Networking with an Intention to Help - Gaby Awad

Gaby Awad - “Buying Customers”

Episode: Networking with an Intention to Help

Introduction

My name is Gaby Awad AKA The Coach on Wheels (you have to watch my YouTube channel to know why 😉), and I am your host for the BUYING CUSTOMERS radio show 🔥🔥🔥

It would be awesome if I could hear from you in real time during the show. If you’re listening live or to one of the recordings, you can always connect and interact with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter at IBGRNetwork.

I would like to ask you to take a piece of paper and split it into half. On the left write the last 3 POSITIVE Networking Events you attended recently… everything that comes to mind… On the write the Last 3 NEGATIVE Networking Events you attended recently… you know someone who’s dull or boring and the first half for someone who’s interesting. Right down all the characteristics or aspects of these persons.

What did you come up with?

Networking and connecting has a secret power. But fist let’s list the biggest networking mistakes or pitfalls:

• I know all the people at the event – they won’t buy…
• The event does not fit my target market…
• I don’t need networking – I have a lot of connections…
• I have better things to do then networking…
• It is not an effective lead generation technique…

The TRUTH is:
 

• Anyone you meet is a connection
• Don’t prejudge others
• Have an open mind… (Open Mind = Open Wallet)

Harvesting the connection power of MANY

As Jeffrey Gitomer says: “Put yourself in front of people who can say yes to you….”

• Join organizations and invest time in attending
• Don’t just join, participate and lead
• It takes time… 
• Be ready to invest time and money… it is imperative if you want to make powerful connections
• The more you give, the more you build friends and connections, the more you will earn

 
The Power of Friendliness

Bob Burg said: “All things being equal, people will do business with, and refer business to, those people they know, like, and trust”

To be better at “Friendly” you have to exercise the friendliness muscles:

• Make it intentional today to SMILE to 10 people
• Have a weekly call list and put reminders to call those people you  would like to improve relationships with
• If you lost a client, call them after 6 months for no reason.
• Do random acts of kindness.

The universal truth to connecting: “ What you say to others is a reflection of who they think you are” While you are speaking they are deciding who you are, and whether they like you and they want to take the next step with you.

WOW them to close them

During a networking event, meeting, or social activity, it takes creativity and action for people to memorize you. Personalize the event to improve your WOW factor…

They become walking billboards… Raving fans… They will do the selling for you

WOW = Word of mouth advertising = Repeat business

Networking does not end after the event itself but should be nurtured along the way

Staying in touch is very important so they will remember you tomorrow when life happens. The key is to provide information that others perceive as valuable. 

As yourself these questions:

1. How much are my existing customers worth, and what am I willing to invest to keep them and keep my competition from stealing them?
2. How much is a new customer worth, and how am I staying in front of them after the pitch, presentation, or sale?
3. How am I differentiating myself from my competition? Would sending them regular emails help me?
4. How am I staying in front of my customers with a value message?
5. How professional do I want my communication to be and look like?
6. How important is it for me to be in front of my customers, and how am I doing that now?

In summary: communicate VALUE to every person every week.

RAPPORT Building

• Spend couple of minutes to find something in common besides business
• Building rapport should be subtle
• People are likely to buy from a friend than from a salesman
• Create a dialogue so they can reveal themselves
• Don’t sell anything before they talk about themselves
• Find mutual interest
• Look for clues…
• Ask open-ended questions and engage
• The objective is for them to REVEAL

People love to talk about themselves. But remember, the ask is not for them to just talk. The objective is for them to REVEAL.

Make a friend before you make a sale so that they like you then they believe in you then they trust you, connect with you before they buy from you.

How to turn contacts into RELATIONSHIPS? 

1. Figure out who they are and what they want
2. Determine your compatibility with them
3. Find out how you can help them get what they want
4. Begin a dialogue on a regular basis that has information they can use
5. Try to learn more about them as time progresses
6. Realize and be aware that people reveal their true selves over time
7. Pay close attention to signs, and follow your instincts
8. Do what you say you’ll do…  and
9. Make sure they know your needs and desires only AFTER you know theirs (before you can take, you have to give!)

The Law and Secrets of Attraction

1. Gather your value and valuable information and commit to it in writing
2. List places where you could appear in person, web, blog, print, seminars, webinars, etc.
3. Expose yourself on all fronts…
4. Once exposure begins, your attraction seeds are planted
5. Your response is based on how well you water and maintain your garden…

If you have VALUE to offer, people will connect directly to you. You don’t have to wait for the 6th connection.

1. Make a list of 5 people you would like to connect with
2. Next to each person put one person you’re certain can make that connect happen
3. Make your value proposition then make 5 phone calls

Networking is a skill that can be developed. With reading, training and coaching, people can improve their networking skills, increase their connections and become part of the roughly 29 percent of people that are, in fact, separated from the rest of the world by only six degrees.

Nurturing of connections comes from networking. It is pure spring water. To be successful at networking, go where your prospects would go, or are likely to be. 

You might say “I know now the importance of networking but I don’t know where to start networking in.”

Make a list of the places to network. Find the link to these places to deepen the connection; you know passion, places you’ve been to, places you grew up in, etc.

1. Business Events
2. Business Organizations
3. Civic Organizations
4. Trade Associations
5. Cultural Events
6. Charity / Community Volunteering
7. Private Clubs
8. Lunch and Outings
9. Health Club / Gym
10. Parent of your children friends
11. Meals with prospects

Go where your prospects and customers go or are likely to be found.

Building your Circle of Influence and Multiplying Your Connection Power
 
Everyone has a circle of friends… Make a list of 25 people you can call on or they call on you in times of need. Send an email to everyone on your list. Introduce yourself and them to each other. Tell them that you’ll be emailing them from time to time. Tell them you’ll be asking for ongoing help as a process of building this alliance. Then encourage others to add their 25 people to the list. You’ll end up with a close network of 625 powerful people… 600 of them you don’t know! Is that powerful or what?

It is estimated that 74% of sales are made because of friendship.

Friends don’t need to sell friends using sales techniques. Competition is virtually eliminated.

We all fear networking… We fear it because we are not prepared. To be more prepared:

• List the best places to network in
• Review your 30 seconds commercial or elevator speech
• Establish and build rapport
• Wear best for the occasion and feel good in your cloth
• Follow through to build long-term relationships

Preparation is step zero. While preparing try to answer the following:

• What are you happy to achieve?
• How much time are you willing to dedicate?
• Do you have a list of targets that you are hoping to connect with?
• What’s been your networking experience up till now?
• What’s your risk tolerance?
• What level of person are you seeking to meet?
• Where does that level of person network right now?

Don’t just attend. Get involved and lead. The big picture is to engage, gain interest, and determine what might be next.

NOW you have their attention and you’ve earned the opportunity to ask your POWER Questions:

1. How many employees do you have?
2. How much vacation time do you give them?
3. How do you ensure that the level of service isn’t reduced for your customers during these vacations?
4. How do you cater for high demand in your business?

Ask a series of powerful questions to give them the impression you want to help them – they will provide you with valuable information.

• How many people didn’t make their sales goals last year?
• Why didn’t they make it?
• What are you going to do about it?
• Would you like to meet over a cup of coffee to discuss?

Now we are ready for the POWER STATEMENT

A power statement is a statement that makes your product or service OUTSTANDING, UNDERSTANDABLE, CREDIBLE, INCREDIBLE, and BUYABLE.

Formulated into a phrase about how YOU HELP THEM.

Don’t sell sales training… sell increased revenue, loyal customers, and higher profits.

Don’t sell cars… sell the luxury, prestige, ease of maintenance, and status they’ll have when driving it.

Don’t sell insurance… sell security and peace of mind for them and their family.

Don’t sell SEO… sell websites that are flooded with qualified visitors and qualified leads.

Your prospects don't care what you do unless it impacts them, benefits them, and is relatable to their business.

After spending a couple of minutes connecting, your mindset should immediately switch to a HELPING frame of mind, not selling. The net result of networking is that you make hundreds of friends by helping them. Friends that one day may turn into business. The world will pay you back ten times.

After networking is over one should not forget following through. Not follow up! Follow up suggests prodding and nagging! Follow through suggest you are taking the next step in developing a relationship. 

Follow through is the beginning of the relationship. The email follow through should get past the “thank you” and “nice to have met you” quickly and get right to the NEED your prospect revealed and the IDEA you provided to meet that need.

End the email with a call to action: give me a call, download the book, watch this video I made for you, tell me what you think, etc.

Keep the message light, personal, funny, and centered on their specific needs and your specific ideas to help.

Remember the importance of working ON the business and not just IN it. Well being prepared for all possible places and scenarios is a time well spent working ON the business.

Woody Allen said: “90% of success is just SHOWING UP” and Jeffrey Gitomer said: “90% of life success is showing up PREPARED

Let’s conclude this with an action plan to improve your networking power:

1. Put a plan for networking…
2. Ask yourself what you love to do and with whom
3. List all places you can put yourself in front of people who can say yes to you
4. Participate, don't just attend. Lead if you can…
5. Review and add to your arsenal of power question to ask
6. Remember to build rapport before… 
7. Rehearse your commercial / elevator speech / presentation
8. Prepare the follow through script / email / process / valuable ideas to answer their needs
9. Book in your default diary enough time to make it intentional to go out and network or to help 
10. Network as you breathe because success depends on you showing up… prepared… with the intention to help!

 
Written by Gaby Awad 
As a Business and Executive Coach, Gaby helps business owners, leaders, and teams grow and achieve their goals through alignment, business re-education, coaching, and mentoring. He has more than 25 years of experience in executive positions and transforming businesses. Currently he is the Franchise Owner of ActionCOACH in Lebanon and in this position he also coaches Business Owners, CEOs and other top level executives. Gaby hold international accreditations as certified coach from ActionCOACH, Marshall Goldsmith, The John Maxwell Team, and Jeffrey Gitomer Sales Academy. Gaby is also the founder of Good Session Coaching,  an online learning platform for executives and business professionals where leaders can go through self-paced learning.

You can connect with Gaby on any of his seriously social platforms
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Send an email: gabyawad@actioncoach.com

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