Turn Chats Into Cha-Ching!

You have numerous casual conversations with those in your network every week. Your network includes family, neighbors, friends, social groups, church, clubs, etc. Your sphere of influence is unique. How can you recognize opportunities for business and transition those casual chats into a business conversation?

Before you “freak out” and get some awful taste in your mouth about slimy salesy pitchmen, I am not talking about sales! I am not talking about selling like you are in the hottest new pyramid scheme. I am talking about discovering opportunity when it presents itself. The conversation should be organic, not contrived.

​Here are a few tips for helping you discover business opportunity in your network of relationships.

1. Engage in active listening. Be genuinely interested in what others have to say. Be curious, inquisitive asking questions. Be relentless in your focus on others.
2. Be informal. Be prepared to share what you do and who you work for. Saying what you do is not, “I am an electrical engineer.” That’s boring! What you do is design systems that deliver electrical power to homes, businesses, and industries. You help keep the lights on! Tell stories about your projects and clients, interesting stories.
3. Learn to be a good storyteller. The best stories to tell are those with a twist. Great stories are heroic and surprising. For more on good storytelling refer to Monday Marketing Tips from September 14, 2020 “Storytelling.” You can also tell the stories of your colleagues, not just your personal stories.
4. Be a resource. You may not be the solution to someone’s problem, but you should know someone who is. Look for opportunities to refer your colleagues and their expertise. This is where knowing and understanding what others in the company do comes in. Be the kind of person others come to because they know you will help.
5. Do not expect perfection. Focus on becoming better at networking, not perfect. Don’t look at professional business developers and expect to become like them. Be yourself and learn how to utilize your network to turn chats into cha-ching!