Link
and Grow Rich
Which would you rather have, a piece of delicious pie, or the whole pie?What do you think is more valuable to own, the entire pie, or the company that makes the pies?
Too many of us today are focused on sales. We're always trying to close the next potential customer and add them as quickly as we can to our list of hopefully growing clients. Too many of us think this is the best path to grow rich.
And we hear a lot these days about networking. Networking, we're told, is the key to building our businesses. Meeting others and swapping business leads is indeed an efficient way of getting more business. And yes, networking really does work far better than cold calling.
But is there an even better way? If business networking is a step up from selling, what's better than networking?
Establishing business links is one of the most powerful, yet overlooked tools for making your wallet grow fatter and gain weight every day.
At networking events, too many of us show up and look for the eggs instead of seeking out the chicken. Would you rather meet someone who would become a new client or someone who, because of his or her contacts, could introduce you to dozens of new clients?
This is building business links rather than seeking business itself.
So how do we do it?
First, building business links, like networking is about building relationships. But that's where the similarities stop. It's the questions you ask and who you look for that make all the difference.
Let's say for example, that you'd like to add a lot of mortgage lenders to your client base. Would you rather try to meet them, one at a time, or instead meet a single realtor who may know dozens? The realtor is your business link.
Here's the secret &endash; First, decide which specific profession you want to meet in order to be linked.
Next, do your homework. Find out which professional business organizations they attend. Plan to be there.
At the event, meet as many people as possible by keeping your conversations to no more than three to five minutes each.
Always begin every conversation with a question! Here are the questions.
"What do you do?" Their answer will tell you're if your standing next to a person you want to meet.
"How long have you been with your company?" A very important question because someone who answers "three weeks," is probably not as well connected as someone who has been with his or her firm for five years is.
And most importantly, "What is your target market?" The answer to this critical question will tell you if they are looking for the same target market as you.
When you discover your link, hand them your card, ask for theirs and suggest a lunch date for next week. Then move on to the next person.
There's an old saying in life that unless you're the lead dog, the view never changes. Linking will not only change your view, but also get you to the head of the pack.
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