Selling via NetworkingIf you sell in the residential marketplace, I’ll bet when I mention the term “networking”, you probably have a flashback to an after-hours or lunchtime gathering of people dressed in business clothes, munching on fancy snacks and maybe drinking a cocktail. Oh yeah, I forgot the fistful of business cards being handed to everyone with a pulse in the entire room. The above scenario is fine if you are a B2B seller trying to reach purchasing agents and corporate buyers. On the other hand, if you sell blue collar residential services and products such as security systems, irrigation and landscaping, or environmental services; I’ll wager that you aren’t too jazzed up about strapping on a tie, hunting for your sport jacket, and heading for the Chamber meeting at the local Hilton Garden Inn. If you’re that salesperson, this post will put a lot of money in your pocket. As I’ve mentioned before, anytime you can prospect and sell by multiplication that is preferable to doing it by addition (one homeowner at a time). One of the best ways to accomplish this is to locate and contact homeowner associations. Increasingly, residential communities of condo’s, patio homes, and single family residences (both open and age-restricted) are being governed by HOA’s/POA’s. Here’s a multiplication plan you will like:

  • There is a homeowner association website you should visit; hoa-usa.com. Here you can register for FREE and locate a database of HOA’s by state. The site also provides FREE downloads you might want to get to distribute to the HOA’s you contact. The FREE portion of the site will allow a limited Selling via Associationsamount of lookups per day, but don’t worry, you can go back each day and look up a few more.
  • The next step in the plan is to contact an association, identify yourself and your company and offer to come to their next meeting and give a 15 minute talk on a topic of interest to homeowners that parallels what you sell. Most groups are very open to “public service announcement” type information dissemination.

For instance, if you sell security systems, you might give a short talk on how to select a contractor, how to improve home security, or earning substantial homeowner insurance discounts. The key is to ensure that you verbalize to your POC that you will not attempt a sales pitch to their group.

  • Meetings are typically held once per quarter, so lead time could be a couple of months, or several months; if they already have a speaker scheduled for their next meeting, so don’t wait until the last minute to attempt to schedule one.
  • In the event you are denied access to an association meeting, try a fallback position of providing literature packs that the POC can distribute to the owners at the next meeting. That would be better than nothing, as interested owners would still be able to contact you.
  • As you are able to get on meeting agendas, professionally present your 15 minute topic without giving a sales pitch, remembering that on that day, you are a subject matter expert guest speaker and not a commissioned salesperson.
  • As you conclude, make yourself available if owners want to ask individual questions and of course, distribute informational literature. After speaking, tastefully consider circulating a sign-up list for those who want more information or would like to make an appointment with you at another time.
  • Once you are able to pick up a new customer in that community, bend over backward to secure a video testimonial, and/or referrals with introductions. Depending on your product or service, a homeowner that could be convinced to hold an “open house”, with you present, could be a real catalyst in that neighborhood. This customer could be rewarded with complimentary special features or possibly discount pricing.

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Nearly two years ago Tom L. left the corporate side of an international environmental services company and bought one of their pest control franchises in northeast Georgia, which he actively manages. Among the many changes he made there was joining one of Doug’s online weekly sales coaching groups. At the end of his first full year there Tom had grown his sales by 25%, and YTD 2015 sales are up 45%! Tom tells Doug that he and his sales folks participating in weekly coaching sessions has been a valuable piece of that sales growth. Check out Doug’s online coaching for yourself.  

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