Selling Through, Not Selling To

We live in a world where it is all about who you know, and even more so who knows you. The way we do business is changing, buyers are getting savvier and competition is increasing and the only way to stay ahead is to be continually innovating and building better business relationships.

The success of our business is directly determined by the relationships we have with our clients, alliances and business associates. People want personalised service and to have relationships with those they do business with.

This is one of the fundamental reasons why networking is fast becoming one of the most successful means to growing your business. It opens a world of opportunity giving you the chance to meet different contacts that you would not ordinarily meet, talk face to face, build rapport and establish mutually business relationships.

It is estimated that the average person knows about 250 people. And each of those people knows, in turn, another 250 people and so on. So don’t look to sell to people, look to sell through people. See the long term mutually beneficial business relationships you can develop. See the collective group, databases and potential contacts, not just a once off sale.

The best networkers understand that Networking is not about making a quick sale on the day. They do not view networking as an opportunity to make quick sales, instead they see networking as an investment and an opportunity to meet people, which pays off as relationships develop. Networking is all about building relationships and rapport. Savvy networkers know this and look to establish relationships first.

When networking, don’t treat people as contacts, remember people will do business with people they know, like and trust. Too many people turn up to networking events expecting to make sales, and believe that they are entitled to be given referrals, contacts and ideas from people who they have just met. This is one of the biggest misconceptions of networking, expectin something for nothing. Instead we must first establish rapport, build relationships and give in return.

The next time you are networking take the time to build rapport and focus on building relationships while it takes time in the short term, the long term rewards are far greater!