The key to opening more sales opportunities

By 24/07/2015 February 22nd, 2016 Attitudes & Behaviours, Collaboration, Networking

The advent of the digital revolution and social networks had a huge impact in the number of people we are connected to. Now, I encourage us all to take a moment to think about the people we know personally. Imagine how many people that involves – just one degree away from us. Then think again about 2 or 3 degrees away and the numbers are astronomical.

Many of us have heard about the 6 degrees of separation concept which says that we are all only 6 people away from everyone else in the world. Well, with digital networks the number has essentially halved to around 3-2.8 degrees of separation – we are closer than ever.

Sounds amazing, doesn’t? Roughly 3 people between you and anyone else you want to connect with in this world. It is amazing – on the surface. These are just numbers after all and remain inert if we do not effectively activate the potential within these numbers.

The important thing is this – we need to remember in all of this that selling, networking, relationship development and so on is a quality numbers game, not just a numbers game. The numbers bandied about sound impressive on the surface but if you do not know:

  1. what you are specifically looking for by way of ideal sales opportunities,
  2. who you need to engage with who can potentially deliver you the key to those opportunities, and
  3. how to actually engage someone in a conversation so they can see how they can open doors for you

then all those connections of close proximity are a waste – a huge waste.

This lesson was brought home again this week. I belong to a formal networking group that is focused on clearly defining and presenting what each member is looking for by way of ideal referral opportunities. This helps the group clearly understand what each person is looking for and in turn helps the group help each member with real, tangible referrals that can lead to real business. My kind of networking group for sure.

At our most recent weekly catch up our Education Ambassador, Matt Dixon, served up a great lesson by asking everyone to take out their set of keys. He picked a member’s heavy bunch of keys and selected a key at random – he then asked us ‘What does this key open?’

Realistically, the only person who knew was the owner of the key; however, Matt asked us to look at the key as a metaphor for opportunity, the key owner is a potential gateway to many opportunities if only they know what doors to open for us.

It was a great lesson highlighting that we all carry with us many keys to opportunity. We just need to know what opportunities to open for people.

So how do we make the most of this?

The onus is on the seeker of opportunity to be very clear about what they are looking for and make it easy for those in their networks, who want to help, take out their sets of keys and unlock those doors, cupboards, safes, cars, treasure chests, anything with a lock that leads to new and better opportunities.

Make sure you know how to clearly present a referral opportunity in simple easy to understand terms that makes it easy for your networks to spot those opportunities for you, because you never know who knows who and what keys they have.

Remember everybody lives by selling something.

Author: Sue Barrett, www.barrett.com.au