Your Network Equals Your Net Worth

by Todd Schnick on February 16, 2009

People's mandala - 12 handsBe An Intrepid Marketer – Recommendation No. 14

BY REBEKAH LOVELL, Guest Contributor
 
From the time-tested business book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie notes the character of successful business giants of the 20th Century. He writes, “The world is full of people who are grabbing and self-seeking, so the rare individual who unselfishly tries to serve others has an enormous advantage. He has little competition.” 
 
As a business owner, it can be easy to focus head-down and bent over your goals and daily operations. The last time you came up for air, did you notice your lunch schedule seemed a bit too wide open? When’s the last time you served a friend or business acquaintance of yours?
 
Connecting with your clients, colleagues, and community isn’t a good idea or something you need to get around to – it’s essential! Your business, any business, can profit from being plugged into what’s happening around you and being an active part of the people’s lives you’re in contact with by helping them in whatever they may need a hand in.
 
This ability to surround yourself with great friends, mentors, partners, and inspiring clients is profitable both personally and in turn, financially. You’re growing your abilities and offerings through collaboration and your bottom line by referrals and word of mouth. What have you got to lose?
 
A client of mine recently said, “I seem to have surrounded myself with so many great people, and that’s what I love to help others do too!” This client isn’t one that keeps to herself. She meets someone new and spreads the word about them and their business or endeavors to everyone she meets. She is genuinely interested in promoting her friends and colleagues because she believes in them and their cause. I’m sure we all want to be around more people like this! Start today by becoming this kind of person for others, and the rewards will be ten-fold.

[Publisher's Note: You can find Rebekah here, and follow her on Twitter here!]

  • http://bethbridges.blogspot.com Beth Bridges

    Rebekah,

    Thank you for the post.

    I wish there was some way to discover if people who invest time and effort over the long run in their network, also have a decent setup for their financial planning. It seems to take a similar mindset.

    How do you get people to realize how essential their network is? I seem to encounter so many people who have opportunities laid out in front of them and never take advantage.

    Beth

  • Rebekah

    Hi Beth,

    I think people will realize how essential their network is once they start actively participating in it and giving back. It’s really true that what goes around comes around, and you get what you give. My best clients are not only promoting themselves, but also my business-and vice versa. I can’t help but plug for others as well! In the end, it’s all about relationships.

    For people who don’t take advantage of their situation, I’m sure they don’t do much referral business. I have been referred almost 6 new clients by two existing clients just in the past week and a half. I thrive off word of mouth and there’s nothing better financially, for your business, than not having to spend money to attract new customers!

    Thanks for your thoughts Beth!

  • Todd Schnick

    Beth – do you think the same reason some people don’t see how they can benefit from their network are the same kind of people who are stuck believing in the old model of television advertising on broadcast TV? They just don’t seem to see. And I think they don’t want to see because of the work involved in cultivating their network…

  • http://www.roshinimedia.com Roshini Rajkumar

    Hi Todd:
    I couldn’t agree more. I recently took focused note of the term social capital and a wise comment a sales professor said: “You can’t expect withdrawals until you put in a lot of deposits.” Your post and readers’ comments seem to match that idea. I’m amazed by how much comes back to me when I happily help people in my network and even new people I meet every week. The universe has a way of rewarding those who aren’t always thinking about themselves.
    Thanks,
    Roshini in Minneapolis

  • Rebekah

    Thanks Roshini,

    Social Capital is an excellent term for this concept! And yes, deposits are required for withdrawals to be made. Have you seen your network grow in leaps and bounds since you embraced this idea?

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