I’m old… and I’m old school. I started my career in the 80s as industrial sales rep for the Dupont company. I had a territory and would drive around from city to city, visiting clients and prospects and (hopefully) making some sales. And what was true then is just as true now – and maybe more so – that nothing enhances client relationships or advances the buy-sell conversation faster, or better, than spending time with buyers in-person.
One of the principles that we teach in the Seller-Doer Workshop™ is that buyers won’t buy from you until they get to know you – then like you – then trust you. It’s a process that takes time… and nothing accelerates that process like being in-person with those buyers.
Where In-person Happens
There are a number of scenarios and situations that give you the opportunity for in-person conversations, including:
- Connecting at conferences. But don’t just attend and hope you run into your buyers. Prepare ahead of time. E.g., In the weeks leading up to the event, ask every buyer you talk with if they’ll be attending. Highlight it in your email signature. Promote it on LinkedIn and in your firm’s monthly e-newsletter. Pro tip: And when you find out that a buyer will be there, don’t just hope you’ll find time to connect… schedule a time and place to meet at the event.
- And while you’re at the Conference, add on a few days to the trip before or after to schedule appointments with buyers in that city who are not attending the event.
- Play in your own backyard. For those of you who live in “target rich” cities (e.g., New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, etc.), block off time every month to go out and meet with clients and prospects. Sometimes, it’ll be a sales conversation… sometimes you’ll just chat over a cup of coffee… but in all cases, you’re accelerating the know-like-trust continuum.
- Lunch-n-learns. For both clients and sales prospects, offer to deliver a lunch-n-learn… a presentation (for learning, not selling) where you (and your firm’s Subject Matter Expert, if needed) deliver a lunchtime presentation in their office. And yes, you buy the lunch. This strategy provides a number of benefits:
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- It builds broader awareness for you and your firm… and you get to meet new people (who are likely involved in any buying decision).
- You get to showcase your experience and expertise.
- While you’re in the building, you can begin to get a sense of their culture. You can also ask your contact to walk you around and introduce you to his or her coworkers (in addition to those you meet during the presentation).
- Get them out of the office. Perhaps the best opportunity to connect and build trust comes when you visit a buyer in their office, then take them out for a relaxed lunch or a cup of coffee. A change of venue can do wonders. Just two people talking… getting to know each other on a personal level… and maybe finding some commonalities.
A Note to Those Managing Seller-Doers
Want your seller-doers to be successful? A lot of that responsibility falls on your shoulders. Re: in-person visits… you have to ‘give them permission’ to get out of the office. That means making the time available for them to do that, sending them to conferences and allocating some budget dollars to travel. And maybe most importantly… it means setting a standard that getting out of the office to meet buyers in-person is a gotta-have, not just a nice-to-have.
Conclusion
A couple of years ago, I went on an old-fashioned “road trip”… I jumped in my car and got out on the road to visit some clients (and do a little fishing).
When I posted about the trip on LinkedIn, you’d have thought I discovered fire! I got an amazing response to the trip – as though it was a brand new idea that no one else had ever thought of.
It’s not a new idea… in fact, it’s a very old one. We are all part of the same “tribe” and deep down, we all want to connect with one another in-person. It’s just that lately, we’ve forgotten how to.
Good luck and good selling.
Want to develop more skills and habits to help you acquire new clients and retain existing ones? Join us for the Seller-Doer Workshop™ coming this August. And SAVE $100 when you register by July 10th. Click Here for complete details.