Jeff Garrison

Talk to 10 People a Day

One of my early mentors was my father, Ed Garrison.  He has been successfully selling for nearly 50 years. One thing he has repeated to me and two of my brothers (all of us have been in sales nearly our entire adult lives) is that ...

If you will make sure to tell ten people a day about your business, you will always be successful.

Of course, this "formula" was pre-voicemail and pre-internet, thus actually speaking with ten people a day is perhaps unrealistic.  nonetheless, the philosophy is still sound and even profound.

Let's break it down.  When dad said "tell" people about your business, he meant to actually have a conversation.  What he didn't mean was to send letters.  Today he would say that most e-mails don't count.  Leaving a voicemail message does not count.  Twitter does not count.  Facebook does not count.  Connecting on Linked In does not count.  Even this blog post does not count.  

Here's the point.  All of these things are important "marketing" tools and they are great for becoming known, creating familiarity, and even building a trusted brand.  However, in B2B sales, most of this good activity will not convert into paid business until you talk to people in real life.  Don't get bogged down, distracted, and fooled by all it all.

As Einstein put it, “Everything that can be counted does not necessarily count; everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted.”

Finally, if you were to only track one sales metric.  Only one number that would be a leading indicator of future sales.  It would be ...

How many people did I TELL about my business today?

Related articles

• Metrics advice: Think KPIs not ROI (socialmedia.biz)
• Measurement and Metrics or People and Relationships? (customerthink.com)
• So You Like My Brand on Facebook. Now What? (adage.com)

Laid Back Networking VIII

Come celebarate the end of the election season with us at ...

Laid Back Networking VII!

Once again, Jeff Garrison of Sales Habitudes and Drew McLellan of McLellan Marketing Group invite you to ...

• Show up
• Bring a couple of bottles of your favorite beer (cooler and ice provided)
• Don't forget business cards
• Mix, mingle, and meet

There's no agenda, no speaker, and no structure. 

It's that laid back!

Mark your calendars for Tuesday, November 2 from 5-7 PM.  X marks the spot. (Google Map)

Increase Sales with ABS, Not ABC

If you have been in sales for long, it is likely that you have probably been sold at one time or another that you should "always be closing."  "Focus on ABC!"  This statement is as tired as the manipulative closing techniques that fill books and sales training workshops.

It is more effective and fun to focus on ABS ... Always Be Sharing.

What does this mean?  Well ask yourself, as a member of the business community, what do you have to share with your prospects and those who can influence your business?

You can share ...

• How your products or services make or save business money or mitigate risk
• Your network through referrals
• Resources such as articles or white papers
• Your insight or experience by speaking to groups
• Creative ideas (unrelated to your products or services) to help the business of others
• Facilities.  Let others borrow a meeting room for example.

In a nutshell, find ways to be a valuable resource to your prospects and those who can influence your business and they will pay more attention to your sales message and will be more likely to buy from you when they are ready.

Do you have unique ideas for sharing?

Laid Back Networking VII

It's coming!  It's coming! 

It's Laid Back Networking VI!

Once again, Jeff Garrison of Sales Habitudes and Drew McLellan of McLellan Marketing Group invite you to ...

• Show up
• Bring a couple of bottles of your favorite beer (cooler and ice provided)
• Don't forget business cards
• Mix, mingle, and meet

There's no agenda, no speaker, and no structure. 

It's that laid back!

Mark your calendars for Tuesday, August 17th.  X marks the spot. (Google Map)

Don't Confuse Prospecting with Networking

Successful networking (or rather the lack of success) has been a topic that has come up many times in the last month with my clients, workshops, and networking conversations.  The common complaint is that people only network to find their next deal and they are not interested in reciprocity or relationships.

In one conversation, a client mentioned having been invited to a specific networking group several months ago.  There are about twenty people in this group.  Like most groups, they settled into the meeting by having everyone give their short elevator speech.  Then a member of the group gave a longer presentation about their business while the rest of the group ate lunch followed by some small group conversations.

This sounds pretty typical, but here is the rest of the story.  Upon arrival, my client was not greeted by anybody in the group nor did anybody try and include her in their small group conversations.  Nobody asked for her business card and nobody has followed up with her.

Coincidentally, I was invited to visit this same group about the same time and my experience was exactly the same.  The members of this group had a "prospecting" mentality.  Neither my client nor I looked like prospects, so the "smart" thing to do is not waste time getting to know those who will not buy.  Right?

Focusing on .the “closest thing to money” (as we always used to say in my last company) can cause you to forget that you will need customers next month, next quarter, and next year.  Granted, this is a rare experience, but it is instructive.

Business owners and sales professionals should carefully prospect.  It is bad for business to pursue "leads" that don't fit your ideal customer profile.  With a profile, it is often pretty easy to determine who should not be a prospect.

But keep in mind, although the end goal of both prospecting and networking are the same, the strategy and tactics are different!

Simply put, prospecting strategy and tactics are meant to increase business through a direct exchange of a valuable product or service to a single customer for money.

In contrast, networking strategy and tactics are meant to increase business indirectly by finding ways to contribute value to the network.  The premise is that if you STRATEGICALLY provide referrals, information, and other resources to the network, the network will reciprocate.

If you are not satisfied with your networking results, start rethinking your approach by answering a few questions:

• Do I believe in the underlying premise that if I contribute to the network, it will reciprocate?
• Should networking be part of my lead generation strategy?
• When I go to "network," am I prospecting or networking?
• Do I have network profile and goals to guide me? 
• Do I have tactics that work? 
• Would those in my network consider me a valuable part of their network?

What are your thoughts?  What changes do you think most business owners and sales professionals need to make to get more out of networking?

Laid Back Networking VI

It's coming!  It's coming! 

It's Laid Back Networking VI!

Once again, Jeff Garrison of Sales Habitudes and Drew McLellan of McLellan Marketing Group invite you to ...

• Show up
• Bring a couple of bottles of your favorite beer (cooler and ice provided)
• Don't forget business cards
• Mix, mingle, and meet

There's no agenda, no speaker, and no structure. 

It's that laid back!

Mark your calendars for Wednesday, May 19th.  X marks the spot. (Google Map)

Speaking of Elevator Speeches

Perhaps the most beneficial thing about putting together a great "elevator" statement is that if done well, it will force you to really discover your relevance to your target audience.

During a Sales Habitudes workshop yesterday on personal business branding, a financial adviser shared his thoughts on the subject.  He stated that because there are many "financial advisers" around, when he is networking and states that he is a financial adviser ...

"It is like farting on an elevator."

No one wants to engage in conversation or even make eye contact.  They just want off the elevator.

In this case, we talked about two elements of a brand that has F.O.R.M., focus and relevancy. 

As it turns out, this financial adviser has a background in a small, family owned business.  He prefers to work with small business owners because he has a unique understanding regarding their needs

He also knows from his experience that small business owners by nature like a lot of control over their assets and,that non-liquidity is the same as being broke when growth opportunities come along or when business is slow.

Now, he works with small business owners (focus) to invest and grow their wealth while maintaining control and liquidity (relevance).

Of course, most people on an elevator won't care, but his target audience will be curious.  If you are a small business owner and want to know who this focused and relevant financial adviser is, contact me.

Where do you need to focus?  How can you be more relevant?

Photo on flickr by Susan NYC

Follow Up to Familiarity to Trust to Sales

Six months ago I got a call from a rookie insurance agent who had gotten my name off of Linked In.  After introducing himself and finding out that I have had a business relationship with my financial adviser for over a decade, he could not wait to get off the phone.  I was the one trying to ask questions which he tried to brush off probably so that he could go on to the next name on his list.

I have not received any follow up calls or emails from this person since that one phone call and now, I could not tell you his name.

Over the weekend the door bell rang.  At the door was a new investment representative from a well known company out knocking on doors.  We spoke for a few minutes, but I am happy with my investment adviser right now  None the less, I asked her for her business card (because she might be interested in Sales Habitudes training at some point).

She did not have a business card, so she left me with a brochure that does not have her name on it.  I gave her my business card and asked her to email me her contact information.  I told her that if she joined the West Des Moines Chamber, she would see me there.

Two business days have passed and she has not sent me her contact information.

Here is the problem with both of these scenarios.  At the time that these two "sales professionals" contacted me, I was not ready to buy.  Neither are most prospects when we call on them the first time.  However, an opportunity has been wasted.

Both should have a follow up plan to regularly "touch" me in order to create familiarity with who they are and their personal business brand.  Over time they should seek to inform me of their expertise and relevancy such that I will come to trust in them

At some point, once I know who they are and have some trust in them, I may be ready to talk to them seriously about doing business.  Additionally, opportunities to make introductions and to help their business may come along.

Think about this.  In large sales (those exceeding $30,000), about half of the sales made are made between twelve and twenty-four months after initial contact.  Every sales person that is not committed to nurturing their prospects for at least a year is losing a ton of money.

Do you know who is making the money?  The sales person that calls your prospect twelve months after you did for the first time and right after you quit trying.

Do you have a plan for following up with those people you meet but who are not ready to buy?

Since writing this post, I received a follow-up card from the person that came to my door.  No card or contact information was included, but she followed up.  We'll see what happens next.

Laid Back Networking V (Update)

The fifth quarterly BYOB Laid Back Networking Event organized by Sales Habitudes LLC and the gang at McLellan Marketing Group has been rescheduled (due to nasty weather) for February 24th.  If you're doing business in Central Iowa - you're going to want to be there.

We're talking casual conversation, some great networking, and the chance to connect with people you haven't seen in awhile.  No agenda, no speaker - just some chatter and coolers to keep your beers cold.

We hope to see you there! 

Details:
Wednesday, February 24th from 5:00 to 7:00 PM.
McLellan Marketing Group's office (1430 Locust Street, DSM)
Parking along side the building and street parking

Laid Back Networking V

The fifth quarterly BYOB Laid Back Networking Event organized by Sales Habitudes LLC and the gang at McLellan Marketing Group is next week and everyone is invited.  If you're doing business in Central Iowa - you're going to want to be there.

We're talking casual conversation, some great networking, and the chance to connect with people you haven't seen in awhile.  No agenda, no speaker - just some chatter and coolers to keep your beers cold.

We hope to see you there! 

Details:
Tuesday, February 9th from 5:00 to 7:00 PM.
McLellan Marketing Group's office (1430 Locust Street, DSM)
Parking along side the building and street parking