Networking For Sales [What You Need to Know]

We’ve all been to a networking event, conference happy hour, or meet up with that overly “salesy” networker — the one pushing business cards into everyone’s hand or looking over your shoulder as soon as he realizes you’re not a prospect. 

If you’re in sales, maybe you have unknowingly found yourself in one of those sales networking groups where everyone is expected to trade leads.

If you’re like me, all of these are awkward exchanges.

Traditional Networking

Traditional networking was all about exchanging business cards and building connections based on services or business without really forming a deep connection.

It had very little to do with understanding your clients or helping them build trust in you as a person or a brand. But today, you see, the traditional networking model will fail when there is so much competition and so many individuals trying to build on the same connection and sell the same things without a genuine interaction. 

You are most likely the same as all those others in the room. 

So, how do you shift from the superficial connection to making the connection feel more genuine? 

One strategy that works amazingly is to focus on the life stage triggers or talk about the real stuff and avoid the awkwardness or typical questions used in a traditional networking strategy. 

Of course, your aim will also have to shift from selling to talking, helping, or just listening to the other person so the conversation feels less like an obligation or burden, and they feel happier to open up with you. This will ultimately lead to a fruitful professional relationship for you in the future.

How to Network for Sales?

Since the launch of Friend of a Friend, I’ve received dozens of questions about how to put the lessons of network science into practice specifically for sales professionals. 

It’s great that we’re all connected by six degrees of separation or that millions of potential new connections are just one degree (one friend of a friend) away…but what if the goal is to navigate that network to find customers you can help?

There are ways to find potential prospects and clients that respect how networks actually work.

One of the easiest ways to get started is to explore the fringes of your network. I often use the question.

Who do you know in __________?

With __________ being the company, industry, or geography in which you’re trying to get connected.

But this question carries a problem for sales representatives. People don’t know what their friends need. Heck. People often don’t know what they themselves need. So, if you’re asking, “Who do you know that needs a new car?” 

You might just get blank stares from the people you ask.

Tweak the Question

With a small tweak, the question can still work wonders. If you can identify what life stage or what frustration is both a trigger for a new buying cycle and something people are likely to share about themselves with their friends, then you know how to fill in the blank.

For example, you don’t want to say, “Who do you know that needs a new car?” But you can ask, “Who do you know is expecting a first child?” 

Because when you have that first child, that little sports car isn’t going to work that much anymore. So, growing a family is the trigger for looking for a bigger, safer car to buy. A similar question would work for life insurance since expecting a first child is often a trigger for realizing we need better planning for emergencies.

Life Stages as Buying Triggers

Remember to stay focused on your main goal, which is building relationships, not pushing your product or service in their faces. 

If you can identify those life stages—those things that put people into the buying cycle—then you can ask that question. You’ll find that people are much more likely to remember friends who are in that life stage.

The fringes of your network likely have all the potential buyers you need, so keep asking that question often.

If you do, you’ll find that you can skip all of those awkward networking meetings and probably make more sales anyway.

When you talk about these matters, for example, if you are talking to a couple who is expecting their first child, someone about to get married, someone expecting his first promotion, someone going through a divorce, or someone moving into a new city, you can build a personal connection with them.

Just make sure you ask the right question, which is not about the product rather explores an underlying need. 

Wrap Up

Keep in mind that networking doesn’t have to be uncomfortable. By following a few key strategies, you can keep the conversation focused on building trust and forming genuine connections with your clients. 

Onme best strategy to do it is to identify a need through a life stage and shift your focus onto the intrinsic need that can be fulfilled with your product or service. 

This way you can spark the interest of your clients and gain their trust.