Chicago business owners have a much higher insistence on doing face to face business than other business owners in other parts of the country. Now, this is not to say that all business must be done face to face. However, a large part of the Chicago culture is meeting with someone to discuss how they can help you with their XYZ product.

That is why in this installment of the Chicago Business week series we are laying out today some strategies to get additional clients through a face to face effort. Everything from how to connect with the person over phone or email to setting up appointments and finally connecting with them face to face.

Chicago Business

Face To Face 5 Step

Here is a five step process that you can use to connect with prospects in Chicago. I have done this before successfully myself. The key is to build a profitable relationship, not to make a sale.

Step 1: Connect with someone via LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter. Build a relationship with these connections via social networking. Then after you feel that the two of you have a good relationship ask to take the connection offline.

Step 2:  Have a phone conversation. Especially if it is two people in Chicago then this is a local call.

Step 3:  During The Phone Call set up an appointment to meet face to face.

Step 4: This when you can start selling the person on your products and services. However, it will not be much of a sales process at this point, because if you have created any level of connection at this point it will be more of a conversation.

Step 5: Once the sale is complete you might have to stop in from time to time, but with a lot of industries you will not have to be there to sell them every time there is a new product, because it is a conversation you can figure out over the phone.

And that ladies and gentlemen is how you take social networking into your Chicago businesses on a face to face selling scenario.