Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Let Me Tell You About Me

Yesterday, I walked into Panera. I was twenty minutes early to meet a client, but was prepared with a book, Be the Elephant:Build a Bigger, Better Business, that I've been trying to read in bits and pieces. At the counter just as I was getting my cup of coffee, I was approached by someone who said, "Debby, hey, how are you?"

This person (who shall remain nameless) was a former member of a networking group that I used to belong to. He proceeded to tell me how well he was doing.

As I walked to the coffee urns to fill my cup, he followed, continuing his monologue.

After filling my cup, I thought that he'd probably leave as we were right near the door, but oh no, he said, "Well, why don't we sit down so I can tell you some more (about me)?"

Twenty minutes later, just before my client was to arrive, he left. But not before he finally said, "Oh, are you still doing the same thing?" (sales coaching). I explained that for the past five years I had been concentrating on Certified Networker, a course that helps people with word-of-mouth marketing.

What came out of his mouth next has given me the chuckles ever since!

His comment was, "Well, I use networking all the time, everyday. I make an effort to meet people and each person I meet, I tell them all about what I'm doing. I get the word out that way."

No lie. That's what he said.

Oh yeah, I forget his final salvo. As he slid out of the booth, he said, "So if you run into anybody who could use my services, please send them my way."

Many of you know that my goal is to change the way business is done in Ohio -- or further with this blog! I know that if I can get all business people to first think and then say, "How can I help you?" (and mean it) that it will help the economy of our region.

That is the idealist in me. I do realize that there will be some people who will not convert to this philosophy. Too bad!

What was the worst (or best) demonstration of someone's networking skills that you've witnessed recently?

2 comments:

Sandy of Sandy's Stuff for Women said...

I'm going to post a blog about this, but it so appropriately fits here that I have to use it twice.

I just returned from an intensive 3-day training session, which will enable me to better help members of BNI with their networking skills.

I kid you not, in the first two minutes of entering the training session on the very first day, I was approached by one of my fellow classmates who shoved his business card in my face and proceeded to try and sell to me.

He did that with the others throughout the next 3 days. At one point, I asked him, "You've never heard about the Certified Networker program, have you?" To which he replied, "What's that?"

Now this next part I'm probably not going to put in my blog, just in case he reads it (fat chance!), but this guy won the class's "Givers Gain" award! Go figure.

Louise Kahle said...

"You can fool some of the people some of the time .............