In our continuing discussion with Bob Burg, author of "Endless Referrals", I asked this sales lead expert, "How should salespeople balance social interactions and networking? In other words, how do they know when to "back off" and just be friendly and when to aggressively cultivate new business in a social setting?"
Bob's answer:
"Well, I think what’s key is that if a person is doing this correctly, they will never have to worry about crossing the line. Why? Because, when networking correctly at a social function, your focus should always be on the other person (as opposed to yourself and your products/services) and simply establishing the relationship. The social event is not the time to talk about your business.
To paraphrase the famous line in the film, “Field of Dreams” . . . “Build the relationship and the business will come.”
The point is, when you cultivate new business in a social setting, you don’t do it by being aggressive."
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