My guess is that you know a bunch of people.
You’ve met dozens of new people at networking events.
And what do you have to show for it?
Probably not nothing and possibly not what you had hoped for.
Here’s a better idea. Instead of going wide, go deep. Aim for quality over quantity.
“If you believe business is built on relationships, make building them your business.” Scott Stratten Click to Tweet
Forget about meeting new people at the next networking event and instead take those hours (yes, you know it’s somewhere between 3-5 hours when all is said and done) and invest your time and energy in connecting with people you already know.
Breaking out the broken drum to beat it (again): Relationships are built over time. Interacting and connecting over time, building trust as you go.
Start by reviewing the people in your database. I can hear some of you saying, “What database?” If you don’t have a database with all of the people you know in it, it’s time to start one.
I use ACT which is a paid system and a free option is HubSpot. But don’t let that get in the way of building relationships right now. For more on this check out my post: Why You Need to Keep Track of Your Connections & How to Do It.
No matter how you keep track of the people you know, scroll through and identify some people you haven’t had contact with in a while and get in touch and say hello and ask how they are.
Or take action using one of the ideas below to deepen and strengthen your relationships.
Review LinkedIn Connections
Spend some time on LinkedIn to see what your connections are up to. There are many ways to interact on with people on LinkedIn.
You Can:
- Like and/or Share people’s updates
- Give people endorsements on their skills
- Give recommendations
Connect People to Each Other
While you’re looking through the people you know, keep your eyes peeled on two people who could benefit from knowing each other. Then make the introduction and explain why it is you think each person would benefit from connecting with the other.
Go deeper on this topic by checking out my post, Connect People To Each Other and Watch Your Business Grow.
Help People
Being helpful is fun and easy. And people appreciate it when you make an effort to help and support them.
How to Be Helpful:
- Share interesting articles
- Recommend a book, a course, or an event
- If you notice something that isn’t right (a broken link, missing image, etc.) share it
For more on how you can be useful to people in your network read my post, The No Pressure Way to Market Your Business.
Give Referrals
You can do this publicly on social media and in private as well. Here you’ll find several of my posts about referrals.
Another resource on this approach of building relationships and stimulating referrals is Tim Templeton’s book, The Referral of a Lifetime.
Talk With People
Revolutionary, right? Talking with people is a delightful way to deepen your relationships. You can set up a time to chat on the phone, video Skype, or even more old school – in person.
Thank People
Another low-tech option, thank people. Radical, I know. But since many people fail to do this, by default if you do say thank you – you will stand out.
Learn more about how these two sweet words can make a difference in my post, Two Words That Can Boost Your Business.
I hope you’re starting to see the benefits of strengthening your existing relationships.
And that while it’s always great to expand your network, it shouldn’t be at the cost of nurturing existing ties.
So if you have limited time and must choose, go for the people you know. Happy connecting.
© Stephanie Ward
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How do you reach out and nurture your relationships? Share your thoughts and questions in the comments section below. I respond to every single comment.
Excellent advice as usual, Stephanie. I have recently come to this conclusion on my own, but your ideas for action give me direction, the next steps I can take. With each tip I read above I had a network contact in mind that I could apply that tip to.
So I’ve got two words for you: Thank. You. 🙂
Reading that you have a contact in mind for each tip makes me sooooooo happy! And great to hear you already reached this conclusion. You’re welcome, Mandie. Your feedback means a lot to me.
Stephanie always great advice! Much of this I already do. However, the next step is to look at my LinkedIn connections. I do ‘like’ a lot. I also connect people regularly. But I can also give more recommendations. Thank you for all these tips. Heartfelt greetings, Mary Jane
Thank you, Mary Jane! Glad to hear you’re already doing much of this. And even better that you want to do more. Love your style, connecting and giving wherever you go.
Hi Stephanie! Excellent article – as always. What makes it really good is that they are all very obvious things to do – but you make it into a ‘state of mind’. Thanks!
And by the way – did you make that typo at the end deliberately, to see if I have read the article thoroughly 😉 ? (you respons to every single comment)
Thank you for your feedback, Iris! I appreciate your perspective. About the typo, it was not intentional. And I’m always grateful when people point out these types of mistakes to me. Many thanks.