Recently, I got the opportunity to attend a conference for AAMCO, one of our national customers. The weekend was packed full of educational speakers, a vendor expo, and plenty of networking time with the decision makers from many different shop locations.  While all of these things were overall valuable to me as a vendor, I experienced something that made me think.  I mean, really think.
Over the weekend I met quite a few new people, and enjoyed putting faces to many of the names that I talk to on the phone everyday.  One evening at dinner, I had about an hour long conversation with the wife of a shop owner.  She was a lovely person and I genuinely enjoyed our conversation. I was at this convention to ultimately sell transmissions, but I found myself talking about Christmas parties and her daughters.

The following evening, I was pleasantly surprised to see the same woman and gave her a wave across the room. While I had enjoyed our time together the night before, I was there for business and wanted to network with as many people as possible before heading back to Milwaukee.  When she called out to me, I gave in, smiled, and took the opportunity to meet her husband as well.
The next words out of her mouth shocked me.  “Honey, do you buy your transmissions from Megan?” When her husband admitted that he didn’t, she asked, “And why not?”
Talk about a couple of powerful questions from a powerful person.
I never would have imagined that my casual conversation with this woman the night before would have led to HER selling ME and my product to her husband.  What she said to him went farther than any relationship I could have built with him over the weekend.  She liked me and my product, and that made him instantly interested in what I could offer his business.
The lesson for me here?  Making a connection with someone at a networking event or business function that seems like a friendly, but dead end…might lead to a pot of gold.  Being able to make genuine connections with people that will recommend YOU to your customers will mean more every time than any 30 second pitch that you could give.

“Kentucky Fried Sales Chick” Megan Pierce brings a little southern charm to our sales floor daily, and a little bit to you this week in her Reman U debut article. Have you got a likeability story to relate? Share it with Megan or in the comments below!