Crux Quick Tip (CQT) #30: Get Outside Your Comfort Zone
CQT #30: Get outside your comfort zone by stepping into someone else’s world.
Comfort Zones
Comfort zones are comfortable. They are where we operate on a daily basis. There is familiarity. Familiarity is predictable. For example, if you are a real estate broker, joining industry organizations, or the local Chamber of Commerce, or networking with attorneys and other professionals, or attending general networking events are likely some of the things you do to meet new people. But remember: everyone is doing that! Your competitors are wise to these methods as well. So—step out of your comfort zone and into someone else’s world.
Stepping Out and Stepping In
Stepping out of your comfort zone from a sales and marketing perspective is easy. Just identify another world that fascinates you and research ways to step into it. An example here would be helpful: My other world is the music industry. For many years part of my practice was entertainment law, and I have also managed musical artists over the years. As such, I became a member of The Recording Academy, which hosts the Grammy Awards. For years now, I have attending the Grammys (included this year) and have met people from around the world through my participation in Recording Academy events. These contacts have provided a brand new sub-set of contacts for me, some of which have yielded excellent business in my core areas of practice. This is a completely different world for me. It is an exciting world with exciting people. I am way out of my comfort zone, but I like it!
Be Creative
When considering another world, be creative. Think about those things you are intrigued by. Are you passionate about something? Have you always wanted to try something, but never made the time? Do you know someone in another world that can be your guide? These are just some of the questions you can ask yourself to help step into someone else’s world, and radically grow your base of contacts.
J.B.
Read MoreCrux Quick Tip (CQT) #29: Go Shopping In Your Desk
CQT #29: Go through all the old business cards you have been collecting and re-establish old friendships.
You might have heard the saying that when people gain weight, then lose that weight, they can go shopping in their closet, finding clothes they haven’t worn in a while. Well, in the same way, we can go shopping in our desks, finding old contacts who, frankly, for one reason or another, have been out of mind for a long time. If you have been in business for a while, chances are there are more than a few old business cards hidden away in your desk that you have collected over the years. These people are potential business sources for you, either directly or indirectly. Either way, there is no harm in going through your old business cards and other contact information to remind yourself of their names and potential for new business.
How to Be Efficient
First gather all the business cards that are hiding in the bottom drawer of your desk! Take some time on a weekend to go through each and every card. Create three main categories: Prospects, Referral Sources, and Other (i.e., someone who has retired, someone whose name you don’t even recognize after all the time that has past, etc.). Take each business card and make a decision: which category does that person fall into? Put the business card in appropriate pile. Then move onto another card. And so on. Take the business cards that are in the Other category and put them back in the bottom drawer of your desk, for you will have plenty to work with in the other two categories.
Prioritizing
After you go through all your information, go through each stack of information and start prioritizing. Make decisions as to those people you feel are worth contacting before anyone else. Set those aside. Then try to order the others in a manner which can guide you as you start reaching out to the rest of the people. For those individuals in the first group, take some time to verify their current company and position, using LinkedIn or another online resource. You can also do this with the second group if you choose.
The Communication
Communicating with people you haven’t talked to in a while need not be as uncomfortable as it may seem. First, use email, as it will take pressure off both you and the other person since you haven’t spoken in a while. Be very straightforward with them. Tell them that you had been going through some of your contact information and realized you haven’t talked in a long time, and thought you would try reaching out to see how they are doing. Keep it short. There will be a fair number of people who will not respond to you, and some of the information you have may not be up to date. But an email costs nothing other than your time, which you are investing in your career.
Hopefully, this CQT will re-establish some old friendships which can lead to business you never expected!
J.B.
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Crux Quick Tip (CQT) #28: Have Direct Conversations with Referral Sources
CQT #28: Have a direct conversation with any referral source to whom you have provided value, but who has not returned the favor.
Lack of Reciprocation
Do you have anyone in your network to whom you have provided an introduction to a potential client, customer, or donor, but from whom you have not received any business value whatsoever? Do you have more than one person in your network that fits this description? If so, you are not alone. If you are actively providing value to people (i.e., going out of your way to make their business success greater), then chances are that there are a few people who have not yet returned the favor. You need to take a step back and decide if you should sit down with them and discuss the wherewithal of such a person(s) to remain top of mind with you.
To Have the “Direct Conversation” or Not
If someone has not reciprocated yet, there could be many good reasons for this. The most likely and understandable is that such person is, in fact, looking for opportunities for you, but they simply have not yet materialized. You are top of mind with them, but no opportunity has arisen. Notwithstanding that fact, the person continues to actively look for opportunities. With this sort of person, either you know this is the case already or not. If you already know this, then there is no need to have the Direct Conversation. If you don’t know this is the case, then you should have the Direct Conversation.
The Substance of the “Direct Conversation”
The Direct Conversation need not be that direct. The idea is to have a conversation on the relationship between you and the other person. Start by saying that you value the relationship, and are very much looking forward to growing it in the future. State that your goal is to make sure you are on the same page regarding finding opportunities for each other, so as to maximize your mutual success. Tell the other person about the efforts you continue to make on his or her behalf. If the other person does not automatically start describing the actions he or she is taking on a regular basis to find opportunities for you, then ask him or her directly to do so, because perhaps there is something you can do to assist them in finding opportunities for you. Keep the conversation friendly, upbeat, and non-confrontational. You are not there to give the impression that you are unhappy with how things are going. You want to communicate that you are a person of action, and want to insure that there is mutual value being exchanged in the relationship.
Results of the Direct Conversation
If you are satisfied that the other person is really committed to helping you build your business, then there is no need for further action. If you do not get the feeling that he or she is truly committed to helping you, then do not rule out providing value to that person, but you do need to take a hard look at other potential people within your network to perhaps help first. After all, if there are others within your network who are actively looking for opportunities for you, why wouldn’t you try to help them before someone who has essentially said you are not top of mind or someone who, as it turns out, has a very low likelihood of ever providing you value? Be reasonable. Use the Direct Conversation to insure that you fully know the members on your business development team. No matter what happens, the other person to the Direct Conversation will have a much higher level of sensitivity to what you are looking for in the relationship. This can only work to your advantage. The more top of mind you are to that person, the greater chance of an opportunity arising for you!
J.B.
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Crux Quick Tip (CQT) #27: Focus on Your Existing Network
CQT #27: Focus more on your existing network to generate referrals.
Your Existing Network
If you have been actively out in the marketplace meeting people and developing relationships with referral sources, then you likely have a decent number of people in your existing network. Do not ignore these existing valuable assets. Oftentimes what some people do is get into a mindset of thinking they need to populate their personal networks with an unlimited number of people, running around from networking event to networking event, almost without purpose or direction, other than to collect business cards. In a way, such “activity” becomes their business development model. But they forget that the only business development model that works is one that converts good contacts into real business. Focus more on people within your existing network to accomplish this necessary conversion.
How to Focus More on an Existing Network
The first thing to do is make sure you have a good list of your existing network of contacts, with up-to-date contact information. Then go through your list, creating categories of contacts, including the following: (a) those who have already referred you business (Category A), (b) those who you believe have the greatest potential (i.e., have the best personal networks) to refer you business (Category B), and (c) those who do not fall into one of the first two categories (Category C). Focus first on those people in category A. Make sure you are actively staying in contact with these people, via email, a phone call, or over a good meal. And make sure that you are providing value to them. Providing value is, with respect to Category As, not only fair (given their prior referral(s) to you), but it is the best way to insure you are top of mind with them. After you have focused on Category A, do the same for Categories B and C.
Not Mutually Exclusive with Making New Contacts
For the purpose of clarity, CQT #27 is not intended to mean that you should not continue to make new contacts through networking events or otherwise. Of course, continue to do so if there are good opportunities to garner more great contacts for your personal network. The idea here is more one of focus than anything else. Time and financial resources are indeed limited so make wise use of them. Have a heightened level of focus on the assets you already have (i.e., your existing network). You already have a lot of time and other resources invested in these assets. Maximize your return from them!
J.B.
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Crux Quick Tip (CQT) #26: Make it Easy: Ask for 1 Referral
CQT #26: Make it easy for your referral sources to help you: Simply ask for 1 introduction.
Making it Easy
When we make things easier for people, they tend to be more willing to help us. This is true in many situations, including the context of asking for referrals. It can be overwhelming and inefficient to proffer open-ended requests for help to our network of referral sources. People are busy. If they think that helping us is going to take a lot of time, or if they think that we are looking for several introductions, or if they don’t have a crystal clear idea as to our desired client, customer, or donor, as the case may be, they may simply procrastinate, if not completely tune us out. They have many more pressing things going on.
However, if we simply ask for 1 introduction from a referral source, then the process has become much easier for that person. The number 1 is easy. It’s not 2 or more, and psychologically this is “manageable” to a busy person. It gets them thinking: “Of course I can help my good friend with ONE introduction.” Thus, instead of having grand dreams of multiple referrals from any one person, have a reasonable expectation of 1 referral from any one individual. These add up. Do this with 25 of your referral sources, and you have a much greater chance of getting 25 new sources of business!
Steps to Easy
Try following these three steps to encourage the 1 referral source—1 referral system:
1. Make it clear to your referral source that you value her time, and would only ask that she make 1 introduction for you.
2. Articulate very clearly the type of client, customer, or donor, as applicable, you would like to meet.
3. Promise to return the favor ASAP.
1 For Now
Although the 1 referral system yields only 1 introduction per referral source, such math is only temporary. This system gets a meaningful cross-referral relationship off the ground, and propels both people into a mindset of helping each other more. Once that first referral is made on both sides, each person is much more motivated to repeat the process. 1 referral goes to 2 goes to ….!
Good luck!
J.B.
Read MoreCrux Quick Tip (CQT) #25: Make Friends with a Ticket Broker
CQT #25: Identify and befriend a reputable, local ticket broker.
Are you friends with a ticket broker? If not, you should consider how important such a friendship could be for business development purposes. As a rainmaker you want to be able to provide value of all kinds to people in your network, including existing clients, customers or donors, prospects, and referral sources. One type of value—aside from the substantive aspects of what it is you do—is access.
Access
One example of access is the ability to provide great seats at various events, including concerts, sporting events, and theater productions. Just about everyone enjoys going to a great event. Whether someone enjoys going with his or her family, with you or friends (or all of the above), being able to facilitate access to great events is a great way to provide a level of value to your network few can provide. If you attend such an event with your contact, it is a great way to further get to know that individual and continue to grow your Unique Business Relationship with that person.
How to Develop a Relationship with a Ticket Broker
Developing a relationship with a ticket broker is relatively easy. If you know of a reputable, local brokerage company in your area, but don’t know anyone there, go introduce yourself in person. If you don’t know of any, do a quick search online or ask someone you know. You will quickly identify the best brokers in town. Pick one and go introduce yourself. When you appear at their doorstep in person, try to meet the owner. This is the person with whom you will want to try to develop a relationship. If not an owner, then a manager or other high officer of the company. When you meet the right person, your basic message is this:
“I am [insert your profession] and I do a lot of business development, entertaining people. I’d like to develop a relationship with your company to provide the best tickets to my clients as possible when needed. I just wanted to meet you personally because my clients are very important to me and I want to work with the very best broker in town.”
This message will provoke a lot of good will and make the person much more willing to “take care of you” when you need it the most.
Use Your New Connection
After establishing a relationship with a ticket broker, use that relationship to get the very best seats for your clients. A quick call to you contact prior to tickets going on sale online may lead to that person reserving some great tickets for you. Try to get discounts on tickets, because great tickets could get quite expensive. Then tactfully announce to your clients and other contacts when appropriate that you would like to invite them to a special event, and are otherwise able to help them get the very best seats in town! They will appreciate it and you will soon curry much favor with them through your ability to deliver this sort of value.
J.B.
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