When you help others, they often help you. Reciprocity is an ageless principle.
Success in any field, but especially in business, is about working with people, not against them.
People do business with people they know.
There is no such thing as a “self-made” man. Everyone who is ever done a kind of deed for us or spoken one word of encouragement to us has entered into the makeup of our character and of our thoughts as well as our success.
Give before you receive. Contribute: give your time, money, and effort to your community of friends.
In order to understand how to use a network, write down your goals (monthly, yearly, 3-year). Then capitalize on the people you know.
Take Bill Clinton, who started writing down the names of people he met back in 1969 for use later. The people in his black book became various campaign donors and people in his cabinet.
Build your network before you need it. When starting a business, get your first client before you quit the full-time job. Get clients by making friends first, doing work for free, then selling your products or services.
Start now:
- Company approved projects to network within the business
- Take on a leadership position in outside organizations
- Join a local alumni group
- Enroll in a local class
The highest returns don’t come for new sales they come on top of the customer base you’ve already established.
Audacity. People with a low tolerance for risk, whose behavior is guided by fear, have a low propensity for success.
How to get comfortable being audacious in social settings:
- Find a role model (extrovert).
- Learn to speak (Toastmaster)
- Get involved.
- Get therapy.
- Just do it.
We vote (and work) with people we love and respect.
- Don’t schmooze
- Don’t rely on the currency of gossip
- Don’t come to the party empty-handed
- Don’t treat those under you poorly
- Be transparent
- Don’t be too efficient
A widening circle of influence is an unintended result, not a calculated aim.
Research people before you meet them. Find something that transcends polite chitchat, those simple things that connect people on a deeper level.
Make lists of people who’ll get you to where you want to go. Make an aspirational list.
Make cold calls warm. Have a mutual friend to talk about. Use LinkedIn/Facebook to find out info about them.
Be persistent if you get no answer, sometimes aggressive.
- Convey credibility by mentioning a familiar person
- State your value proposition
- Impact urgency and meet on his/her terms
- Be prepared to offer a compromise that secures a definite follow-up at a minimum
Deals are done face-to-face, so get to their office or have lunch.
Always respect the power of the gatekeeper.
Invisibility is a fate worse than failure. Never ever disappear. Keep your social and conference calendar full. Follow the Clintons example and many CEOs = talk to dozens of people a day.
Networking events don’t work as much as shared interest groups.
Follow up is the key to success in any field.
Building relationships with people they do business with his work smart spells people spend 80% of the time doing, not PowerPoint presentations and closing deals.
- While at Deloitte, the author developed one-page bios of 2 potential clients they targeted.
Conferences
Public speaking is one of the best ways to get people connected to you. And since people are afraid to do it, it’s in demand. Not to mention, it can be profitable and increase your overall income.
Host your own event before and after dinner or three-day conference.
Get people to like you first, then make the sale. You’re not there to watch the speakers, you’re there to build a relationship.
Find those super connectors in the following businesses, because it’s the power of acquaintances, not strong relationships, that matter:
- Restaurateurs
- Headhunters
- Lobbyists
- Fundraisers
- Public relations
- Politicians
- Journalists
Connect like Paul Revere.
The key to connecting is small talk. Be vulnerable rather than closed off. Open your window.
The only way to get people to do anything is to recognize their importance and thereby making them feel important. Help someone’s health, wealth, and children and you build loyalty.
You can be more successful in two months by becoming really interested in other people’s success then you can into your trying to get other people interested in your own success.
Pinging – all the time. Keep fanning the flames of your network. Repetition is key. Always ping people on their birthdays.
Have dinner parties, especially with people from different groups.
Be interesting. Have something to talk about.
No journalist ever turned down a scoop – pitch journalists over the phone, not in press releases
In order to be an expert, read, write, and speak about important topics. You can learn any topic in 2 weeks and then become the go-to person on it.
Stay humble, avoid hubris upon your ascent up the ladder.
