| How do you, as a consumer, make your buying and | | | | created to meet, usually monthly, to introduce |
| purchasing decisions? When you need to buy a | | | | themselves, to exchange business cards, and to pitch |
| magazine, how do you decide which store to buy | | | | their products and services to each other. B2B |
| from? When you want a coffee, how do you decide | | | | salespeople would meet with other B2B salespeople, |
| which coffee shop to go to? When you need a new | | | | usually over a meal like breakfast or dinner. There are, |
| pair of jeans, how do you find a jeans store? You | | | | literally, thousands of B2B networking chapters across |
| don't ask your friends or colleagues for | | | | the country. These networking functions are time |
| recommendations or an introduction to the store | | | | consuming and a waste of your time. Think about it, an |
| owner. You already know where to find the proper | | | | average networking group will consist of people like |
| store. Retail store owners get business by placing their | | | | mortgage brokers, realtors, copier sales reps, financial |
| stores in the proper places to get pedestrian or city | | | | planners, accountants, and business consultants. They |
| traffic. You will find convenience stores to buy | | | | are all trying to sell their services to other people that |
| magazines from in strip malls, coffee shops on street | | | | are trying to sell their services. Salespeople are not |
| corners, and jeans stores in shopping malls. | | | | buyers, they are sellers. The buyers and decision |
| Retail store owners don't engage in business | | | | makers don't attend business networking functions. |
| networking to generate more business. A coffee shop | | | | Why? Because buying is not difficult! |
| owner doesn't ask for introductions so that he can sell | | | | So think about this: selling is difficult; buying is not. When |
| more coffee to more people. He sets up shop at the | | | | a business owner or a decision maker in a company |
| busiest intersection that he can find so that as many | | | | needs to buy something all he needs to do is open up |
| passing pedestrians and motorists find him. | | | | the yellow pages or do an online search for what he |
| Retail does not engage in business networking, so why | | | | needs and he will find what he is looking for. So why |
| does B2B? Business networking evolved from the | | | | do you continue wasting your time business |
| concept of "six degrees of separation." That is, you're | | | | networking? The top sales producers don't; they |
| connected to anybody in this world, by no more than | | | | become visible when buyers are looking for their |
| six degrees, through somebody that you already | | | | services. Just like the coffee shop owner that sets up |
| know. The concept evolved into the general thinking | | | | shop where as many people as possible can find it, the |
| that being introduced to a buyer or decision maker | | | | top B2B sales producers are visible in the places |
| inside a company that you would like to sell to | | | | where executives and procurement professionals are |
| increases your odds of closing a sale because people | | | | searching for their products and services. They are in |
| will buy from people they know; an introduction from a | | | | the yellow pages, they have professional profiles on |
| friend or colleague extends the trust and, thus, makes | | | | internet websites, or they have their own website that |
| it easier to sell. This may be true but the time involved | | | | are found through internet search engines. |
| in getting introductions makes it impractical. | | | | The bottom line is business networking doesn't work, |
| This further evolved into business networking groups | | | | just don't do it. |
