Selling Today: Partnering to Create Value, 14/e

Networking

One of the most complete books on networking is Dig Your Well Before You’re Thirsty by Harvey Mackay. He says, “If I had to name the single characteristic shared by all the truly successful people I’ve met over a lifetime, I’d say it’s the ability to create and nurture a network of contacts.”22 Networking skills are of special importance to new salespeople who cannot turn to a large group of satisfied customers for referrals and leads. Professionals (accountants, lawyers, consultants, etc.), entrepreneurs, managerial personnel, and customer service representatives also must develop networking skills. Networking skills are also of critical importance to job seekers because, at any given time, about 80 percent of all available jobs are ...