Networking is a muscle

I was speaking to one of my network this morning. Warsha Joshi from Platinum VA. She was explaining how suddenly she was seeing opportunities to refer and help people all over the place. She is also receiving an increase in high level quality referrals. And importantly an increase in closed business with ideal clients.

Does this have anything to do with the fact that she now finds herself surrounded by a group of highly motivated people who are helping her to succeed with referrals and advice? People she also helps and advises in return because she believes in them and their business.

What doesn’t always appear obvious is that most business people actually have all these opportunities and networks all around them to start with. They just don’t see it; because they have not opened their eyes to the opportunities nor have they been trained what to look for- they have never worked their networking/referral marketing muscle.

Developing these opportunities requires an investment in time, education and resources with the catalyst of “mindset” to bind it together.

Many people think of networking as meeting as many people as possible getting their business card and selling them a product or service. This could also be called cold calling face to face.

This is very much like digging up a fruit tree to carry away the fruit, a one time hit. Rather than watering and caring for the tree to reap regular fresh fruit that could last for years and while there suddenly finding there are other trees which bare fruit and often even better fruit.

Warsha has learnt that by thinking of others and especially being strategic about the people in her closest network she is using her time and resources more efficiently. She is working less and getting more ROI “return on relationships”

Networking and referral marketing are muscles that need to be worked.

As with any muscle the correct technique needs to be employed in the exercise to prevent damage (bad word of mouth or inappropriate referrals). It also needs to be worked regularly to ensure it gets stronger (immersion –a way of life).

Practice does not make perfect. “Perfect” practice makes perfect.