“If you’re not networking, you’re not working.”
Dennis Waitely
The quote above represents two things for me. If you’re not networking it means that you’re staying busy doing other things in your business like office tasks, processing email, increasing your social media reach and working on new projects. And it also means that you may not be working on growing and building your business by increasing your reach. If you’re not increasing your reach, you may not be getting as much business and as much income as you would like.
When it comes to growing a business, keep in mind, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. Of course, we need to be knowledgeable in our field and good at what we do on our own, but the more people we know, the bigger our circle and our reach grows. Networking means your circle grows bigger because the more people you know will reach more people that they know. More connections leads to an increase in our sphere of influence, an increase in business and an increase in income.
Networking mean getting out there around other people which may feel uncomfortable. If you’re in introvert, it can be stressful to put yourself out there. If you’re new in business, you may not have as much confidence yet as you will with more experience under your belt. If you have a difficult time talking about yourself, that can also be an obstacle. So, let’s look at ways you can get out there and increase your sphere of influence.
Lead a Group
One way to get involved and get to know others is by drawing them to you by running a group. It could be a networking group where everyone is working on growing their own business through referrals. It could be taking on a board position for a community group, charitable cause or with your local chamber of commerce.
When you’re being a leader, you’re going to be forced to talk to people and get to know them and what their needs are. When you lead others, they will naturally get to know you too. Leaders also connect other people who would benefit from knowing each other. This can actually take some of the pressure off of you when you’re focusing on supporting and helping others.
Attend Events
“Never underestimate the power of being seen.”
Brene’ Brown
Being seen in your neighborhood community and business community reminds people that you’re around. Consider attending networking events, business trainings, meetings, leadership presentations, fundraisers, charitable events, and political events.
Sometimes people forget who we are and what we do. Being involved reminds people about you and what you do, which in turn leads to them thinking of you when they have a need for your service. It also allows people to ask you questions about what you do while they have some time with you.
Refer Business
Be a business connector. Help others by referring business to them when someone has a need come up that you know they can fill. It’s common for complete strangers to rely on each other for referrals on social media. When you are confident in someone’s ability to help because you’ve forged a relationship with them already, you become a great resource for people in your community. You’ve already vetted other business owners and feel confident in their ability to help.
You can also sing the praises of other business owners by leaving them a review on Facebook, Yelp or Google. Or share a positive experience you’ve had with their business on your own social media platforms. Word of mouth is truly the best way to build a business.
Soft Touches
Connect with people without asking for business by just letting them know you’re thinking of them. Do you have a client having surgery? Send them a checking in text or mail a get well card. Pay attention to what people have going on in their lives and respond to that. It truly means so much to people and it doesn’t take much time or effort on your part.
Check in with people to see how they’re doing since working with you or purchasing your product. How are things going? Ask if they have any questions for you that they may have been hesitant to reach out to ask.
Ask Others to Share Your Message
Connect with people who complement your industry. If you’re a massage therapist, you may consider reaching out to chiropractors who have patients who will need massage. Ask them to share your card or a pricing postcard with their client base. Be sure to also get their business cards to give out.
Always show appreciation for the helping you grown your business. Drop by with a small gift to say thank you like cookies, coffee, flowers, or anything else that you think would make someone’s day.
Getting out and networking with others truly is a win/win situation for all involved!
“Your network is the people who want to help you, and you want to help them, and that’s really powerful.”
Reid Hoffman
