It's not what you know, it's who you know. Yes, we've all
heard that phrase over and over in our lives, and if you haven't...it's
the truth. While what you know is a very important component of your overall
ability to generate a successful business, who you know is one of the
single most important steps you can make to expand your circle of reach
by expanding your "Network." Some of us instantly associate
the word "Networking" with "Network Marketing" which
causes an instant turn and walk-away attitude for many people. "Networking"
has nothing to do with "Network Marketing" (unless, of course,
you are a Network Marketer), and it has everything to do with your business.
Most of us already have a small network of people we know
who know people who know other people—people who might be interested
in the product or service that we offer. This network can come in very
handy when times are rough, and we usually reserve our network for worst-case
scenarios, such as reaching a point in the business where failure is imminent,
if your outside-the-home employment is on the line, or you flat out lose
your job. Then you contact someone in your network, and if you've got
a good one in place, within hours, days, or a couple of weeks, someone
that someone else knows will contact you with an offer to do business,
a loan, or a new job. A network is more than a security blanket in times
of need—it is an integral part of being a successful entrepreneur.
What if…You could have a larger network? What if the
people known to your inner circle were suddenly known to you? What if
it was all available online? Would that pique your interest? You would
probably start building a network as quickly as possible—or as one
of the networking sites puts it: "Build your network before you need
it." You can have a large network of people you know, and see people
they know, and be able to contact them freely without fear of sending
unsolicited e-mail or making dreaded "cold calls" to get a reference,
an endorsement, or an idea for advertising. Not only do these places,
used correctly, help you build a network rapidly and increase potential
business, these Websites help you create that all-important "safety
net" when you face a challenge, whatever it may be.
Building Your Network (Before It Is Too Late)
You probably know more people than you think you do (or
maybe more than you want to know), and this is to your complete advantage.
Before something happens that throws you into a situation beyond your
control, you need to have these people in place…and in one place,
easily accessible. Some of us keep address books on our PCs or on a sheet
of paper hidden away in our filing cabinet; the highly organized among
us may even have their contact list backed up on a PC, on a handheld device,
in our cell phones, our "little black book," etc.
Having all of these individuals join you in an online networking
resource can bring more contacts than you may have ever thought possible.
So what are you waiting for? With the resources available today, and the
many resources springing up all over the World Wide Web every day, you
can begin this process now, hopefully before you desperately need it.
The IAHBE Web Resources Center has a directory of hand picked
Websites for you to choose from, such as LinkedIn and Ryze. I've personally
used both of those to attempt to build a network and see what possibilities
it brings about. By choosing people to invite, you're not just inviting
them personally, but you are inviting each and every person in their chosen
field. Especially in LinkedIn, for example, if you are, for instance,
in a non-technical field and you invite a friend who is in Information
Technology, that person adds their online network of IT specialists to
be available to you. This also adds the city/state area, your local area,
and your chosen field. As you add on and build a "resume" online
for your own personal profile, you then add each of those fields and locations
along with it. This rapidly builds your network, even if you do not know
the people.
For example, when I signed up for LinkedIn (see the "On
The Web" section at the end of the article for more information),
I signed up in my current primary fields, freelance/technical writing
and network marketing. I invited former co-workers who are in all spectrums
of medical technology, development, information technology, medical sales,
etc. When they joined, they added their particular field to my network
(and added my field to their network at the same time). I went from 31,000
potential contacts by signing up in my field to over 75,000 contacts in
a matter of minutes (it just so happened I had quick sign-ups from those
I contacted). I then added my former business (Information Technology)
and grew the network more.
This builds your network for you, out to a certain length
that you can have direct contact with, and much further (i.e. the 75,000+
in the example) that are involved in LinkedIn and related to you by field,
location, history, and many other factors. With LinkedIn, you go out to
"four degrees," which I will cover in the next section. Within
this four degrees, you're allowed to contact anyone and everyone, and
you most likely know these people, or they are friends and/or associates
of those you have invited into the network.
Another example of using such a network might be a scenario
in which you either move to a different part of the country or find that
you have a need for contacts in that geographic area. Very quickly and
easily, you can consult your online network to see what fields are represented
in that geographic area.
You now have the resources to get the word out and get people
involved when you need help (finding a job, promoting a business, seeking
a qualified vendor or service provider, etc.).The best thing of all is
that they're all willing to help because they have placed their own name
in your network.
The Six Degrees of Separation Rule
You've more than likely heard about "Six Degrees of
Separation," whether it be the game (think Kevin Bacon), the movie,
or the theory that everyone is connected to everyone else on the face
of the earth by no more than six degrees of separation. If you've played
the game or seen the movie, you know exactly what I'm talking about already.You
are "connected to" the President of the United States, for example,
through no more than six people. I'll use the President of the United
States and myself as an example to "prove" the theory:
- 1st Degree: I have a good friend Sheri who works for
American Express Travel in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
- 2nd Degree: Sheri's husband, Brent, is about to graduate
with a degree in Psychology from a university in the Fort Lauderdale
area.
- 3rd Degree: One of Brent's professors works closely with
the Family Services Department of Miami/Dade County in Florida.
- 4th Degree: This individual (John) in the Family Services
Department for Miami/Dade County works for and talks to the mayor of
Miami frequently.
- 5th Degree: The mayor of Miami holds many conversations
per month with Jeb Bush, governor of Florida.
- 6th Degree: Jeb Bush is the governor of Florida and the brother of President George W. Bush.
I've reached the president in just six people. This is a
very simple example, and not stretched, even though I do not personally
know Brent's professor, the mayor of Miami, the governor of Florida, or
the President (but I've seen the latter three on television). So picture
this in your Network. You need to talk to an advertising specialist and
somehow salvage a $5,000 advertising disaster you're experiencing. So
you log onto your Network on your Website of choice where you have the
most contacts. A former co-worker of yours knows a lawyer in another city
who has a client that is an advertising executive and who just so happens
to love helping out small-business owners. Bingo, you've got a conversation
at the very least within literally minutes of the issue arising and are
on the way to saving $5,000 worth of mistakes and turning it into "X"
dollars worth of sales. Now that person would be within four degrees of
you, and you may already be linked directly to that person (through three
others) without even having to contact your co-worker or the attorney
mentioned in the example.
LinkedIn and other sites listed in the Web Resources area
of the IAHBE site operate off of a variation of the Six Degrees of Separation
Theory. LinkedIn, for example, allows four degrees out for direct contacts.
You can submit requests for five degrees out and further and have that
person get back to you if they choose to. You've been able to solve a
problem, help a friend, build an online resume, all with very little time,
no money spent (NOTE: some of the resources listed do charge for certain
levels of contact availability), and you haven't even had to make a phone
call or SPAM someone to beg for help!
The power of the Network is now in your hands—more
than ever—courtesy of some very intelligent and forward thinking
individuals and Web designers, and the power of the Internet. Use it to
your advantage, completely within the law, without risking SPAM complaints,
and not making the dreaded "cold call" to beg for help. I know
you'll enjoy building this network. Once it's built, you may even forget
it, but someday—whether it be next week or five years from now—you're
going to need these people. And they'll need you. How does it feel?
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