Relationships are the key to B2B sales. We all know that. But implementing a process to dramatically enhance those relationships is another story.
That’s where entertaining comes in. Many salespeople never consider it. Yet, it can, and has, provided a competitive advantage if you do it right.
In my own experience, I can trace a $2 MM account directly to an entertaining event. And the biggest, richest sale I ever made was set up by an entertaining event.
It is a higher-order sophisticated selling skill that most salespeople never consider. In this post, I’m going to review the why’s and how’s of entertaining well.
What and Why
Step-By-Step Guidelines
Let’s begin with a definition: Entertaining your customers means intentionally creating opportunities to spend time with a customer or prospect in a social setting outside of business.
Entertaining is NOT having lunch with your good buddy; NOT giving gifts; or NOT trying to ‘buy” someone’s business.
Rather, it is a proactive strategy that allows you to nurture a relationship with selected customers and prospects that you will not be able to accomplish in any other way.
It is a necessary step in developing a committed, long-term relationship.
It often provides you with an advantage over your competition. This assumes that your competition is like most salespeople and has never considered the power of entertaining their customers.
Entertaining allows your customers to get to know you better, and that is a powerful precursor to greater sales and a deeper relationship.
1. Look for events.
There is nothing wrong with taking a customer to dinner, but an event provides you an opportunity to include more people, gives you something to talk about, creates a common bond, and allows for more casual interaction. So, ball games, concerts, fund-raising events, etc. are all good venues in which to entertain your customers.
2. Create a dynamic list of potential prospects and customers.
These should be the highest-potential people in your area of responsibility. Entertaining is an investment, and you should be cognizant of the issue of return on investment. If you invite low-potential people – maybe because they are less intimidating – you’ll have a hard time regaining your investment.
So, methodically create your list, adding to and subtracting from it as circumstances change.
3. Entertain in small groups.
I always brought my wife and invited the spouses of the people I invited. That provided a deeper layer to the relationship, added spice to the event, and made it easier to carry on a conversation. It always makes you less of a ‘stereotype’ – you are not just a salesperson, but you are a real, live human being with a spouse, just like them.
I found that a group of six to eight worked best. If the group is larger than that, you’ll find it more difficult to engage with each person. If smaller than it eliminates the group dynamic.
4. Attend to the details
Do you need to buy tickets, make reservations, arrange for transportation?
You may want to consider some little memento – think bobble-heads at a baseball game, as a gift to the folks who come.
5. Invite accurately.
Remember, you want high-potential people, so be guided by that idea in deciding who to invite. When you do invite them, emphasize the event. The attraction is the event, not spending time with you. Mention who else will be there, let them know how long it will be and what, if anything, is expected of them.
6. Prepare some icebreakers and questions that will help encourage conversation.
Remember, you are the host, and it is part of your responsibility to help everyone get to know everyone else and to become comfortable with each other.
Asking couples how they met is always good. I’ve used this question for years in social situations with people who did not know one another: “What is one of your most memorable meals?” Everyone can respond and the responses often have back stories to them.
7. At the event, be guided be these rules:
a. Let everyone know there are two rules:
* No talking business
* I pay for everything.
b. Be careful with alcohol. You don’t want to overindulge, and it’s tacky to allow your guests to do so.
c. Introduce everyone.
d. Have a good time.
8. After the event
Make a contact within a week or so just to solidify the experience in their mind. It’s ok to talk about the event.
Expect your business to grow.
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