Enthusiastic agreement is great – you guys and girls are going to take care of yourself. You will read the rest of the article happily, because you can’t get enough of the topic I will be talking about.
Disagreement works pretty well for me too – I hope you find yourself compelled to read the article. Maybe I will be able to change your mind. If not, let me know why you think I am wrong in the comments section below.
It’s indifference that I can’t abide. I used to be in this group. If you feel indifferent after reading the following paragraph, I want you to read the rest of the article, then get off the fence and pick a side. If you agree with me, great! But if you think the whole thing is a waste of time or is just plain pointless let’s chat about it.
So what am I talking about?
Networking
Yes – that old nugget. I am here today to talk to you about networking, which I believe, relatively speaking, is the most underestimated tool we have at our disposal when it comes to building a brand or business.
I refer to relativity for good reason. Despite there being many exponents of networking in circulation, I feel like its true power is still underestimated by many (if not most). That must mean that the evangelists of networking are not doing a good enough job.
As I mentioned previously, there will be those of you who feel either indifferent or negative about networking. If I do not convert you into the “enthusiastic agreement” camp, I will have failed to achieve my goal. That will be most disappointing for me, as I am desperate for you to (a) realize the power of networking, and (b) make it work for your own brand or business.
Methods Of Promotion
There are many widely recognized forms of promotion when it comes to any brand or business (I have omitted content marketing from this list, as I trust that you are all using that method already):
- Advertising
- Social media
- Direct Sales
- Sponsorship
- Public Relations
And we certainly shouldn’t forget networking. Quite the opposite in fact. If you could only choose one form of promotion, I would wholeheartedly recommend networking. I’ll tell you why later.
What Is Networking?
The word “networking” will arouse negative reactions from some of you. It is often considered a ‘corporate’ activity, reserved for those with tailored suits and expense accounts.
But if you are a blogger, internet marketer, or small business owner, you would do well to cast that presumption aside and understand what networking truly means, and what it can do for you.
I found the best definition of networking at dictionary.com:
A supportive system of sharing information and services among individuals and groups having a common interest
It’s like karma for the social and business world. If you are generous enough with your own knowledge and assets, you will in turn receive rewards, which are usually exponentially greater than the value of your input over time.
Sounds good, right?
The Benefits Of Networking
You can broadly explain the number of benefits that networking can produce with one word: limitless. Some pretty incredible things can be achieved through networking.
Here’s a hypothetical situation. You’ve designed a great clothing line. You befriend the owner of a local clothes shop, who is suitably impressed and agrees to put your range on display. The owner just happens to be friends with the husband of the head of a major fashion brand. Your clothing line is mentioned in casual conversation and contact details are exchanged. The next thing you know, you’ve got a contract in place for your designs to be put into mass-production.
It happens. It really does.
I’ve been working towards self-employment for a few months now, and have already received great benefits from my (extremely limited) networking efforts. I only feel like I fully came to terms with the power of networking recently, and yet I have already benefited from it.
For instance, take the joint venture that I am working on with Joseph Archibald. That only came about because I regularly kept up to date with Joseph’s blog and generally made myself known.
And how about my major change in direction in terms of my online efforts? They are down in part to my good friend, Robert Dempsey. We first spoke a few months ago, when I was just starting off, and have kept in touch since. We had a chat on Skype at the end of last week, and he lit a huge fire under my ass which has set me off on what I see as an extremely lucrative path. Because I regularly contributed to his blog (as I still do) and generally made myself known, he was happy in turn to give me an hour of his time and offer me a wealth of advice, which may well turn out to be absolutely invaluable.
Finally, I am going to be publishing an article this week that I think will be of enormous benefit to you. That article was only possible because of my growing network of contacts.
All of the above is just the tip of the iceberg. You cannot list all of the benefits that networking can bring, because they are limited only by your input.
Reciprocity Is Networking’s Best Friend
Networking is at is most effective when you have something to offer. It has to go both ways, and you should be extravagant with your generosity. Don’t worry – you don’t need to be an ‘expert’ in order to be of value to someone who is perhaps much further along in their journey than you.
It can be as simple as providing insightful comments on someone’s blog posts. Perhaps you notice a broken link and drop them a line to let them know. Or maybe you just send them an email, complimenting them on an article they recently wrote. In time, you will have more to offer, but there is nothing wrong with starting small. And in time, they will feel obliged to reciprocate.
Where Does 5 Minutes Come Into It?
Simple – that’s the initial amount of time I want you to spend, every day, on networking. Even if you are unconvinced by the idea of networking, all you have to lose is 5 minutes per day. You will not regret it.
So this is the deal – I want you to contact one new person, every single day. Someone who is in some way connected to your own brand or business. So if you are a graphic artist, you might choose to contact another graphic artist, or perhaps a web designer (as the disciplines are complementary).
I welcome you to start with me! Drop me a line and introduce yourself. If you think I can help you with anything, please ask. I would be happy to help.
Once you start getting replies from your new contacts, it will begin to take more than 5 minutes a day. But it doesn’t ever have to take too long. I only spend 10-20 minutes a day keeping in touch with my various contacts, and it is time very well spent. The point is, once it starts taking more than 5 minutes , you will already be sold on the concept, so it will be time that you are happy to spend.
Over To You
Let’s see if we can drum up some additional support for networking. Who of you out there have experienced positive outcomes from your networking efforts?
And I’m happy to flip the whole thing on its head too – who of you out there have tried networking, and consider it a waste of time?
Photo courtesy of Toban Black