Do you want to know the real secret of business?
Do you want to know the real secret of great relationship?
They’re both the same. It’s an incredibly simple secret.
The secret to business and great relationships is this: give great value.
The secret to networking – give great value.
When you meet a new person, whether it’s in business or your personal life, you make a pretty quick judgment. That judgment is essentially “Can this person benefit me?”
This is where a lot of networking concepts fall down.
What Networking Isn’t
- Networking isn’t about meeting people.
- Networking isn’t telling 100 disinterested people about the service you offer.
- Networking isn’t about spreading your business card around like confetti.
Networking is meeting the right people, engaging with them in a meaningful way and, most importantly, communicating the value you hold for them.
Once someone sees the value you can provide them, they are far more receptive to the development of the relationship.
If you’re networking with the right people, this relationship will then develop to be of benefit to you.
The Trick
There’s a trick here though – if you approach networking opportunities like that then it becomes pretty apparent what you’re doing. It’s a bit cynical.
So do this – give great value in all areas of your life without an expectation of return.
Don’t do nice stuff because it’s good for business. Do nice stuff because it helps someone out.
That’s the secret.
Cheers
Brendon
P.S: Check out Keith Ferrazzi’s blog for some nice networking ideas.
Cheers,
{ 1 trackback }