Your networking partners are, in effect, your sales force. And for your sales force to sell you effectively, they have to know who to sell you to and how to sell you.
Upland, CA (PRWEB) December 11, 2007 -- When entrepreneurs try to develop a qualified, consistent and dynamic circle of networking partners who are going to provide them with referrals for new business, their tendency is often to "sell" those individuals on their product. It's as if by showing them all the finer points of what's available, convincing them to try their product and closing the sale with their networking partners, they'll somehow realize an influx of referrals.
"I don't disagree that in order for the members of your networking group to refer you effectively, they must be familiar with what you have to offer," says Dr. Ivan Misner, Founder and Chairman of BNI, the world's largest referral networking organization. "However, it's important to resist your urge to sell to group members."
Educating your networking group's members about the type of referrals you want--specifically, where applicable, even the names of the individuals with whom you want to meet and develop relationships -- is much more important to the success of your networking in a closed contact network than selling to other members. This demands a shift in how you see your networking partners. They're not the clients; they are, in effect, your sales force. And for your sales force to sell you effectively, they have to know who to sell you to and how to sell you.
Go to Ivan Misner's column on the Entrepreneur.com site to learn four important tips for incorporating this valuable educational technique into your networking meetings: http://www.entrepreneur.com/marketing/marketingideas/networkingcolumnistivanmisner/article165868.html
Questions? Call Dr. Ivan Misner at BNI Headquarters in the USA at 1-909-608-7575.
BNI (www.bni.com) is the world's largest business networking organization, with more than 4,900 chapters in 37 countries worldwide. BNI's Founder & Chairman, Dr. Ivan Misner is the author of several book's including Masters of Sales, the latest addition to his bestselling Masters Series (www.Mastersbooks.com), and the #1 best-seller, Truth or Delusion--Busting Networking's Biggest Myths (www.TruthorDelusion.com). He is also the Senior Partner for the Referral Institute (www.referralinstitute.com), a referral training company with operations around the world.
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