Asking For Marketing and Networking Help
Asking For Marketing and Networking Help
Whether you are looking for a new job or in business for yourself, being comfortable asking for help is essential. Job seekers and career changers need to ask friends, relatives, co-workers and anyone else who can help if they know people to help them with their search. Business owners, career changers and solo professionals must be comfortable asking family, friends and colleagues for networking and marketing help.
What makes it so hard to ask for help? My client wasn’t sure. He does know that when people call him for help, he really enjoys giving it. Why then, I asked, would he deny that good feeling to other people? My question surprised him and he said he would have to think about it.
Another client, an attorney, was having difficulty making the first of several calls to people he had met while networking. He wanted to meet this particular person for breakfast so that he could ask her for referrals. He had no problem calling people on case work but this was a marketing call. When I asked him what kind of reception he thought he would get from the person he wanted to call, he said he thought she would be delighted to hear from him. Still it was hard to pick up the phone.
At a presentation I gave this month for a Bar Association someone asked the question, “How can I market myself without feeling like I am begging for business?”
Other clients tell me they feel they are bothering someone when they call to make a request for help.
I’ve wrestled with this problem myself because I like to feel I can do it all on my own! Intellectually I know I can’t but there is that streak of independence in me that says that I “should” be able to do it.
It is what goes on in our heads that holds us back. If it feels like you are begging for business, you’ll sound that way too. If you feel you are bothering someone, your reticence about the call will be evident to the person you have called. If you ask but don’t really want help, that comes through too.
Just rehearsing a strong powerful request can help you to eliminate the feeling that you are begging. Using a well crafted and rehearsed 30 second elevator speech that connects you to your passion will make you feel more confident. You are in fact offering something (you and your experience) not begging for something.
Those of us who believe we “should” be able to do it on our own, need to address that belief and substitute a new belief. For me I’ve come to the realization that doing it with the help of others speeds the process, makes it easier and more fun. My new belief is: I want to ask others for help so I can get to my goal faster and more easily while enjoying my work.
My attorney client who was having difficulty finding a way to pick up the phone to invite a networking acquaintance to breakfast tells me that he now realizes that when he is going to make a series of marketing calls, the first one is the hardest. Once he starts the others are easy. He needed to block out the time to make the marketing calls on a regular basis and commit to doing it.
How about you?
Take action:
1. Write down a few instances when it has been difficult for you to ask for help.
Think about what can you do to make it easier for yourself? (Need help? Try working with a coach. )
2. Incorporate your ideas about making it easier for yourself into a script and try out your new method.
3. Question to ponder: How would having a lead development system make “asking for help” easier?
Asking For Marketing and Networking Help - To learn more about this author, visit Alvah Parker's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
“I find it hard to ask for help.” My client, an intelligent fellow with a great sense of humor, had left it unchecked on the assessment that I offered last month. He said he thought it might be true but wasn’t sure.
Whether you are looking for a new job or in business for yourself, being comfortable asking for help is essential. Job seekers and career changers need to ask friends, relatives, co-workers and anyone else who can help if they know people to help them with their search. Business owners, career changers and solo professionals must be comfortable asking family, friends and colleagues for networking and marketing help.
What makes it so hard to ask for help? My client wasn’t sure. He does know that when people call him for help, he really enjoys giving it. Why then, I asked, would he deny that good feeling to other people? My question surprised him and he said he would have to think about it.
Another client, an attorney, was having difficulty making the first of several calls to people he had met while networking. He wanted to meet this particular person for breakfast so that he could ask her for referrals. He had no problem calling people on case work but this was a marketing call. When I asked him what kind of reception he thought he would get from the person he wanted to call, he said he thought she would be delighted to hear from him. Still it was hard to pick up the phone.
At a presentation I gave this month for a Bar Association someone asked the question, “How can I market myself without feeling like I am begging for business?”
Other clients tell me they feel they are bothering someone when they call to make a request for help.
I’ve wrestled with this problem myself because I like to feel I can do it all on my own! Intellectually I know I can’t but there is that streak of independence in me that says that I “should” be able to do it.
It is what goes on in our heads that holds us back. If it feels like you are begging for business, you’ll sound that way too. If you feel you are bothering someone, your reticence about the call will be evident to the person you have called. If you ask but don’t really want help, that comes through too.
Just rehearsing a strong powerful request can help you to eliminate the feeling that you are begging. Using a well crafted and rehearsed 30 second elevator speech that connects you to your passion will make you feel more confident. You are in fact offering something (you and your experience) not begging for something.
Those of us who believe we “should” be able to do it on our own, need to address that belief and substitute a new belief. For me I’ve come to the realization that doing it with the help of others speeds the process, makes it easier and more fun. My new belief is: I want to ask others for help so I can get to my goal faster and more easily while enjoying my work.
My attorney client who was having difficulty finding a way to pick up the phone to invite a networking acquaintance to breakfast tells me that he now realizes that when he is going to make a series of marketing calls, the first one is the hardest. Once he starts the others are easy. He needed to block out the time to make the marketing calls on a regular basis and commit to doing it.
How about you?
Take action:
1. Write down a few instances when it has been difficult for you to ask for help.
Think about what can you do to make it easier for yourself? (Need help? Try working with a coach. )
2. Incorporate your ideas about making it easier for yourself into a script and try out your new method.
3. Question to ponder: How would having a lead development system make “asking for help” easier?
Asking For Marketing and Networking Help - To learn more about this author, visit Alvah Parker's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
 | |
 |
No article feedback found. |
| |
Leave Your Feedback |
 | |
| |||
Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
|||
John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
|||
Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
|||
Jeff FosterWebBizIdeas.com is a Minneapolis website design company founded to help people start an internet business by providing them with website, business, and internet resources that help foster the growth of successful online businesses and develop innovative Internet business ideas. We specialize in internet consulting & internet marketing. - Visit Jeff Foster's Website |
|||
Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
|||
Joe DagerJoe Dager is President of Business901, a progressive coaching company providing no-nonsense direction in areas such as Lean Six Sigma Marketing and organized referral marketing. What others say: In the past 20 years, Joe and I have collaborated on many difficult issues. Joe’s ability to combine his expertise with “out of the box” thinking is unsurpassed. He has always delivered quickly, cost effectively and with ingenuity. A brilliant mind that is always a pleasure to work with.” - James R. If you want to learn more about Business901, start a conversation with us. We can be found @ Web/Blog: Business901.com Web/Blog: FundingYourNonprofit.com LinkedIn Profile Follow me on Twitter - Visit Joe Dager's Website |
|||
David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
|||
Jay Kubassek(Jay's Full Bio: EvanCarmichael.com/jaykubassek) In five years, Canadian-born entrepreneur Jay Kubassek went from selling mufflers at a Midas franchise to revolutionizing Internet marketing with the 2004 launch of CarbonCopyPRO, a online marketing education company, now worth over $20 million with customers in over 160 countries.
As an independent film producer, his upstart film fund Aliquot Films is currently producing a films with Spike Lee and Abel Fererra (starring Ethan Hawke and Dennis Hopper.)
Jay's entrepreneurial spirit is irrepressible. He’s the owner of five companies, a professional speaker and trainer, international real estate developer/investor, extreme sport enthusiast and emerging philanthropist. Jay resides in NYC with his wife Jamie, son Milo and dog Cooper. Visit Jay's official website: www.JayKubassek.com - Visit Jay Kubassek's Website |
|||
|
To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us. | |||
 | |
|  |
Subscribe to Alvah's articles
 | |
|
|  |
 | |
|
| |
 | |||||||
|
 | ||
|
||
 |
||
 |
||
|
| ||
 |
| Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details. |
|
|
 |
| Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company! Video produced by Phanta Media |
|
|
 |
"Learn straight from Evan how you can Make a Full Time Income (And More) from a Website"
Click Here To Learn More |
|
|
|
|
Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
|
|
|
 Basic SEO Guide 10 Questions for your sales rep How To Get Media Attention Romance to the Dance Pump Up Your Calendar |
|
 | ||
 |
Top 50 Blogs For Startups
Top Blogs To Watch In 2009 | |
 |
The Top 10 ProBlogger Posts
Best Posts for Bloggers | |
| ||
 | ||||
| ||||
|
| ||||
| ||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
|
Email us your ideas on how to make our website more valuable! Thank you Sharon from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for your suggestions to make the newsletter look like the website and profile younger entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez and Sean Combs!
|
|
|
