Welcome to 2007! I know… you don’t want to read another “Set your goals for the New Year” column. Good, because I don’t want to write about that either. However, I do feel compelled to write about the importance of communicating your value to others to improve your net worth.
I’m not talking about financial net worth: I’m talking about your “social” capital. Your colleagues, partners, employer, prospects and clients want to know how you have invested in your network, and built relationships that can pay great “dividends” for them, such as word-of-mouth advertising, referrals, leads and potential partnerships. In other words… how big is your net and is it working?
If you didn’t crawl into a hole for the past two months, chances are you attended a party or two, maybe even three. I’m willing to bet you met some new and interesting people or reconnected with someone you haven’t seen in years. You promised you would follow-up and schedule a time to “have lunch” or “grab a cup of coffee.” You fully intended to make these connections, but now that you are back on the treadmill of life, these connections have fallen from your priority list.
This week I had two meetings (lunch and coffee) with two very interesting and fun women whom I met at holiday parties. It turned out one lived down the street from me, but we had never met before even though we knew many of the same people and had our feet in the same worlds. The other woman was a reconnection from a year ago. Now, there appears to be an opportunity to collaborate together that didn’t appear at our first meeting.
Yesterday I was reminded of a quote from the speaker and author Charlie “Tremendous” Jones, also a beloved member of National Speakers Association, who is famous for saying:
The only difference between where you are now and where you will be next year at this same time, are the people you meet and the books you read.
Think about this statement: Whom have you met recently that you would like to establish a connection and build a relationship with? Who are you dying to meet or get reconnected to, and what is stopping you from reaching out?
As you look over your list of people you want to meet or get reconnected to this year, consider these questions to help you move to action.
Perfecting Connecting® Action Steps:
1. Where do we connect? What do we have in common? Where could we connect the dots?
2. How can I be a resource to you? Who (or what) do I know that you need to know? How can I be of value to you?
3. Do you homework and be prepared. Jeffrey Gitomer says, “Everyone goes to a networking event to better themselves in some way or another. Make sure you are prepared to help someone else get better.”
You don’t have to do it alone. Let the people you know help you get connected to who they know… that’s the simplicity and beauty of how connecting works. It’s also guaranteed to improve your net worth and social capital, which in turn will determine your success in the 21st century.
Can you really afford not to?
