ShareBy Sue Hershkowitz-Coore
All things being equal, the sale always goes to the salesperson who has developed a relationship with the buyer. All things being unequal, this is also usually true. But developing profitable business relationships isn’t always easy.
Here is the key – the one absolute-must-know fact – to develop profitable business relationships:
Follow-up.
Yup, it’s not terribly sexy but it is terribly important.
With every hi-so-nice-to-meet-you networking event, think about what you can learn about your new BFF, so you can authentically and strategically follow-up. Your goal is to send them a quick email with a blog post or idea that will help them be better than they would have been had they never met you.
- What post can you forward because it will help them create greater success?
- What insight – whether business or just on a human level – can you provide that will give them an edge or an opportunity?
- What memory of the networking meeting will bring them a smile?
What you say when you network matters, but what you do afterward matters even more.
Bonus:
Send an email the next day and schedule time in your day to do it.
You can even use this email template:
Hi Name,
What fun it was to meet you last night* and I can’t stop laughing about X!
You mentioned you just started running and if you’re looking for a motivating playlist, this is great.
Would you have time late next week to continue our conversation? I’ll plan to phone you Friday morning unless another time frame is better for you.
Thanks again for the smile!
*Authenticity is critical. If it wasn’t fun but more like a kiss-off, or a hello in passing, do not say “what fun it was to meet you!” It’s a lie! Instead, say something positive about the event like, “Wasn’t that speaker awesome at the XYZ event? I’m still laughing about what she said about …”
Want your emails and sales efforts to get best results? Change your words and you’ll change your world. Check availability for customized sales training to build business, advance the sale and convert the lead.
Sue’s books include Power Sales Writing (McGraw Hill) and How to Say it to Sell It (Penguin/Random House). For more information, contact Sue@SpeakerSue.com, visit www.SpeakerSue.com. or call +1-480-575-9711.