“Social Selling: attending networking or trade events with the hopes that a potential customer or referral resource might be there.  This is in direct contrast to strategically attending events at which targeted customers and decision makers will likely be in attendance.”  ~ Dave Cooke

When the prospecting focus and strategy breaks down, salespeople lose contact with their ideal customer.  Decision makers hardly ever go to open networking events.  Yet, there are a lot of salespeople there.

Why are salespeople hanging out at networking and referral events and not in front of their targets, prospects, and potential customers?

It is because they do not know how to connect with them, can’t identify them in the first place, or are hoping for an easier way to make a connection with their elusive targets.  Rather than do the hard work of focusing on making connections with their targets, who are too busy to hang out at networking events and referral groups, these salespeople are hanging their future leads on the abilities of others to connect them in.  Also, it gives them something to tell their managers–they are out networking every night.

Nothing but social selling.

Effective prospecting requires knowing who your ideal customer target is, where they hang out, and what your strategy is to put yourself in front of them.  This is work.  It takes time.  It requires a strategy, a process, and a commitment.  It does not involve hanging out at a networking event with a bunch of other lost salespeople.

Before you head out for your next social selling activity, ask yourself this question:  what have I done to directly contact and connect with my targeted contacts?  If the answer is nothing, stay at the office and work on putting a plan to that accountability.  There is nothing at the social selling event that is going to save you the hard work.

This blog post is an exerpt from my workbook “CookedUp Revenues –  Effective Business Growth in the New Economy.”  To obtain your copy of this workbook, please contact me HERE.