Would you like me to give you a formula for success? It s quite simple. Double your rate of failure.
– Thomas J. Watson
Turning Failure into Success
Your failures are learning experiences that point out the adjustments you must make. Never try to hide from failure, for that approach guarantees that you’ll take virtually no risks… and achieve very little. As Beverly Sills once remarked, “You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don’t try.” No, you won’t close every sale. And you won’t make money on every investment. Life is a series of wins and losses, even for the most successful. The winners in life know that you crawl before you walk and you walk before you run. And with each new goal comes a new set of failures. It’s up to you whether you treat these disappointments as temporary setbacks and challenges to overcome, or as insurmountable obstacles.
If you make it your business to learn from every defeat and stay focused on the end result you wish to attain, failure will eventually lead you to success!
You can get everything in life you want if you’ll just help enough other people get what they want.
-Zig Ziglar
The Benefits of Networking
While your success certainly starts with you, it grows to higher levels as a result of your associations and relationships with people. Simply put, you can’t succeed on a grand scale all by yourself. That’s why networking is so important. For the purposes of this lesson, let’s define networking as the development of relationships with people for mutual benefit.
In the business arena, networking has the following benefits:
• Generates new clients or business leads
• Increases employment opportunities
• Helps in finding the right people to fill critical positions
• Provides valuable information and resources
• Assists in solving problems
In the personal realm, here’s what networking can do for you:
• Enhance your social relationships by introducing you to new friends
• Help you to become acquainted with people of varying ethnic, cultural, and philosophical backgrounds
• Provide valuable information and resources
• Contribute to your spiritual growth
Now that we know what networking can do, the question is: What can we do to enhance the effectiveness of our network? Let me pass along 16 techniques that I’ve found productive. To simplify matters, I’ve organized them into four separate, but related, categories: 1) attitude and action; 2) referrals; 3) communication; and 4) follow-up.
ATTITUDE AND ACTION
1. Project a winning attitude. When it comes to networking, attitude is everything! If you’re positive and enthusiastic, people will want to spend time with you. They’ll want to help you. If you’re gloomy and negative, people will avoid you, and they’ll hesitate to refer you to their friends and colleagues.
2. Participate actively in groups and organizations. Effective networking and relationship-building takes more than paying dues, putting your name in a directory, and showing up for meetings. You must demonstrate that you’ll take the time and make the effort to contribute to the group.
What kinds of things can you do? For starters, you can volunteer for committees or serve as an officer or member of the board of directors. The other members will respect you when they see you roll up your sleeves and do some work. They’ll also learn about your people skills, your character, your values and last, but not least, your attitude!
3. Serve others in your network. Serving others is crucial to building and benefiting from your network! You should always be thinking, “How can I serve others?” instead of “What’s in it for me?” If you come across as desperate or as a “taker” rather than a “giver,” you won’t find people willing to help you. Going the extra mile for others is the best way to get the flow of good things coming back to you.
How can you serve others in your network? Start by referring business leads or potential customers. In addition, whenever you see an article or other information that might be of interest to someone in your network, forward the material to that person.
As the Bible says, “Give and it shall be given unto you.” That’s the truth!
REFERRALS
4. Be Explicit. If you refer someone, make sure that the person mentions your name as the source of the referral.
5. Be selective. Don’t refer every person you meet. Respect the time of those in your network. Referring “unqualified” leads will reflect poorly on you. Ask yourself whether or not a particular referral is really going to be of value to your network partner. Keep in mind that the key is the quality, not quantity, of the leads you supply.
COMMUNICATION
6. Be a good listener. Have you ever been speaking to someone who goes on and on about himself and his business – and never takes a moment to ask about you? We’ve all run into the “Me, Me, and Me” types – and they’re the last people you want to help.
So, in your conversations, focus on drawing other people out. Let them talk about their careers and interests. In return, you’ll be perceived as caring, concerned, and intelligent.
7. Call people from time to time just because you care. How do you feel when someone calls you on the phone and says, “Hey, I was just thinking about you and was wondering how you’re doing?” I’ll bet you feel like a million bucks! If that’s the case, why don’t we make these calls more often?
Every now and then, make it a point to call people in your network simply to ask how they’re doing and to offer your support and encouragement. That’s right. Call just because you care – and because that’s the way you’d like to be treated.
8. Take advantage of everyday opportunities to meet people. You can make excellent contacts just about anywhere – at the health club or on line at the supermarket. You never know from what seed your next valuable relationship will sprout.
9. Treat every person as important – not just the “influential” ones. Don’t be a snob. The person you meet (whether or not they’re the boss) may have a friend or relative who can benefit from your product or service. So, when speaking to someone at a meeting or party, give that person your undivided attention.
And please promise me that you won’t be one of those who gazes around looking for “more important people” to talk to. That really bugs me. You’re talking with someone and then he notices someone out of the corner of his eye – someone he deems more important than you! So he stops listening to you… and abruptly breaks away to start a conversation with that other person. Don’t do that! Treat every person you encounter with dignity and respect.
10. At meetings and seminars, make it a point to meet different people. Don’t sit with the same group at every gathering. While it’s great to talk with friends for part of the meeting, you’ll reap greater benefits if you make the extra effort to meet new faces.
11. Be willing to go beyond your comfort zone. For instance, if you have the urge to introduce yourself to someone, DO IT! You might hesitate, thinking that the person is too important or too busy to speak with you. Even if you’re nervous, force yourself to move forward and make contact. You’ll get more comfortable as time goes on.
12. Ask for what you want. By helping others, you’ve now earned the right to request assistance yourself. Don’t be shy. As long as you’ve done your best to serve those in your network, they’ll be more than willing to return the favor.
FOLLOW-UP
13. Send a prompt note after meeting someone for the first time. Let’s say you attend a dinner and make anew contact. Send a short note as soon as possible explaining how much you enjoyed meeting and talking with him or her. Enclose some of your own materials and perhaps include information that might be of interest to this person (such as the name of a trade magazine and a subscription card). Ask if there’s anything you can do to assist this individual. Be sure to send the note within 48 hours after your initial meeting so that it’s received while you’re still fresh in your contact’s mind.
14. Acknowledge powerful presentations or articles. If you hear an interesting presentation or read a great article, send a note to the speaker or writer and tell him or her how much you enjoyed and learned from their message. One person in a hundred will take the time to do this -be the one who does!
15. When you receive a referral or helpful written materials, ALWAYS send a thank you note or call to express your appreciation. Follow this suggestion only if you want to receive more referrals and more useful information. If you don’t acknowledge that person sufficiently, he or she will be much less likely to assist you in the future.
16. Send congratulatory cards and letters. If someone in your network gets a promotion, award or celebrates some other occasion (for example, a marriage or birth of a child) write a short note of congratulations. Everyone loves to be recognized, yet very few people take the time to do this. Being thoughtful in this manner can only make you stand out. It’s also appropriate to send a card or memorial gift when a family member dies.
Building Your Network
The networking suggestions offered above are merely the tip of the iceberg. You should be able to come up with several new ideas of your own. How? By going to your library or bookstore and seeking out the many excellent books on networking… and by noticing what other people are doing and adapting their ideas in a way that suits you. Remember that networks are built over time and that significant results usually don’t show up immediately. So be patient! Build a solid foundation of relationships and continue to expand and strengthen them. You’ll have to put in a lot before you begin reaping the big rewards. One final point: Great networking skills are not a substitute for being excellent in your field. You might be a terrific PR person, but if you aren’t talented at what you do – and constantly learning and improving – your efforts will yield disappointing results.
Now, go ahead! Select a few of these networking techniques and implement them right away. Get to work serving and improving your network. Then you will truly have an army of troops working to help you succeed!
