your customers.  What a great way to appreciate them and keep them engaged.  Once you have given your awards you can do some PR and send info on the winners to your local media outlets and post on social media.

Let me know of awards you have won and your ideas about how you can use awards to help your company build it’s brand and promote itself or it’s employees.

P.S.  I am launching my newsletter, watch for it and tell me what you think.

Written by Kristin Stith, MBA intern. This article was originally posted on www.kristinmstith.com.

I have been researching a lot of businesses in the area, and their use of social media.  I have met some wonderful business owners and I seen some stellar displays of brands upon Facebook. However, I have also come across many business pages that are…well… perhaps, misinformed. Here is my top-10 list of things businesses are doing wrong on Facebook.

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that don’t work!”-Thomas Edison

1. Using a personal page as a business page- This is probably the biggest faux pas I have seen. If you are a business or an organization, you need to create a business page- not a personal. It is a Facebook violation, and they have every right to delete your page if you are caught.
2. Shouting!- Put the megaphone down and stop making announcements. Keep your content 20% about you, and 80% about your fans. Thinkinbound…Offer content which allows for your fans to respond and interact.
3. Over-posting- If you are posting more than 2 times a day, this can get a bit “spammy.” If you post too much, people will tune you out. It’s important to stay consistent, but don’t post too often.
4. Selling- There is a time and a place, but not here. Facebook is not for sales. If you try to sell to people, you will have zero fans. Let your page be a space for your customers to interact with your brand and create an online community.
5.  Self promoting on other pages- If you worked for Coke, would you set up a booth inside of Pepsi and sell Sprite? No. Don’t utilize someone else’s space to advertise your business, unless it has been requested.
6. Forgetting a social media policy- This is something that is frequently overlooked. If your business is being represented on Facebook it is important to implement policy and procedures so that your business is not misrepresented.
7. Deleting complaints- Social media for your business can be great, but it can get difficult when it comes to dealing with complaints. It will happen. Rather than deleting these complaints from your timeline, DEAL  WITH THEM!
8. Neglecting to interact with fans- If your fans are asking questions and making comments, respond to them! You will soon lose their attention if you ignore them.
9. Not posting current info- If I scope out a business’s Facebook, and their last post was weeks ago- I will move on. It’s important to keep your page updated.
10. Not having a Facebook page at all- Why wouldn’t you want to hang out where all of your customers are gathering? There’s a big, very big, conversation occurring on Facebook, I highly recommend joining it.

I am struggling with being able to continuously come up with fresh content, but I know that today’s market demands it.  I love to write but there is never enough time.

I mentioned a few blog posts ago that I was trying something different.  I am using my blog for sharing more personal information about my business and how I do things in order to help others with their business and in my newsletter share more how-to’s, sales and networking info.  What made me decide to do that is several people who influence me and some reading that I have been doing.

My question was – do I really need a blog and a newsletter?  To me it seems like overkill.  I thought I would share with you my current thinking on this topic so that you can decide for yourself what you might need.

After much reading and discussing, I think they serve two different purposes and they have different audiences.

The blog is more like a journal, I can share ideas and thoughts as they come and it doesn’t have to be formal.  The information gets pushed out through social media and it’s free.  It’s more conversational, and my hope is to get people thinking and commenting so that it is a two-way conversation.  It helps establish me as an expert and it should help me get people to sign up for my newsletter and follow me on my other social media channels.

My newsletter is more informational, you will find more of the “how-to” articles. The newsletters are short and to the point.  It is one-way communication.  It only goes to my subscribers.  It also has events and special offers.  It links to my social media and blog.  The newsletter helps me sign people up to use my service so I generate more revenue.

My blog and my newsletter are intertwined but serve separate purposes.  Does it feel like I have to produce a lot of content – yes.  I’ll keep you posted and let you know how it’s working.

If you have had success with producing a newsletter and a blog, please comment below. If you have questions, please post them and I and the others who are reading will try to help.

Wow, what a week.  Monday, we filmed an episode of Plush Life and then I spent the rest of the day with clients.  Most of Tuesday was preparing for Wednesday’s presentation for WOW – no not World of Warcraft, but Weddings of the West.  I was a keynote speaker, followed by a break out session, and then the afternoon with clients.  Thursday training CCIM and NAIOP members to use LinkedIn to generate leads, followed by meetings with clients. Friday, I was a keynote for the PRSSA Region 1 conference-followed by a break out session. In between I volunteered at The Discovery for an hour, and then after the afternoon break out, one more client meeting followed by a dinner at my home with friends.  Not to mention the phone calls and email handled in between and the sad news from two friends. Did you follow all of that? I should be exhausted right now, and I am, but I am exhilarated at the same time.

As business people we all have too much to do.  There is a never ending flood of information and requests coming at us.   It can be overwhelming at times.  How do I do it you ask?  Some weeks better than others. This week I had a melt down but it only lasted about an hour.  I got over it and got going.  Here are some of the things I do to keep my sanity and I hope by mentioning them it will help you keep your sanity too.

1. Exercise - Can’t say it enough times, indoors or out, get some exercise, get your heart rate up and get your mind off your business.

2. Call a friend - and just scream if you have to.  Ask them to just listen and say they understand.

3. Count your blessings – As bad as it gets, I look around and see someone who has it worse.  My life is wonderful and I need to stay focused on all the good things and my opportunities and keep the tough things in check.

4. Stay focused on the high pay-off activities – As my business coach always reminds me, I need to prioritize my activities so that I do the high payoff activities first.

5. Its not forever, it’s just for now - This helps when I have to temporarily stop doing something I want to do, but just can’t fit in and when I have to do things I don’t enjoy.

6. Plan - I take time each day, each week and each month to plan and schedule.  Each year I do a full blown strategic plan and review it periodically.  I’d be off my rocker by now if I didn’t.

7. Stay focused on sales – You can’t run a business if you don’t have sales.  Cash flow is critical for any business.  Make sure the sales keep coming in. During that planning time I always make sure I have time for lead generation, follow up, sales meetings and closing deals.

I hope this helps you and if you would like to share some of the ways you stay sane in this crazy, busy and not always easy world, please comment below.

P.S.  This blog post is different than most of my previous posts.  I am trying a new idea.  Yes, amidst everything else I am working on my marketing.  I have decided to try making my blog more personal. I will write about revelations I am having with my business. I am also re-starting my e-newsletter, I will post the how-to stuff there.  Keep your eye on me if you want to know how things shape up.

What’s your networking strategy?

How many hours do you spend preparing , driving , and attending networking events that feel like a waste of time?  If your feeling is  “There is no one there I want to meet,” or “These never result in business,” then it is time to rethink your networking strategy.  Yes, you need a networking strategy.

If your purpose in networking is to generate leads, referrals, and sales, you need to start by making sure you are in the right place.   If you do all the right things in the wrong place, you will leave without the results you are looking for.  There are so many  places to network,  it can be difficult to know where to start.

• Which events are worth your time?
•  Which ones are most likely to result in business?

With any marketing campaign, you need to know your target market .  Don’t take that the wrong way.   I know you know your target market; your ideal customer – right?  We better take a second here and double check that . . .

• First write down the characteristics that describe the customers that buy from you, or you think would buy from you if they knew about you.
•  How would you describe them demographically?
• What size, what revenue, how many employees, location, privately held.
• Who buys from you?

Until you do that, your networking efforts are going to be pretty much wasted. So I will wait for you.  When you get that figured out, I will be right here…….

OK, so now you know who your target audience is for your product or service.  Then ask yourself -  is that your target market for your networking effort?  The answer is yes, and no.

• Yes, you absolutely want to network in places where your potential  customers will be.  You also want to network in places where there are credible people who can refer business to you.  Your mission is to figure out where those two groups of people are, and be there.

Where are you currently networking?  Who goes to them?  Can they either buy from you, or refer you to people who can buy from you?  If not, then you aren’t networking to develop new business.

So, where are the people you want to network with?  Would you be better off doing one networking meeting a year with people who can actually help you build your business, than 5 networking meetings a month with people who can’t?  Probably.  You wouldn’t send out marketing letters to people in your neighborhood, if who you really needed to reach were CEO’s of fortune 500 companies (well, not my neighborhood anyway).  So, you aren’t going to attend your local Chamber of Commerce Meeting if your target market is doctors.

Take the time to create a Networking Strategy that will help you reach people who will help you build your business, and then follow it.  Choose organizations, trade shows, conferences and social groups where the people you need to meet gather.  Look for places both online and off where you can build relationships with the people you need to meet.

I’d be happy to brainstorm with you and help you set your strategy.  Mention this blog post and get a special networking strategy session for $97.

For more on networking read my most recent articles in Connect , and Rejuvenate.  Also read my related articles and  go to my website to request my free e-book Connecting Your Way To New Business.

Related articles

• Pre-event Preparations for Networking Success (smartsalestips.com)

We have all been asked a million times, “What do you do?”  How do you answer the question?  Do you launch into a long winded explanation, or do you say something boring like, “I’m in sales at ABC Company.”  Your answer can make or break the conversation. It can help you engage or repel the person you are talking to,  and yet, so many people spend little or no time determining what to say and actually practicing it.

My initial response used to be: “I’m a sales consultant and what I do is work with  senior management to do a gap analysis and figure out what they need to do to get them from where they are  to where they want to be. ”  I have watched eyes glaze over and hear the word, “Oh” come out of their mouth.  I was stuck there.  When they said “Oh” I would immediately ask, “What do you do?” and switch the attention to them.

It took time, but I worked on a (short) interesting answer that prompted, “How do you do that?”  I finally ended up with, “I help companies increase sales.”  When they ask how I do that, I have a few short stories prepared that I can tell, or if it’s the appropriate situation I’ll offer examples for their own company. If the situation allows, feel empowered to tailor to the person you are speaking to.

• Your goal: to engage the people you are conversing with and prompt more interest. Once you reach that point, you can give your “elevator pitch.”

The idea of an “elevator pitch” is that if you had a one minute elevator ride and someone asked you, “What do you do?” you could tell them in that time a way that catches their interest. I suggest having a couple different lengths, as sometimes 30 seconds is all you have. Here are some examples:

• Instead of, “I’m a Realtor and I am looking for anyone who wants to buy a home.”   This doesn’t help you stand out and it’s not engaging,  you are one of thousands. But if you said, “I help first time home buyers find their dream home.  I specialize in homes under $200,000 in the Reno area, and I would love to meet people you know that are looking for their first home.” Not only would people be more engaged, they would know exactly what kind of lead to send your way and might even know someone who fits your description.
• Instead of , “I’m a tax accountant.”  Say something like, “I like to help business owners keep their money in their pockets.  I specialize in preparing taxes for companies with revenues under $10 million and I am looking for business owners who believe they should be paying less to the IRS.”

Those sentences convey clearly what you do and who you do it for.  It tells the listener an idea of who to refer to you, all in 15 seconds.  If needed you could probably add 2 or 3 more sentences.  I recommend brainstorming some things you can say, write them down, rework them and then practice saying them until it becomes second nature. Then practice, practice, practice.

Need help crafting your answer to “What do you do”?  Call me for a special session for only $97,  if you mention this blog post.

For more on networking, read my most recent article in Connect and my related articles or go to my website and request my free e-book Connecting Your Way To New Business.

RELATED ARTICLES

• Working the Room: Network for Success (smartsalestips.com)
• Networking is not Selling (smartsalestips.com)

Networking is one of the easiest and most effective ways to generate leads and increase sales.  This being said,  I often hear people say they attend a lot of networking events but don‘t get any business from them.   I then ask them a series of questions:

• How do you choose which events to attend?
• What do you do at these events?
• What do you do after the event?

Through my training, I teach my clients how to approach people by asking questions instead of walking up and trying to sell.   I  teach them what to say in 30 seconds that tells people what they do.  I also teach them to ask directly for the type of business they want, and most importantly, what to do after an event.

The biggest problem seems to be follow up.  They rarely do what it would take to turn those contacts into business.  In last week’s article,  “Working the Room – Network for Success”,  I showed you four simple steps to turn a networking event from social hour into a successful evening of  new sales and business partners.  Now let’s talk about what to do after the event:

• What do I do after the event

Immediately enter the business cards you collected into your database.

Be sure to add any notes you made on the cards during the event. I always add the name of the event and the date so I can remember where we met.  If you don’t enter them in your database throw them out!  Yes, it is okay to throw out a business card.  If you’re not sure, band the cards from a specific event together, and if you don’t touch them in a month or two, toss them.  If I send an email or a card,  I make a note of that also.

•  If you say, “Let’s get together for coffee or lunch,” then make that happen.

It shouldn’t be something you just say to make conversation. You need to call, email or connect on social media after the event to set it up. A handwritten note is also a nice touch.  You should send it within 48 hours after the event.

•  Decide how you plan to keep in contact on a regular basis.

Once you have made the connection, interact with them. Read their posts and comment. Watch the media for the people you are interested in. If you see an article about them, clip it and send it to them with a note about doing business together. If you read an article that would interest them, send it.  If they are not a potential customer build a relationship that could lead to referrals or a potential collaboration by referring people to them. If they are a potential customer, learn as much as you can about their business and the ways you might help them.

Everyone can learn to network. Salespeople and entrepreneurs need to become expert at it.   Develop your networking strategy. Choose carefully the events you attend and follow your strategy to turn all the time, money and effort spent  networking  into business.

For more on networking read my most recent article in Connect and my related articles or go to my website and request my free e-book Connecting Your Way To New Business.

Related articles

• Working the Room: Network for Success (smartsalestips.com)
• Networking is not Selling (smartsalestips.com)