Facing the issue

How important is face-to-face networking to sales, relationships, career and success?

I asked my commercial insurance agent, John Cantrell, to give me a synopsis of his networking. John has been a friend, client and vendor for the past 22 years. Here are two important facts about John:

1. His insurance business has exploded with growth over the past 22 years.

2. He is a MAJOR business networker in Charlotte.

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I wonder if these two facts are connected? (Hint: THEY ARE!)

I asked John to tell me what networking has meant to him and his business over the last 20 years. His immediate answer was, “It has been the foundation of my most valuable clients, friends, suppliers and relationships!”

Here’s the background of how to succeed as a local business networker from arguably the toughest sales category on the planet: insurance.

Here is John’s story and tips in his own words:

“When I started in the insurance business, the first things I did was join the Charlotte Chamber. I started in the insurance business in 1993 as a fresh graduate from East Carolina with a finance degree. My dad gave me an opportunity, a desk, a chair, and a salary with a declining scale. He wasn’t going to throw me into the 10-foot-deep water immediately, but he did make the impact known that I had to learn how to eat what I kill.

“Shortly after joining the Chamber, I was a little discouraged. One of my best friends, Richard Herd, and I were talking one day about me not continuing to participate in the Chamber. It was about six months after my joining and he said, “just stick it out, get involved, get on some committees, and see what happens after a year. If you don’t like it, I’ll pay for your membership.”

“Little did I know that 20 years later some of the people that I met then would be my best friends and longest-term clients. People like Richard Herd, Jeffrey Gitomer, Michael Meehan, Eileen Covington.”

Here is John’s history in networking and leadership in the Charlotte Chamber:

1. Business Growth Network. Served on committees welcoming new members and meeting other small-business owners.

2. Entrepreneur of the Year awards. Committee member and chair for three years.

Involved in selecting, interviewing, and running the event held at the Convention Center.

3. Charlotte Chamber Business Owner Peer Group. For five years he met monthly with noncompeting business owners to discuss business problems. How to hire, fire, train and market business.

4. Chamber new-member orientation. For two years he chaired and led a monthly meeting to explain how the Chamber works for new members.

5. Charlotte-area councils. John has been involved in this for 10 years and he’s still active at the monthly lunch meetings where they bring in a speaker and offer time to network.

John said, “It’s about the developing core networking places and participating, getting involved, and establishing a leadership position. But, everyone is different. Some people are morning people, and some are night owls. Work at your best system and process that lets you get the most done in the time that you dedicate to networking.”

Here are John’s other core benefits of networking described in his own words:

Note from John to newcomers: “When you are brand-new in the sales world, you don’t have a lot of things filling your calendar. Fill it with networking events and Chamber events. Fill it with opportunities to meet and build your network of people. The best strategy is to help them achieve the things they’re trying to achieve. Pay it forward and you’ll always get paid back.” •
Jeffrey Gitomer is president of Charlotte-based Buy Gitomer. He can be reached at (704) 333-1112 or email to salesman@gitomer.com.

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