ADDRESS

PO Box 920559
Needham, MA 02492

PHONE

617.794.9797

3 Simple Ways to Undermine Your Credibility

Our technicians file out of Monday’s meeting a little shell-shocked to learn that we won’t tolerate losing customers due to poor quality of work.

We lost a

Handful of customers

Over the past few months.

Because cleaners are

Showing up late

Skipping glass

And leaving streaks.

A disturbing trend.

Sales efforts wasted

Frittered away

By things we can control.

Several technicians fired.

The rest on notice

That customers pay very close attention to

Everything they do.

It can take months

For our sales team

To sign up a new customer

And one moment of carelessness

To lose that customer forever.

We may get some of those customers back.

We may.

And we may not.

Trust is fickle that way.

And it gets me thinking about your Elevator Pitch.

Because trust

Is precious.

And fragile.

Your Elevator Pitch

Is the very first step in

Developing that trust.

Which is a great reason

To avoid these common

Business networking mistakes

Mistake #1: Hand out business cards

Wait a second!

Aren’t you supposed to

Hand out business cards

At networking events?

Well, no.

Not if you want to develop trust.

It’s a common misconception.

That the goal of networking is to

Hand out as many business cards as possible.

But think about

What you do

When someone

Hands you their business card

Without ever introducing themselves.

Are you ever going to call them?

No.

They haven’t given you any reason to call.

And if look through that

Stack of business cards on your desk,

How many people do you actually remember?

It’s a waste of a business card.

And more importantly

A missed opportunity to

Make a connection.

Only give someone a business card

If they ask for one.

It’s a good test for your Elevator Pitch.

How many people ask for your card…

Mistake #2: Do all the talking

Most people

Seem more than eager

To share everything they know

With anyone who will listen.

The art of the Elevator Pitch

Is to get the other person talking about

What they want to talk about.

Will it be related to your work?

Maybe.

Maybe not.

Not today, anyway.

But if they get the impression that

You’re a good listener.

They’ll be more likely to

Call you

When the time is right for them.

Are you starting a conversation

Or making a presentation…

Mistake #3: Attend one event

Is it worth going to a single event?

In a word…

No.

Trust develops over time.

Conversations get richer

As you get to know people.

You can’t get to know them

Or trust them

By seeing them once.

So, if you’re going to an event

Plan to go to that same event

For at least six months.

Get to know people.

Otherwise you’re cold calling

Instead of networking…

Mistake #4: …

What mistake have

You seen people make that

Undermines their credibility?

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