B2B Leads and how to get them

Do you fertilise your 'Word of Mouth'?

Yuck Paul, what do you mean? . . . The whole idea of fertilising has to do with  manure?

You know, like animal faeces.

Word of Mouth has to do with  MOUTH right.

Mixing the two, doesn't endear me to your imagination, does it.

Well, now I have your attention, let me tell you a story.

B2B Leads

In the early days of my sales career I attended one of those world beating twanging American sales guru's seminar.

It was quite a performance. He kept me right on the edge of my seat, waiting for the punch line of his whiz bang sales technique.

And I was not disappointed:

"This is the secret of getting more business than you could poke a stick at" he said.

I held my breath.

"All ya gotta do" he said in his thick American drawl, "is ASK for more business.   Yes, just ask for it."

I was puzzled.

He went on: "never leave one sales presentation without asking for a whole bunch of referrals"

"Insist on that prospect writing down 10 of the names of their friends"

"Just do as we do - put a pen on a piece of paper and slide it across to'em"

I froze.

That's where he lost me (and everyone else in the audience).   Why?

Well, probably the Pacific Ocean has something to do with it. He came from the United States of America, we all grew up over here in Australia.

He didn't understand. We don't do that sort of thing to people here.

Folk see it as pushy.

I didn't ever want to become a PUSHY SALESMAN.

But over the years, I thought and practised different ways to get more business by asking for referrals.

I had my failures.

I even lost people I thought were friends, when I tried my techniques on them.  :-(

Yes Australians ARE different from our American neighbours. We are more reserved. I thought Australians don't give referrals.

I was wrong.

I discovered Australians DO give out referrals.

They are usually quite happy to give you a name or two.

Provided you approach them gently, and with respect.

In the US people are used to salesmen sliding a blank sheet of paper under their noses and expecting them to write 10 names of people they know.

Not here.

NOPE,

Australians would rather 'suck Coke-a-Cola up a straw into a nostril', than be forced to volunteer that information.

So, how do we get Australians to part with this precious business building data?

It's all in how you ask them.

You've got to EARN their respect before they will volunteer the names of their friends.

They've got to trust you.

They had better be feeling very comfortable around you, or you can forget it!

Here it is. Are you  ready for it?

Here's one of my Secrets for building your B2B Leads.

Go get a pen and write this one down:

"By the way .  .  .  Who do you know?"

It's that simple.

"By the way" - that softens the rest of what you have to say.

"Who do you know?" is you telling them you have a problem, that they may be able to help you with.

Australians love to HELP their mates.

When we admit we are human "just like them", they warm to us. They see we are REAL.

We are someone with frailties - just like them.

"By the way, who do you know, who appreciates reliability like you do?"

"By the way, who else do you know who has a growing family?"

"By the way, who do you know who probably needs what it is that we do?"

and the 'clincher':

"By the way, who do you know who appreciates service like you do?"

B2B Leads Generation.

Simple?      Yep. Simple,

But will you just try it, the next time you finish a job at a customer's place?

Go ahead, they trusted you enough to engage you in the first place;

You endeared yourself to them by taking your boots off whenever you entered their home; you listened to their needs didn't you?

They trust you.

Give them the opportunity to help you with a problem you have - they'll be only too glad to help.

You already know that your chances of getting a job from a referred client is almost 100%.

Now, you won't have to spend as much on advertising.   Nice.

You've just fertilised your Word of Mouth !

Clever aren't you.

By the way,   who do you know,

who wants more local business . . . without having to advertise?

Would you consider forwarding this email on to them?

Like .  .  . right now?

Thanks (cause my only advertising - is you),

© Paul Johnson 2013

Missing Piece Marketing.

ph: +61407261900

We would love to hear from you!

Email: paul@missingpiecemarketing.com.au

'Maiden Dale'

23 Spurwood Rd

Warrimoo

New South Wales

Australia 2774