Why Schmoozing is Essential to Growth
Why Schmoozing is Essential to Growth
How to Do It Without Being Creepy
When you’re just starting your business, you don’t have the resources yet to hire a sales rep. As the founder, you’re automatically the company’s sales rep. You’re responsible for selling your products or services if you want a profitable business. No one else will do it for you.
Schmoozing is David’s middle name. So he shared three of his best-kept secrets on how to do this without coming across as a creepy used car salesman. But first, let’s burst a bubble.
Myth-Buster: Social Media is NOT Schmoozing
You might be thinking that having a good social media presence is enough to get the sales you need. It’s not.
Social media is not set up to promote face-to-face conversations. Their motivation is in the advertising dollars they gain from people scrolling—which is the total opposite of connecting by talking face-to-face. Relying on social media as the ultimate lead strategy is a strategy that will fail.
Why Schmoozing is Essential to Growing Your Business
When you’re just starting out, your brand, services, or products haven’t established a solid and well-known reputation yet. Consequently, the likelihood of getting business from people you’ve never spoken with is very small because they don’t know if they can trust you. In this early stage, they may see you as just another ad to scroll by, or link to ignore.
That’s why you need to have face-to-face conversations with people when you’re a young company. People are far more likely to buy from you when they’ve spoken with you one-on-one.
3 Tips on How to Schmooze with Style
Adjust Your Expectations
Schmoozing is playing the long game. Schmoozing is not your marketing budget. Don’t expect to go to a conference and instantly make a sale. It can happen, but rarely does.
Keep in mind the two goals of schmoozing:
- Have more people remember your name
- Make connections
Think of schmoozing like road building. You’re the town. Schmoozing is building roads to other towns. The hope is that the road that you’re building through schmoozing will, at some future time, ultimately be used to transport goods and services. Eventually creating a well traveled and diverse means of commerce. But you have to build the roads first. Concentrate on the road building.
Focus on Having One Great Conversation with One Potential Prospect
When you attend an event in person, remember this one objective...
Focus on having one good conversation with someone who’s in your target market.
It means that you’re getting along well, the conversation is flowing easily, you’re comfortable with each other—AND the person is someone who could be interested in what you have to offer. That’s it. You’re NOT going to sell, pressure, or manipulate. You’re going to make a sincere connection. That’s all.
Follow Up After Your Conversation
After schmoozing at an event, your next objective is just one thing: Set up the next opportunity to meet. That’s your entire goal. Don’t expect other people to call you. Don’t wait for them to call you. Don’t pray for them to call you.
Call them.
Final Thoughts on Schmoozing
These are your four main take-aways:
- Schmoozing is how you’re going to build your enterprise.
- No one else will schmooze for you.
- Go out and have one-on-one conversations with people, i.e., SCHMOOZE.
- When you don’t want to do #3, go back and read #1 and #2.
Why Schmoozing is Essential to Growth
Why Schmoozing is Essential to Growth
How to Do It Without Being Creepy
When you’re just starting your business, you don’t have the resources yet to hire a sales rep. As the founder, you’re automatically the company’s sales rep. You’re responsible for selling your products or services if you want a profitable business. No one else will do it for you.
Schmoozing is David’s middle name. So he shared three of his best-kept secrets on how to do this without coming across as a creepy used car salesman. But first, let’s burst a bubble.
Myth-Buster: Social Media is NOT Schmoozing
You might be thinking that having a good social media presence is enough to get the sales you need. It’s not.
Social media is not set up to promote face-to-face conversations. Their motivation is in the advertising dollars they gain from people scrolling—which is the total opposite of connecting by talking face-to-face. Relying on social media as the ultimate lead strategy is a strategy that will fail.
Why Schmoozing is Essential to Growing Your Business
When you’re just starting out, your brand, services, or products haven’t established a solid and well-known reputation yet. Consequently, the likelihood of getting business from people you’ve never spoken with is very small because they don’t know if they can trust you. In this early stage, they may see you as just another ad to scroll by, or link to ignore.
That’s why you need to have face-to-face conversations with people when you’re a young company. People are far more likely to buy from you when they’ve spoken with you one-on-one.
3 Tips on How to Schmooze with Style
Adjust Your Expectations
Schmoozing is playing the long game. Schmoozing is not your marketing budget. Don’t expect to go to a conference and instantly make a sale. It can happen, but rarely does.
Keep in mind the two goals of schmoozing:
- Have more people remember your name
- Make connections
Think of schmoozing like road building. You’re the town. Schmoozing is building roads to other towns. The hope is that the road that you’re building through schmoozing will, at some future time, ultimately be used to transport goods and services. Eventually creating a well traveled and diverse means of commerce. But you have to build the roads first. Concentrate on the road building.
Focus on Having One Great Conversation with One Potential Prospect
When you attend an event in person, remember this one objective...
Focus on having one good conversation with someone who’s in your target market.
It means that you’re getting along well, the conversation is flowing easily, you’re comfortable with each other—AND the person is someone who could be interested in what you have to offer. That’s it. You’re NOT going to sell, pressure, or manipulate. You’re going to make a sincere connection. That’s all.
Follow Up After Your Conversation
After schmoozing at an event, your next objective is just one thing: Set up the next opportunity to meet. That’s your entire goal. Don’t expect other people to call you. Don’t wait for them to call you. Don’t pray for them to call you.
Call them.
Final Thoughts on Schmoozing
These are your four main take-aways:
- Schmoozing is how you’re going to build your enterprise.
- No one else will schmooze for you.
- Go out and have one-on-one conversations with people, i.e., SCHMOOZE.
- When you don’t want to do #3, go back and read #1 and #2.
Our superpower is custom software development that gets it done.
