This is a guest post by Caz and Craig Makepeace.
One of the most overlooked parts to your success, not just online, but in any field is networking.
Like it or not, “It’s not what you know, but who you know” is a very real reality.
Some people think that this is not fair and spend forever moaning and griping about it. For me, I’d rather just understand the reality of this, become an entrepreneur, and do what successful people do.
Networking is the fun part to your business. It is the part that I find is the easiest and can produce the greatest rewards.
Networking is simply building relationships. Relationships cannot just be beneficial to you from a business perspective, but from a personal perspective as well.
Networking Purpose
There are two very important points I want to make before I go any further. What I am outlining are strategies specifically to address how building relationships can benefit your businesses. We never ever build relationships with people purely for personal or financial gain. The rewards that come from networking are a side bonus. We build relationships with others because we love meeting and interacting with people. We always bring the attitude with us that we have the opportunity and ability to offer something of value as well.
The second important thing is these networking strategies apply just as much to the online world as it does to the physical world. Don’t believe for a second you can hide behind your avatar on the computer. Everything you do must be backed by authenticity and sincerity or else your success with networking will be short-lived. If you are networking in the online world, these strategies will be applied through your online communication.
Get to know the other Person
After spending a whole day listening to entrepreneurs talk at a conference, we worked up the courage to approach our favourite speaker for the day after the seminar. We introduced ourselves, asked him if we could buy him a drink and then proceeded to talk about surfing, Australia, the US and travel. We spent the remainder of the evening into the early hours having a blast with him. Not once did we ask him anything business related or pester him for his million dollar secrets. The next day he found us to say goodbye, and spoke of the fantastic time he had with us. He gave us his personal details and said, “If you need any help with anything, give me a call.” That was a solid relationship building evening.
If you are meeting someone who you look up to in your chosen field for the first time, make sure you do not bombard them with questions as to how they can help you. First, get to know the real person. Make general conversation. They will appreciate it so much as they are used to so many people wanting to learn their magic secrets.
Make people remember you
In business, people are interacting and networking all the time. How is someone going to remember who you are? One of the best things you can do is have your photograph on your business card. This makes it so much easier for the person who is sifting through hundreds of them to remember you. Carry your business card everywhere and hand it to each new person you meet. Let them know how you can connect again and that you would love share ideas sometime. Make it casual.
Be bright, happy and positive. Smile lots, make jokes and light-hearted conversation. This is really the best way to ensure someone remembers you. In reality there really aren’t a lot of happy friendly people around so if you can be this way you will stand out.
Don’t be afraid to share your story with others. There is a very fine line here between bragging and sharing. Speak confidently about what you do, allow your passion for it to shine through.
Let the person know you, know something about them and appreciate what they do. Without sounding stalkerish, mention a recent post of theirs you read, or tell them how helpful you found their latest book. Make it short and sweet.
Lose your arrogance
I’m sure we have all met the person who thinks they are so far above you that you are not even worthy a look down their nose. These people stink and have no idea about building relationships. When their walls come tumbling down they will find no one around to help build them back up.
I don’t care how big or how successful you are there is no one who is not worthy of your time. Besides, how do you know the success these people may have in the future?
The more success you have the harder it is to devote enough time with others who want to get to know you. It is like when you get married, the evening finishes and you feel really rude because you did not get a chance to speak to your hundreds of guest. Do the best you can. Always offer a smile at least, and a nice to meet you. People will understand you are busy, but that doesn’t mean you can’t treat them with respect and leave a good impression.
When talking with others always ensure that you spend time getting to know them. Ask them about their life and what they do. Do not spend the whole time talking about how wonderful you and your product, website or blog is.
Follow Up
The fortune is in the follow up. Allocate time in your busy schedule to follow up with those you have recently met and would like to build a relationship with. Send them a quick email, facebook status update or even a tweet.
Let them know how much you enjoyed meeting them and you look forward to meeting them in the future. If you spoke about any particular topic, mention it with perhaps an answer, a website, or a link you can send their way with helpful information.
Always be sure to pass on your gratitude and appreciation for anything that people have taken the time to help you with. I know it is easy to forget sometimes, but you must make this a habit. I have had people contact me via email for help before, and I have taken time out of my busy schedule to help them out. Sometimes I never hear from these people again, not even a one sentence thank you. It always amazes me as that is a prime opportunity for relationship building lost. I’m less likely to help that person in the future.
Start connecting with your new friends online. Join their social communities, comment on their work and share it. This all helps to cement a deeper relationship with these people.
Entrepreneurs are always happy to network and share. They understand the power that comes from building relationships. You just never know where that relationship may lead.
Never be afraid to approach people. You are worthy of their time and you have a lot to offer. If you approach your networking from this perspective, with an open mind for learning and sharing you will build strong and positive relationships with others.
People help open up doors that you never had the clear vision to see. You also have the ability to help open these doors for others.
Caz and Craig Makepeace have been living and travelling the globe since 97, both solo and as a couple and now with a three year old. They believe life is all about the memories and their travel tips and stories at yTravel blog and their fanpage aim to inspire and teach others how to make their life a story to tell.
About Guest Blogger
Okay so its no secret that I listen to a lot of podcasts and read a lot of blogs.
I find it so bizarre that people don’t understand the same rules that apply to your life also apply to your online persona. I’ve talked to Caz and Craig several times and can vouch that they also get this but unfortunately they are members of a select few.
If you’re a competitive asshole in real life, people don’t like you. If you’re fake, self serving and don’t help others then those people aren’t going to support you.
So many posts are dedicated to ‘relationship building’ and the ‘power of networking’ and I think it’s sad that people don’t get it – be a real person and people will relate to you. Your online life IS your life. There are secrets to getting ahead. Treat others as you would want to be treated.
Ayngelina recently posted..Back to the land of the connected
Well said Ayngelina. Of course if, like you said, you are an asshole in real life than being yourself online does not really help
I think you have two ways to go online, be helpful and open, or be a massive asshole. Both will get you attention. Both with gain you a following…eventually. But, I would rather have the people attracted to the first strategy around me. I left the assholes back in high school, college, and that dirty bar in Thailand.
Caz, and Craig, please don’t let you daughter read my dirty words
Oh, and thanks for a fantastic post!
Ha Ha. She does have Craig and i for parents. She’s heard it before and amazingly never repeats it!
I agree Todd. I left the jerks and bitches back in high school. Always amazes me when people say high school is the best years of your life. WTF??? I think that is why there are too many gossip sessions and school yard behaviours as some people just don’t want to outgrow it!
I much rather the positive vibe of being nice and having those around me who are the same.
Caz Makepeace recently posted..The Royal Easter Show Sydney Australia
I know Ayngelina I am the same. It really does not take much to be nice- less of an effort to be an arse.
I was quite stunned for awhile when I saw so many in travel bloggers who were not being nice. I think I was delusional and niave enough to believe that once you started travelling you became a harmonious and kind person!!!
I guess it is the same everywhere though.
Craig and I find it way easier to just be ourselves online, anything else would just be too much extra work.
Caz Makepeace recently posted..Should I let my daughter cheat
I totally agree, I was a ‘lurker’ for a long time, but realized that just commenting honestly on some of the blogs I read a lot has brought more of a connection than I thought possible. I think most people don’t realize that the ‘online world’ is the same as the real world, connections and building relationships are just as important. And, as said above, some people are just jerks, maybe more into making money than anything else, and some people are just happy to run into other people that love to travel. Being someone who has very few friends that love to travel as much as I do, its been really refreshing to find a huge community online who share a lot of the same passions and views as I do. As a newbie into the travel blog world, that’s my two cents, but I have found more often than not, you run into the same people who put in positive, well thought out posts and comments over and over again, and those are the people whose blogs I try to support.
LJFro7 recently posted..Photography Friday!
Caz and Craig – I agree that the focus should be on sharing value with one another instead of trying to “get ahead” for personal advantage, and you’ve described it well here. Sometimes I wonder how I can add value to people who already have so much success, but then I realize it’s largely just a matter of caring about what they have to say and who they are that counts. I definitely appreciate it when someone is that way with me, so why should I be different with others!
Ryan recently posted..50 Things I Wish I Knew When I Started Traveling
Definitely Ryan. You will always add value to a person’s life by taking an interest in them and being kind. It is hard to see how you can in other ways when someone else is so successful, but you just never know what you might be able to bring them until you become open enough to talk and share with them.
Caz Makepeace recently posted..Should I let my daughter cheat
Hi Caz,
) around travel blogs for a while now and a lot of people talk about the benefits of networking within the community.
Your post really got me thinking. I’ve been researching (or as Todd calls it ‘lurking’
Which for a certain few does in fact translate only into monetary gain and none of the benefits that you spoke about. I don’ think this is something you can teach someone – whether its by a post or a reminder to be nice. Unfortunately those people are still going to use these methods for the same solely monetary gains as before, and still be the a**es they are in real life too, thus maybe even giving everyone else in their field a bad name.
This article packs a lot more punch then so many others I’ve read about networking. (Also compounded by Ayngelina’s awesome comment). Well done guys. Very worth a read (repeatedly)!
Dalene – Hecktic Travels recently posted..Here We Go Again…