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?