I hate networking. The only thing I like about it is that it works, and it works beautifully. Networking is the move of moves for your black belt. You can use it to eliminate your competition. It is a power move. You cannot earn your black belt in marketing unless you master how to network effectively. Networking is used by all master marketers.
Networking is your shortcut to getting things done. If you learn how to network, you become a master of leverage and are able to accomplish a lot with a minimal amount of time, effort, and money.
Master networking, and you will never make a cold sales call again. You then make “warm” calls to people you’ve been introduced to. They are waiting to hear from you.
All small- and medium-sized businesses are built on referrals, which is a form of networking. All top-performing brokers in the insurance or mortgage industry will inevitably be part of a local networking group. This is the way they become known in their communities.
Why does networking work? Because of the magic word in marketing—trust (move 4).
People buy from people they know, like, and trust.
My book Marketing is King! was picked up by a major New York publishing house because it was recommended by one of America’s most famous marketing gurus. My publisher trusted his recommendation. I was successfully able to network. If you want to learn how to effectively network, I have a full section in the book on the exact process to do it.
To grow a business, you must become a master networker. Make it a habit to collect business cards from every person you meet, and put the cards into a database. A company called CardScan offers a phenomenal free service that allows you to hold all your business cards online. This list can be used to generate subsequent mailings.
A good networking tool I know and use myself is LinkedIn. Set up a profile, and this site links you to people who have worked in the companies you have. You can thus gain access to their network. One person I know knows eighty people, and I can access these eighty people through him. LinkedIn is the underground networking tool. Get in contact with others through your friends.
People move in networks. Everyone has a network. It is a fact that you mix with people who are like you. Jim Rohn, America’s foremost business philosopher, says, “You are the average of the five people that you surround yourself with on a daily basis.” Your life is a result of your thoughts, and your thoughts are generated by your network. If you want to take your business or your life to a higher level, hang around people who are going places or are where you want to go!
Here are six simple rules of networking:
- Be proactive. Go out and network. People will not come to you.
- Make it a habit to collect business cards.
- Build a relationship with everyone you meet. (Send them a value item on a regular basis.)
- Get permission to access the network of the person that you are going to build a relationship with.
- Always ask yourself, “I wonder where this person can you take me?”
- Keep networking!
Networking is a skill that will change your marketing quickly. Never abuse or misuse this skill, repay your network contacts, and they will always want to help you. And remember, your network determines your net worth!