02 Jul 2010, Posted by admin in Business Networking, 0 Comments.

do pushy people know when they’re pushy?

I attend a BNI meeting recently where there were several visitors.  At the appropriate time each visitor was asked in turn to let us know what they do and how we could help them?  I love this part of the meeting as I never fail to be fascinated about the way people talk about their business.

Some are nervous, some are interesting, some are funny and some are just plain pushy.  Problem is that the pushy don’t know they are being pushy but they do talk as if everyone in the room are nuts if we do not buy their product. ‘Selling to the Room’ is not networking.  It is … selling to people, you know nothing about.

I have a professional background in sales and I know that one product or service does not fit all customers.   You have to ask questions and get to understand your customers before you can decide what part of your solution is relevant. ’Selling to the Room’ is the equivalent of hosing the entire audience down with cold water and has the same effect.

So the next time you go to a networking meeting and are asked to present your business to those present, leave out the words you and your and simply describe, from experience, what sort of people are already buying your products or services and what problems you are helping them overcome.

Those who have similar problems will approach you and those who know people with such challenges will be more likely to give you an introduction.