DNS The Difference between Business Networking & Selling
1. Blue Oyster Soft Skills
Presents
The Difference between
Business Networking & Selling
(Delivering results through respect and motivation)
Peter Jones, Director
Blue Oyster Leading Edge Solutions Ltd
2. Session Outline
Presentation – Peter Jones – DBS
A Business Networking Case Study
The Emotional Responses
Some Values to Employ
Peter Jones (c) Blue Oyster Soft Skills 2010 2
3. Business Networking – A Case Study #1
Discussion 1
– No attempt made to understand my business
• But a standard sales spiel about what their business did
– An offer to help
• But no real attempt to understand my current needs, or
listen to what I was saying
– The surprise ?
• A very experienced business person working for a very
large corporate
Peter Jones (c) Blue Oyster Soft Skills 2010 3
4. Business Networking – A Case Study #2
Discussion 2 – With a Solicitor
– Each party listened to the other
– Party 1 shared concerns, issues
– Party 2 listened, was able to share
expertise
– The novelty ?
• Party 1 was the solicitor !
Peter Jones (c) Blue Oyster Soft Skills 2010 4
5. People Buy From People
What’s my reaction ?
– I liked the first conversation, my needs were considered
– If I do business with that company, I believe my needs would
be considered, that they would be on my side.
And to the second discussion ?
– The exact opposite. My needs weren’t considered. If I do
business with them, they are more concerned about their
profit than my well being.
When I told the second person I rate every corporate
on levels of customer service ….
– …. they told me they considered it a failure if they weren’t
recommended (i.e. they get more business out of each
connection)
– Again, whose needs were they considering ?
Peter Jones (c) Blue Oyster Soft Skills 2010 5
6. Some Emotional Responses
(…. as people buy from people)
The second person may as well have handed
me a leaflet and moved on to his next
“conquest”
– It’s too much like the junk mail experience !
– The 21st Century is progressively rejecting junk
contact and valuing solid real connections
– I expect more from experienced business people
How likely am I to do business with each
person ?
How likely am I to recommend each person ?
Peter Jones (c) Blue Oyster Soft Skills 2010 6
7. Some Values to Employ
Explain what you do, then make the effort:
– Actively find out and explore WHAT THEY DO
Value given to other customers can show diversity and breadth
Explore business overlap
– It’s rich ground for new ideas, business or both
Sensitively, explore whether their contacts may have a need
– Do then mention reward schemes for intermediary introductions
DON’T TRY TO SELL DIRECT UNLESS THERE IS A CLEAR NEED
– Do arrange a follow up meeting or call to discuss needs more fully
Did contacts try to help without asking for anything in return ?
– Can they offer more that would benefit your business ?
– What is the value to you ? What can you offer them in return ?
– Can you exchange skills and knowledge instead of money ?
Peter Jones (c) Blue Oyster Soft Skills 2010 7
8. Imagine
How your customers would feel if you treated them
like this ?
How your customers would feel if all your staff treated
them like this ?
How loyal would that make customers ?
How much more likely would they be to recommend
your services and products ?
Peter Jones (c) Blue Oyster Soft Skills 2010 8
9. The Blue Oyster Product Range
Embedding Values into Business
Business Networking Skills (Soft Skills)
Business Networking Events
Product Viability and Development
Real Innovation in Business
Unleashing Creativity in Business
A Workshop Approach to Business
Creating & Running Your Virtual Team(s)
Project Management and much more ….
Google: Blue Oyster Product Development
Peter Jones (c) Blue Oyster Soft Skills 2010 9
