Comments on: Networking and prospecting are not the same http://www.effortlessnetworking.com/2008/04/26/prospecting-for-business/ Everyday Wisdom to Transform Your Business and Life Mon, 06 Oct 2008 21:15:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.1 by: Sri http://www.effortlessnetworking.com/2008/04/26/prospecting-for-business/#comment-12949 Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:23:17 +0000 http://www.effortlessnetworking.com/2008/04/26/prospecting-for-business/#comment-12949 Great comments! I think different analogies and different ways to explain the same thing goes a long way to clearing up a misconception that's so widespread. So thanks for sharing. -- Sri Great comments! I think different analogies and different ways to explain the same thing goes a long way to clearing up a misconception that’s so widespread. So thanks for sharing.
– Sri

]]> by: Joe McBride http://www.effortlessnetworking.com/2008/04/26/prospecting-for-business/#comment-12939 Wed, 30 Apr 2008 03:48:17 +0000 http://www.effortlessnetworking.com/2008/04/26/prospecting-for-business/#comment-12939 Sri: I use this analogy when I train. "I'm going to describe a business activity. Tell me what you are doing when you do what I describe. "There is a new building you have never canvased before. You get out of your car armed with brochures and business cards. You go from office to office finding out if anyone needs the product or service you offer. What do you call that?" Someone always says "Making cold calls." Then I continue: "O.K., how is it any different when you go to business after hours or other event, arm yourself with business cards and brochures, and then begin to talk to people to find out whether or not they have any need for your product or service?" Cold calling is a prospecting tool, and when we go to a networking event and make cold calls, we might in fact occasionally find a prospect. However, when we do that we pretty much lose any chance we have of actually NETWORKING. Networking starts with building relationships, and most people would not put cold calling high on their list of relationship building activities. Don’t go to a networking event and make cold calls. Joe McBride Sri:

I use this analogy when I train.

“I’m going to describe a business activity. Tell me what you are doing when you do what I describe.

“There is a new building you have never canvased before. You get out of your car armed with brochures and business cards. You go from office to office finding out if anyone needs the product or service you offer. What do you call that?”

Someone always says “Making cold calls.”

Then I continue:

“O.K., how is it any different when you go to business after hours or other event, arm yourself with business cards and brochures, and then begin to talk to people to find out whether or not they have any need for your product or service?”

Cold calling is a prospecting tool, and when we go to a networking event and make cold calls, we might in fact occasionally find a prospect. However, when we do that we pretty much lose any chance we have of actually NETWORKING. Networking starts with building relationships, and most people would not put cold calling high on their list of relationship building activities.

Don’t go to a networking event and make cold calls.

Joe McBride

]]> by: Alice http://www.effortlessnetworking.com/2008/04/26/prospecting-for-business/#comment-12931 Tue, 29 Apr 2008 23:26:52 +0000 http://www.effortlessnetworking.com/2008/04/26/prospecting-for-business/#comment-12931 Hi Sri: To me networking is going to events and connecting with people, finding out their interest and introducing your profession or business. They may not need your service but knows someone who may need your service. Prospecting is getting a list of numbers as in real estate and contacting homeowners to find out if they are interested in selling their homes. Hi Sri:

To me networking is going to events and connecting with people, finding out their interest and introducing your profession or business. They may not need your service but knows someone who may need your service. Prospecting is getting a list of numbers as in real estate and contacting homeowners to find out if they are interested in selling their homes.

]]> by: Laura Orsini http://www.effortlessnetworking.com/2008/04/26/prospecting-for-business/#comment-12878 Sun, 27 Apr 2008 14:59:29 +0000 http://www.effortlessnetworking.com/2008/04/26/prospecting-for-business/#comment-12878 I agree - networking is NOT prospecting. Your network is the collection of people you know. Networking, then, is the practice of adding to that collection...by meeting people, creating relationships with them, and eventually referring to and receiving referrals from them. Any good salesperson (and we are ALL in sales, regardless of our business) recognizes a prospect when he/she meets them. But that could happen anyplace at any time (in line at the movies on a Saturday night, in a conversation with your dental hygienist, or at a networking event). To go to a networking event in SEARCH of prospects, however, seems to entirely miss the point. Like I've heard said before, you wouldn't agree to marry someone after the first date, would you? Neither does it make sense to view a networking meeting - the chance to make INITIAL connections - a fertile ground for prospecting. If you need a big motivator to feel successful about your networking, I would say a better one is to attend networking events in search of JV partners...people with whom you can form alliances, create projects, and achieve goals you could not accomplish on your own. But even these can happen only after you stop, take a deep breath, introduce yourself, ask questions about the other(s) that go deeper than "What do you do?" and start creating new relationships. I agree - networking is NOT prospecting. Your network is the collection of people you know. Networking, then, is the practice of adding to that collection…by meeting people, creating relationships with them, and eventually referring to and receiving referrals from them. Any good salesperson (and we are ALL in sales, regardless of our business) recognizes a prospect when he/she meets them. But that could happen anyplace at any time (in line at the movies on a Saturday night, in a conversation with your dental hygienist, or at a networking event).

To go to a networking event in SEARCH of prospects, however, seems to entirely miss the point. Like I’ve heard said before, you wouldn’t agree to marry someone after the first date, would you? Neither does it make sense to view a networking meeting - the chance to make INITIAL connections - a fertile ground for prospecting.

If you need a big motivator to feel successful about your networking, I would say a better one is to attend networking events in search of JV partners…people with whom you can form alliances, create projects, and achieve goals you could not accomplish on your own. But even these can happen only after you stop, take a deep breath, introduce yourself, ask questions about the other(s) that go deeper than “What do you do?” and start creating new relationships.

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