Networking: An Interview with Liz Lynch

Certainly, some B2C salespeople spend a great deal of time and effort networking (typically, those who sell real estate, financial products, and insurance). But other consumer salespeople haven't jumped on the networking bandwagon yet (those who sell in retail stores and showrooms, or those who sell in customers' homes). I'm always preaching the importance of networking as a way to expand both revenue creation and the reach of professional influence.

Liz Lynch is the author of the new book Smart Networking: Attract a Following In Person and Online.

I interviewed Liz Lynch to get some networking advice for readers of the Selling to Consumers Blog:

Skip Anderson: Liz, if a salesperson who has never put any effort into networking wakes up one morning and realizes, "Hey, I've got to start networking," where would you suggest they begin?

Liz Lynch: That exact same thing happened to me, so I’ll tell you what I did. Since it takes time to build relationships from scratch, I reconnected with people I already had in my network. These are the folks who already knew me and my work and who would most readily support anything I wanted to do. As it turned out, I got nearly all of my business my first two years from that small group. We can get so caught up sometimes in trying to meet the next new person who can bring us a million dollars of business, that we forget about the contacts we already have.

Skip Anderson: There are only 24 hours in a day and seven days in a week. How can a savvy networker decide where to put their efforts to achieve the most return on their time investment?

Liz Lynch: I didn’t pay you to ask this question, but you teed up the exact premise of my book perfectly! Smart networking starts with a purpose. First articulate the goal you want to achieve, then determine who you need to have in your network to help you reach that goal. Next figure out the best way to connect with those people. Is it in person or online? Is it through direct contact or an introduction from a mutual connection? By putting together a plan like this you can focus exclusively on the activities that will help you build the right relationships.
 
Most people work backwards and start going to events and meeting whoever they can meet and fitting them into their network somewhere. Or they join an online network but don’t really know who they’re supposed to connect with. It can be very random and take a lot of work for little result.

Skip Anderson: Are there certain personality types who do better at networking, and other personality types who struggle with networking?

Liz Lynch: I think different personality types have different struggles and triumphs when it comes to networking. Extroverts may find it easier to get out there and be energized by walking into a roomful of strangers, but they may shine the spotlight too long on themselves. Introverts may have a harder time getting started, but if they can get over this initial hump, they’ll may end up building rapport more quickly. Because they (we, because I’m one too) don’t like the attention, they’re more likely to want to keep the other person talking by asking questions, and this will actually help them develop a stronger bond.

Skip Anderson: Networking for salespeople needs to be not only about expanding their network, but also to create revenue. What suggestions do you have for networkers to align their networking activities with their need to generate revenue?

Liz Lynch: Ah yes, we all like revenue, don’t we? To get more focused on revenue, get more focused on who you’re networking with. Build your own strategic alliance group of folks who target the same customers as you do, but with complementary, rather than competing, services. You can bring each other in on projects and be more of a resource to your clients because you’re able to help them with more of their business needs. Use your networking time to find the right people for your alliance and to get to know each other well so you know exactly how to leverage each other.

Skip Anderson: What is biggest mistake salespeople tend to make in their approach to networking?

Liz Lynch: I think the biggest mistake is trying to sell at a networking event. People go to networking events to make connections, not to buy stuff. They don’t want to be subjected to a sales pitch. Of course they’ll ask you what you do, but it’s not the time to go into a 10-minute presentation and use boiler room closing techniques to get the next appointment. Have confidence in relaying what you do, but focus on getting to know them too, and on building a close enough connection that they’ll want to sit down with you for a follow up.

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Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers, a B2C sales training and consulting company specializing in sales training in retail, in-home selling, and services. Subscribe to the free Sales Tips newsletter.