Happy Friday, everyone!
This week's poll question was inspired by a recent article by SalesDog.com's Michael Dalton Johnson, Do Talk to Strangers, in which he points out that going out of your way to engage others in conversation can be fun, educational, and occasionally, yield a business opportunity as well.
Have you ever struck up a conversation with someone you didn’t know and had it turn into a sales opportunity?
Looking forward to reading your replies!
Awesome! Thanks for sharing your story!
Well, yes. The ability to speak with strangers is integral if you are going to be successful in media sales. Despite all of the lead generating techniques and shortcuts that are "sold" to salespeople, you really need to be able to also set aside your fear of talking with strangers and meet people you have no other connection with. I like the examples Michael used in the excerpt.
I am fall on the introvert side of the extrovert/introvert scale but you can use that to your advantage to create stronger relationships. You just have to step out of your comfort zone and decide to care about the person you are talking to!
While I have plenty of connections from spending the past decade in the market and previously growing up in Fort Wayne, Indiana, my business would not exist if I did not make a conscious effort to do in-person cold calling every month. 25% of my 2014 clients were relationships that I initiated and that translated into 50% of my billing. 10 years ago that figure was closer to 95%.
By getting in the habit of talking to strangers, you develop the habit of starting relationships instead of always trying to sell someone. It builds trust which is one important key to a successful career in this business.
