Your
networking circle is extremely important and how you interact with your
connections is vital. I recently had a conversation with my girlfriend DaVida
Branch of Real Talk Radio every Wednesday evening from 9:00 pm-11:00 pm on
WindyCityUnderground.com. We discussed the importance of personal and
professional relationships with those that you plan on conducting business
with. The first topic that we discussed dealt with trusting that your
connection will look out for the best interest of you and your business. In
order to provide this type of assistance and support that connect must take the
opportunity to learn about you. Networking aids us as professionals so that we
understand the importance of trusting our consultants.
For Example: If I decided to do business with you, could I trust that you will represent my company/organization well?
If I trust your judgment and receive your
professional advice then that means we have built a successful foundation. Your
trust for that consultant also ties into having a strong support system.
Everyone will not always support your product or the services that you provide
however it is important to receive guidance. If your support system is
consistent then you will continue to build strong relationships with the necessary
people. REMEMBER as you grow those that support your brand will grow. Word of
mouth is everything and you cannot succeed without supporters, readers,
reviewers, listeners, audience, talent, PR's, voters, publists and
advertisement. If you ever find yourself saying that "I don't expect
support from those that are around me" then you’re probably not around
enough people that care. This is just my OPINION.
Those that support your craft may not
necessarily love what you do but they understand why you do it. There is a
respect there for the profession that you are in. I look at it the same as
watching a reality TV show and thinking to myself these women are degrading
themselves. At the same time they may be advocates for abused women, the AIDS
virus, breast cancer sponsors or they could be active with youth organizations
in the community. I would never know or understand why they host/star in a
reality show if I never paid attention to the additional projects their involved
in. This is a great example as to why I support small business owners, artists,
entertainers, comedians and PR's as I do.
Stepping out of the box in your
profession is one thing but the next step that I believe we should all take is
measuring our performance. You can measure your performance by asking different
individuals to give their insight on what they would like to see or hear from
you. Instead of assuming that you have all the answers to your success BE more
open to ask. We have to remember that adults can be indecisive just like children;
we may have interest in one thing today and it may change tomorrow. If your
expertise is selling than you should also be open to learning new ways to enhance
your managerial skills. You can learn and develop new managerial skills that
will eventually open up opportunities for others to work within your
company/organization. You CANNOT train or provide a structural layout to
someone if you have not developed the skill of structure yourself.
Last and most importantly when
measuring your performance individually... do not be scared to share your ideas
amongst your networking circle. If you are uncomfortable with sharing ideas
amongst the people in your circle then why ARE they in YOUR CIRCLE? Or you
haven't taken the steps to build a solid relationship. I strongly dislike the
phrase "Every Man For themselves" we forget that we're where we are
now because someone referred us. If my ideas and advice helps someone in my
networking circle then that’s what makes me successful.
I
hope you've enjoyed this read... Spontaneous Blog by Mimi
N.B.S-
Networking Business Solutions
