Be The Change You Wish To See In The World | With apologies to Gandhi ... |
Posted by Jacky Sherman on 11/10/2023 @ 8:00AM My very favourite quote comes from Mahatma Gandhi: ''Be the change you want to see in the world''. Doesn't need a lot of explanation does it? Be the change you wish to see in the world by modeling the behaviours you want from others. copyright: ajithclicks / 123rf stock photo If you want to influence others to do something differently, show them how by modelling the behaviours you want from them. Let's see how that would work when networking to win new business.
I know from countless anecdotes and listening to endless 60-second presentations and elevator pitches that what most people want from their networking is for the other people in the room to buy their services. And often with quite a lot of leeway in what they will give in return.
Does any of the following sum up what you wish for from others when you go networking?
People listening with real interest to your explanation of how marvellous your services are and why they should buy them. People saying to you "Oh, I must have some of that!" People coming up to you after the meeting and saying "I loved your 60-second talk; I want some, how much is it?" People offering to send you an email to arrange a sales meeting because you haven't got your diary on you. People are willing to re-arrange when you email them to cancel that meeting at short notice when something else has come up. People who buy immediately and pay up front. People are thrilled to see you and will stand up in the meeting and say how marvellous your services are even though they haven't seen you for months. They understand that you've been too busy. People are happy to receive, read and respond to all your sales emails from now on, even though you rarely (if ever) go back to that networking group again. People will pass on your emails, brochures and business cards and talk about your great services to anyone and everyone they know from now on. People who don't mind that you don't reciprocate.
If any of the above is what you want, then at your very next networking do exactly the things you want others in the room to do for you:
Listen with great interest to every single elevator speech and 60-second presentation. Tell each person "I must have some of that!" Approach each of them at the end of the meeting and tell them "I loved your 60-second talk. I want to buy some, how much is it?" Offer to send them all an email to arrange a sales meeting as they haven't got their diary on them. Be ready to rearrange that meeting at short notice when they email you to cancel as something else has come up. Buy immediately and pay in full up front. Be thrilled to see them and stand up and sing their praises when they turn up again after many months as you understand they have been too busy for you. Be happy to receive, read and respond to all their sales emails from now on even if they don't pitch up at the networking group. Pass on all these emails, as well as their brochures and business cards and say what a great service they provide to anyone and everyone you know from now on. Don't mind if they never reciprocate.
If it costs you a small fortune to buy things you didn't really want, from people who never offer anything in return, then maybe it's time to change what you wish to see in the world of networking?
Maybe, just maybe, what you wish is for others to introduce and endorse you to people who really have a need for your services and the money to pay for them.
Maybe, just maybe, what you wish for is to build long-term relationships with like-minded people so that you truly understand each other's business and can help each other succeed,
Now how can you model that? Until next time ...
JACKY SHERMAN
Would you like to know more? If anything I've written in this blog post resonates with you and you'd like to discover more, it may be a great idea to give me a call on 07970 638857. Let's have an initial chat over a coffee and see how I can help you. More blog posts for you to enjoy ... | | | | | | | | |
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