Have you ever met someone and just felt uncomfortable around them? Say, for instance, that you just met this person and the vibe was one of sheer creepiness. When we work with the public, this happens often. Some of these folks will give off an aura of eccentricity while others almost feel threatening.
More often than not, I usually meet these people through referrals and introductions. Imagine someone saying, "I gave your name and contact information to some friends of mine because they are in the market for (whatever you're selling) and need some help." Then you remember that the person giving you the referral just got out paroled from prison, and if your recall correctly, it had something to do with murder.
A day or so later you get a phone call from new client, who somehow transmits a sense of dread over the phone. Sure, maybe it's all in your head, you tell yourself, until you meet this person and their family. The Addams Family meets the Munsters, but without all the charm. Until you get an opportunity to actually meet this family you may have to put your judgement off to the side for a while.
When I speak to groups about selling, I mention that people have just a few seconds to decide if they like and trust a salesperson. However, that is a two-way street, and the salesperson doesn't have a lot of time to decide if the prospect is worth their time and effort either. And one of the factors that go into that decision go back to the source of this referral, if there is one.
Let's say that the person who referred you is a very shady business person. The kind of person who is more than willing to lie (we like to use the word "misrepresent") on an application. Using the old adage that "birds of a feather flock together", we can only imagine that this person and their circle of friends are, at the very least, somewhat dishonest as well. My experience has shown that this is true about 50% of the time.
I once had a referral from an older gentleman who wanted me to talk to his nephew. The nephew had recently gotten out of prison and was going into business with his cousin to "start over". The cousin's reputation preceded him as well and I sensed it was going to be a train wreck before we got the ball rolling. Within six months the cousins were feuding, making threats of lawsuits and physical harm to each other, and I had wasted time that could have been well spent on prospecting for other clients. (Oddly enough, the cousin is currently doing time on a wholly unrelated matter.)
Consider who does business with you and try to choose a market you want to work with. If you want to work with small business owners, join a networking group that caters to them, like your local chamber of commerce. Or if you want to work with low income people because the government subsidizes what you sell, seek them out. You don't have to be exclusive to these groups, but it gives you a target to aim for.
In my case, working with small business owners has gotten me a lot of individual business in return, as well as referrals for other local entrepreneurs. Again, they have similar needs and problems that need to be resolved, whether it's marketing, dealing with employees or finding ways to save money here and there. In a sense, I've become a bit of a business consultant through these experiences because I can share what I learned from my other clients. That expands my client base.
However I know colleagues who love to knock on doors cold calling in trailer parks. I don't necessary understand the appeal, because those sales never seem to stay on the books longs, but it is where the salesperson feels comfortable. (Getting out of your comfort zone is a subject for another day.)
Consider who you want your clientele to be. Most likely it will be made up of people like yourself, with the same set of values and professionalism. Don't let someone else dictate who you want to call on. Like my old man used to say, "You lay down with the dogs, you're going to wake up with the fleas." Avoid fleas whenever possible.
Chris Castanes is a professional speaker who helps sales people succeed through workshops and humorous presentations. He's also the author of "You're Going To Be Great At This!", a humorous look at sales. For booking information, click here. He's also the president of Surf Financial Brokers selling life and disability insurance in several states.
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