MODERN SALES you have probably received or sent similar emails . How would you respond ? Candidly , I was not compelled to take immediate action . I feel it is my duty to protect my connections and to understand the potential fit .
The most powerful connection you can make and receive goes beyond a simple introduction . Ask yourself “ Will both of these people thank me for the introduction ?” The answer to that question tells you whether to make the introduction or not .
Three steps to earn valuable connections for your business . Do your homework : If you want an introduction to a specific individual , do some research about their organization and share some information about their business that demonstrates why your connection might be valuable to them . In commercial real estate , it might be “ I see that you are connected to Chris . They are a tenant in a building that is being sold right now . This might present options for them regardless of their lease term . If they are open to a 15 minute conversation , I can determine whether or not we can help them .”
Focus on their WHY : I get it . You have something to sell , and you want to speak with them to see if they are interested in buying it . Guess what … nobody cares . Focus instead on what could be going on in their business that would make your services valuable . If you were a cloud computing company it might sound something like “ I notice that Pat ’ s company is growing quickly .
For the right companies , we can save them money while making their systems more reliable and securely accessible no matter where their employees are located . One of our CEO clients noted that their new employees used to need several days to become billable , and now they are up and running ( and generating revenue ) on day one .”
Don ’ t assume : In my friend ’ s request , he said “ if you agree we should connect …” I know he is a solid citizen , but I was not sure where he would be adding value to my connection . So , to answer his question , I did not agree that they should connect . Don ’ t assume your connection remembers your strengths .
How can you fix a request you did not get right at first ? When I received this request , I sent a note to my friend “ Can you tell me more about what sparked your interest and what you hope to gain from the intro ?” He then explained why he saw a connection , explained where he might add value , and I shared his information with my contact . They ’ ll be speaking together in the coming weeks .
One more piece of advice If you blindly share your contacts with anyone who wants to sell to them , then you reduce the value to your network . If you take the time to understand where someone can add value and make introductions where there is good mutual interest , then your introductions will have a certain degree of gravitas .
Follow the three keys above , and earn introductions and make connections that provide value to all parties involved .
Ian is the CEO of GrowMyRevenue . com . A speaker and author of Upside Down Selling , Ian helps companies become outrageously successful targeting and winning business .
June 2016 ModernBusiness 9