Monday, 29 June 2009
Thursday, 18 June 2009
Wednesday, 17 June 2009
Pest or Persistent? Following-Up in a professional manner
Following up on from my series of blogs entitled ‘7 reasons to make the follow-up call’ I’ve been grateful to receive several questions relating to how to follow up without becoming a pest.
I’ve given it some thought and now share my insights with you.
Like most things we do, in life ‘it’s all in the planning’. I always recommend ‘asking permission’ when developing relationships, when asking questions to uncover opportunities, when setting appointments and also when following-up. When I say this, I don’t mean that you continually ask permission, but choose your moment and gain consent for the future actions which are of importance to you.
Simply try “Do you mind if I ask you...?” or “Do you mind my asking...?” which has the effect of softening your enquiry and framing it in a less direct manner.
Networking is not the appropriate environment to sell. (Please don’t do it!) Only sell yourself, not your products or services. Imagine, you could be half way through your pitch and something going on in the room could distract your prospect, a colleague could walk over, a friend may be spotted from across the room or another random guest may simply interrupt you, then your flow is broken, the pitch rendered ineffective and null and you’ve lost your moment.
Setting an ‘Appointment’ for the follow-up call is another permission step. When you exchange business cards, this is often the time to ask permission to make your follow-up call.
“How would you feel if I phoned you next week, to continue our chat and see how we may be able to help each other ?” (note ‘chat and help’ not ‘meet and sell’)
I normally ask this question whilst simultaneously nodding my head slightly, which more often than not illicits a positive response, automatically.
If I follow-up and they say they can’t chat or meet right now, I simply gain permission for making another follow-up call to set a date to meet...
“Would it be OK if I called you at a more convenient time?” “May I contact you again in a few days to see if we can...?”
If this continues unsuccessfully, for a sustained period, I do ask, quite pointedly, though courteously, if they wish me to continue with my pursuit of the relationship. There’s no point in either wasting your time or theirs. This is about business after all.
In a recent email to a senior business development manager within a large firm I popped in the following after my opening, warm paragraph
...“I have left a number of messages on your mobile and landline, along with a couple of emails, but have, as yet, received no reply and I am concerned that I may turn from being professionally persistent into being perceived as a pest, which is certainly not my intention.
I would, therefore, be most grateful if you would reply to me, simply cutting and pasting one of the following comments into the subject line of the return email:
1. I am still interested Mark, please do call me.
2. I am still interested Mark. Please call in two months.
3. Thank you Mark, however (company name) is no longer interested in
Networking Skills Training...”
So, if you want a clear answer, I advocate asking a direct question. I often find the guilt factor secures the next step.
You’ve nothing to lose, anyway, since you have nothing in your grasp at this time!
After another rather prolonged and unsuccessful round playing telephone tag with a prospect, to secure a response, I tried...
“Forgive me if my interpretation is incorrect, but I was of the impression, after we met, that we got on well, you recognised an opportunity for me to help you positively resolve a current challenge within your business and that you were keen to meet with me so that we could continue our chat and see how we may be able to move forward together. Would you still like to pursue our discussion?
So in essence, I advocate that you pursue your prospect, persistently, until such time as you wish to draw a line in the sand.
Only you will be able to determine when it’s right for you to do this.
For me it will depend on the size of the potential opportunity.
If I feel like I’m getting nowhere, and wish to take a softly, softly approach, sometimes I simply desist and ask permission to stay in touch over the next few months and to keep my prospect up to date with news and opportunities. This, at least, keeps me on the substitution bench in-case things change; as they so often do in business.
It’s often good to remember that networking should be treated like Fly-Fishing not Harpooning !
Be Brave! Be Confident! but most of all Be Persistent.
It’s often at the 5th or 6th contact point that prospect move to the next stage.
I wish you happy and successful networking
For more information on improving your Networking Skills follow the link to The Guru Garage
I’ve given it some thought and now share my insights with you.
Like most things we do, in life ‘it’s all in the planning’. I always recommend ‘asking permission’ when developing relationships, when asking questions to uncover opportunities, when setting appointments and also when following-up. When I say this, I don’t mean that you continually ask permission, but choose your moment and gain consent for the future actions which are of importance to you.
Simply try “Do you mind if I ask you...?” or “Do you mind my asking...?” which has the effect of softening your enquiry and framing it in a less direct manner.
Networking is not the appropriate environment to sell. (Please don’t do it!) Only sell yourself, not your products or services. Imagine, you could be half way through your pitch and something going on in the room could distract your prospect, a colleague could walk over, a friend may be spotted from across the room or another random guest may simply interrupt you, then your flow is broken, the pitch rendered ineffective and null and you’ve lost your moment.
Setting an ‘Appointment’ for the follow-up call is another permission step. When you exchange business cards, this is often the time to ask permission to make your follow-up call.
“How would you feel if I phoned you next week, to continue our chat and see how we may be able to help each other ?” (note ‘chat and help’ not ‘meet and sell’)
I normally ask this question whilst simultaneously nodding my head slightly, which more often than not illicits a positive response, automatically.
If I follow-up and they say they can’t chat or meet right now, I simply gain permission for making another follow-up call to set a date to meet...
“Would it be OK if I called you at a more convenient time?” “May I contact you again in a few days to see if we can...?”
If this continues unsuccessfully, for a sustained period, I do ask, quite pointedly, though courteously, if they wish me to continue with my pursuit of the relationship. There’s no point in either wasting your time or theirs. This is about business after all.
In a recent email to a senior business development manager within a large firm I popped in the following after my opening, warm paragraph
...“I have left a number of messages on your mobile and landline, along with a couple of emails, but have, as yet, received no reply and I am concerned that I may turn from being professionally persistent into being perceived as a pest, which is certainly not my intention.
I would, therefore, be most grateful if you would reply to me, simply cutting and pasting one of the following comments into the subject line of the return email:
1. I am still interested Mark, please do call me.
2. I am still interested Mark. Please call in two months.
3. Thank you Mark, however (company name) is no longer interested in
Networking Skills Training...”
So, if you want a clear answer, I advocate asking a direct question. I often find the guilt factor secures the next step.
You’ve nothing to lose, anyway, since you have nothing in your grasp at this time!
After another rather prolonged and unsuccessful round playing telephone tag with a prospect, to secure a response, I tried...
“Forgive me if my interpretation is incorrect, but I was of the impression, after we met, that we got on well, you recognised an opportunity for me to help you positively resolve a current challenge within your business and that you were keen to meet with me so that we could continue our chat and see how we may be able to move forward together. Would you still like to pursue our discussion?
So in essence, I advocate that you pursue your prospect, persistently, until such time as you wish to draw a line in the sand.
Only you will be able to determine when it’s right for you to do this.
For me it will depend on the size of the potential opportunity.
If I feel like I’m getting nowhere, and wish to take a softly, softly approach, sometimes I simply desist and ask permission to stay in touch over the next few months and to keep my prospect up to date with news and opportunities. This, at least, keeps me on the substitution bench in-case things change; as they so often do in business.
It’s often good to remember that networking should be treated like Fly-Fishing not Harpooning !
Be Brave! Be Confident! but most of all Be Persistent.
It’s often at the 5th or 6th contact point that prospect move to the next stage.
I wish you happy and successful networking
Sign up to this blog for regular motivation and useful networking tips.
For more information on improving your Networking Skills follow the link to The Guru Garage
Mark Perl is a leading expert on the subject of Business Networking. He specialises in SME’s, business networking for solicitors, along with CPD training for the legal profession
Tuesday, 16 June 2009
Friday, 12 June 2009
Social Media - the new paradigm. Got it yet ?
Online networking is rapidly emerging, worldwide, as the new business arena. The only impediment to its growth is the speed at which the 35 year olds, and over, incorporate it as a normal and non-negotiable part of their work-life. Those slow to embrace it, or reticent to accept random contacts and engage in conversations on the topics in which they specialise will be overtaken by those building their reputations and their presence online. The challenge for many will be to recognise and accept this social media revolution, to get to grips with the ethos and ultimately to lead the conversations in our individual spheres of expertise where we can offer best help and guidance to our audience. Those remaining in the old corporate paradigm and who wish to remain exclusive, removed and invisible will wither on the vine as a new and dynamic generation of business people spread their contact base in global context, unlocking abundant opportunities to create new relationships which, in their turn, and in time, will lead to new business. These linkages will remain out of the reach of mere spectators. As I specialist trainer, helping business people to improve their face to face networking skills, I believe that we will always need to sharpen our interpersonal skills to help people create good first impressions, be able to engage in the small talk that leads to big business and to ask the probing business questions which illuminate operational problems (which our services or products can solve) along with a host of other competencies to unlock the full potential that business networking promises, and this online forum for brand development, for both companies and individuals, has simply expanded to incorporate the world wide web. I find it to be an exciting time and certainly one of the most rapid periods of change I have ever experienced. Having taken the time to understand social media, I thrive on the opportunities it represents. I encourage all those who still have good mileage left in their tyres to do the same...
Mark Perl is a leading expert on the subject of Business Networking. He specialises in SME’s, business networking for solicitors, along with CPD training for the legal profession
Mark Perl is a leading expert on the subject of Business Networking. He specialises in SME’s, business networking for solicitors, along with CPD training for the legal profession
Wednesday, 10 June 2009
Sunday, 7 June 2009
Friday, 5 June 2009
Wednesday, 3 June 2009
Monday, 1 June 2009
Humbled by a great response from the delegates over the weekend. If anyone needs competent facilitation see me on http://ping.fm/XSlxA
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