Making Meaningful Connections
Anyone in sales has heard of the ABCs - "Always Be Closing." Based on the premise that as a sales person, you should always be looking to get a commitment from a potential customer and "close" the deal. I heard a new spin on that recently: Always Be Connecting. And let me tell you, I love that concept so much more.
As a self-employed marketing consultant and a direct sales consultant for different products (jewelry at one time, now essential oils and Norwex), I am technically in sales. Although I hate to think of it that way. See, to me, when I hear "sales," I think - persistent phone calls from unknown numbers, spammy emails and LinkedIn messages from people I don't know, and that guy selling stuff door-to-door who always seems to show up during dinner time. And I definitely do NOT want to be associated with THAT.
I honestly and truly do not think of what I do as sales. I think of it as connecting with people and problem solving with them. Helping to identify challenges they may be facing, and (hopefully) being able to provide advice or guidance for them to overcome those challenges.
In my role as a doTERRA Wellness Consultant, I never think of myself as "selling" essential oils. I think of it as educating people about the various uses for oils and how they can replace other (potentially harmful) products in their lives with more natural ones. Learning about the ailments and illnesses that people face helps me offer natural solutions for them to try. And if I can help someone find relief from allergies without taking daily medication or show them how to keep pesky mosquitoes away without the use of chemical-based bug repellent - I have done my job. I have made a connection, addressed someone's problem and, ultimately, made both of our lives better.
In my role as a marketing consultant, I set meetings with a wide range of people. My former boss, past coworkers, my realtor, my massage therapist, the guy whose company just put a new roof on our house...you get the idea. I look at every opportunity to have a phone conversation, coffee date, walking meeting, or lunch, as a way to connect. To hear how someone is doing and learn about challenges they may be facing, to (briefly) let them know what I'm up to, and hopefully make a meaningful connection out of it.
That connection might be that I know someone to refer them to for pain management for their medical condition, or that they know someone who is thinking about pursuing the same path as me and wonder if I'd be willing to chat them (which I love to do!) Or maybe I walk away from the conversation with an idea for another article I should write, or podcast I should be listening to, or a parenting hack I never thought of, or a new spin on the services I offer...
The point is, there is something to be gained from EVERY conversation you have. But if you go into every meeting or networking event (more on these later) thinking "how can I turn this person into a client," you are missing the mark. With your own personal agenda driving the conversation, you're not really listening to the other person and you're not being open to whatever that exchange may turn into.
Now, I'm not totally idealistic here. I have a business to run and money to make. So I do hope that most of my meetings result in a beneficial outcome that will further my business in some way. But rather than focus on turning the person I'm talking to into a customer, I think about who they may know that might need the services or products I offer. And if they think of someone on the spot, great - I kindly ask for an introduction but if not, I walk away from that meeting knowing that there's one more person who knows me and knows what I'm doing. So, hopefully, some day in the near future - my name and company will come up if they're talking to someone who needs what I offer. But that can only happen if I have first invested the time to make a meaningful connection.