If you’re a sales professional, you know how crucial networking is for your business. And what better way to improve your skills than with networking tips from networking professionals?
Networking is more than just meeting people and talking about your business in hopes you’ll make the right connections. It’s about providing value and building real relationships. Your business growth will be a product of those relationships.
Networking can be scary. You’re putting yourself out there hoping someone sees the value in your product or service that you do. And we all know that we can’t have success without failure.
So, making genuine connections won’t be easy and there will always be some sort of rejection.
But to help with the process, we’re going to share some of our favorite networking tips for sales professionals looking to expand their professional circle and generate real revenue for their businesses.
Networking Tip #1: Have clear goals
As a sales professional, you already have sales goals, now it’s time to create networking goals that align with them. Networking can be overwhelming, frustrating, and time-consuming IF you don’t have a clear strategy.
So, what is it you’re trying to accomplish with networking? Are you trying to get X amount of new accounts? Or are you trying to build your network with X amount of ideal prospects?
Whatever it may be, you need to have a clear grasp of it and know what steps you need to take to get there.
For example, if you’re goal is to get X amount of new prospects in your network, start by researching who those prospects are and what they look like.
Networking Tip #2: Nail your pitch
Similar to a sales pitch, a pitch is needed when networking with new people.
A networking pitch succinctly defines you, your background, and your current professional goals. This is meant to provide a way to get the conversation flowing and encourage a discussion.
The best networking pitch introduces you concisely and compellingly. It’s important to hit on the key points of your role and what you are currently working on or researching.
Remember, we want to impress those with who we are networking and give them a reason to want to be in our network. Sharing your expertise will help build trust and position yourself as an authority figure in your industry.
First impressions are vital, so try to stay humble when speaking about your knowledge and accomplishments.
Networking Tip #3: Have an online presence
As a sales professional in the networking world, you have to have an online presence. Well, at least have a LinkedIn profile!
Networking does NOT stop after the event or meetup. Networking starts with the follow-up. And what is an easier way to follow up with someone, professionally? LinkedIn!
After an event, it’s crucial to follow up with your leads and ensure you are nurturing them effectively and efficiently.
LinkedIn allows you to save leads, engage with them, stay up to date with their career changes, and so much more. If you want to learn more about networking on LinkedIn, check out the Evyrgreen Networking System.
If you’re not a people person, networking can feel like a chore. But with the right tools and strategies, it can become a part of your everyday life without causing stress and extra work.
If done the right way, networking can save you a lot of time and money while generating new leads and referrals.
Remember, just be yourself and focus on making real connections. Networking is just a conversation and shouldn’t be taken too seriously.
To learn more networking tips on LinkedIn, join our upcoming FREE webinar here.
Evyrgreen Networking For Teams offers networking courses specifically for sales leaders who want their teams to leverage LinkedIn to produce leads and referrals for your business.
If you want to learn more about our course, set up a strategy session here: www.evyrgreen.com/talktous. We would love to help you get more out of LinkedIn!
If you want more tips on how to leverage LinkedIn for your business, check out our 30 LinkedIn tips booklet you can get here! For more helpful articles, check out the rest of our blog.