5: Becoming One With The Affluent
The author begins with an (extended) narrative about a sports writer who played football in order to better understand the game. He practiced with the team, and even got some time on the field in a game. The point being that others in his profession would study the sport and watch from the sidelines, but his sense was that this wasn't enough to really understand it.
In much the same way, a salesman who seeks to engage with the affluent market should seek opportunities to interact with them outside of work. For example, many salesmen will join community organizations, but few of them actually attend functions or become involved with other members in the activities - it's just for the sake of being able to say they are a member and occasionally show up at an event to gather leads.
Community organizations provide an excellent opportunity to interact with the affluent, though the author provides a number of selection criteria. Primarily, the affluent must be actively involved in the organization, not merely donating to them. It should have frequent (monthly) meetings, activities, and social events, not just one or two a year. The purpose and goals should capture your genuine interests, so you are involved rather than just in attendance. They should be recognized as making a positive contribution to the community, not just a social club, and definitely not embroiled in controversial issues. And you should be able to be involved, not merely paying basic membership fees, but actively participating in the activities of the organization.
As for examples, there's a list: alumni associations, chambers of commerce, charities, religious organizations, civic organizations, hobby and interest groups, country clubs, hospitals, museums, private clubs, professional associations, etc.
To narrow down the list, it's suggested that you list the names of the five people who'd most like the opportunity to meet, then doing some recon to find out what organizations and events they frequent, to identify one or more organizations in which you can be involved (though a maximum of three is suggested)
A list of tips for "working" events and organizations is provided:
- Plan your involvement in activities based on who will be there and what your networking objectives are
- Show up early. You're in a better position to see who is there if you are among the first to arrive,
- Walk the room at least twice, to become familiar with the area and see who is there
- Stay alert. Eat before you go so that you can focus on networking, refrain from drinking.
- Networking means meeting new people. Spend at least 75% of the time talking to people you don't already know.
- Target three to six specific individuals you want to connect with
- Pay attention to people's names and use them in conversation - it flatters other people and helps you memorize their names
- Don't "sell." The point of networking is to make connections and gather leads.
- Don't advertise. Get other people to talk about themselves rather than talking about yourself.
- At professional events, you may ask for another person's business card, but it is presumptuous to offer your own unless they ask you for it.
(EN: This scratches at the surface of etiquette, but doesn't go deep enough for my liking. Social events can be tricky, and studying a bit more on social protocol can help a salesman make a positive impression, rather than making an ass of himself. Also, since the topic of anxiety and self-consciousness has been stressed, knowing the rules of etiquette helps overcome the uncertainty and enables a person to interact casually and with greater confidence.)
It's likely that involvement in organizations will grant a salesmen better visibility among the affluent, but the main point is to be among them, to become known to them, and eventually to be considered as one of them.
Stepping Outside The Box
The author provides a couple of anecdotes about instances in which people who wanted to gain the business of the affluent went a step further, and leveraged the contacts they made through organizations.
One example is an interior decorator who purchased a house in the historic district to use as a portfolio to showcase his talent. He was proactive in offering use of the house to a number of local organizations as a location to host events for their donors and volunteers, which brought a lot of affluent people into the place and got them to asking who had done the interior design.
Another example is of a real estate agent who specialized in high-end listings, and who offered as a service to his clients a catered open-house to which he invited all of his clients - even though they may not have been in the market for a house, they might know someone who was. The events were popular and became a social event, and established him as the preferred real estate agent to the affluent members of his community.
It's noted that, in both instances, the salesmen were not overtly shilling, and were acting on someone else's behalf (the organization who needed a place for an event, a person who was trying to get the word out about selling their property), which had the added benefit of reciprocity: people feel inclined to think kindly of those who have done them a favor, and to do unsolicited favors for them in return.