It makes sense in some parts of the world to have this as we are in those unpredictable, dreary, cold winter months. And it occurs to me there are some similarities of this day and – the reluctant marketer.
If you find that your networking is unpredictable, dreary and cold, why not escape? Here are a few ideas of what you might want to escape from:
1 – Your networking sucks. You know it. How? You don’t have the results you want. Oh sure. You attend events, make contacts but they seem corrupted somehow. I can remember years ago when I was and overactive networker. I would come back to my office with dozens of cards and feel so overwhelmed the next step was to – escape!
2 – Your elevator pitch is so humdrum there’s no hum, let alone a drum to beat. Bragging moment (I think:) You know those BNI kind of meetings where you go round robin around the room for introductions? I must be doing something right in putting into action what I talk about because usually the person just after me tells what they feel. “Geez, I wish I went just before her!” Even you want to escape from hearing what you have to say in that 60-second pitch!
3 – You’ve managed to take the drudgery out of following-up with an easy plan: you don’t follow-up. I didn’t even have an Apple app to remind me to follow-up when I first started selling. Those were the days: the office sales support would hand salespeople a handwritten list first thing every morning of follow-up calls to be made. But the guilt isn’t escaping you as you let follow-up fail.
So just for today anyway, escape! Or try to. Here’s how:
1 – Don’t attend any networking events today. Just let yourself be free of the whole stress of it.
2 – If you feel compelled to give that elevator pitch that is going to dive to the basement anyway, run for the nearest exit.
3 – instead of looking at those business cards with dread, just pile them up until tomorrow.
How are you going to escape your fear reluctance on the one and only day deemed – escape day?
Jeannette Paladino says
Hi Pat — Good tips, all. My rule for networking is if I’ve made one good contact, the event has been a success. Don’t try to meet everyone in the room. It’s depressing and, as you point out, you simply end up with a bunch of business cards. Follow-up with that one good contact when you get back to your office. That will be a big accomplishment!
patweber says
Jeannette, I like that rule! It works well for any reluctant marketer to have a low-hanging intention like that. You win – because you got results. The good contact wins – because you follow-up. Hooray!