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Thursday, January 26, 2012

6 Reasons Not To Procrastinate Networking

Good Advice for the Job Seeker or Business Owner in the Powersports Industry! 

1. Get In the Game:
Pro hockey legend Wayne Gretzky is famous for saying, "You miss 100% of the shots you never take." If you're only watching from the sidelines how do expect anything good to happen? Step 1. Get in the game. Step 2. Take shots.

2. Get Noticed:
Start networking to get noticed but remember that (at first) no one cares about you. It's a harsh reality but I'm willing to bet that aside from your family or significant other, no one--not your boss, colleagues or friends--are staying up late thinking, "I wonder how I can help Julie make more money, find new customers, grow her biz, find a job…"

If you want it, you have to make it happen. No one is going to hand it to you. No one cares about your brilliant idea or how great your services are as much as you, UNLESS it directly benefits THEM. Start networking to build relationships and get noticed.

3. You Get What You Give:
Be respectful of others' time. Remember what Steven Covey said in the classic book, 7 Habits of Highly Successful People, "Seek to understand before you are understood. Don't dominate the conversation. Ask about the other person first. Listen. Then talk and build friendships. If you pitch, do it in 60 seconds. Then wait for a response. If you get asked more about it, then exchange ideas and keep asking about the other person.

4. Keep Your Connections Warm:
How do you feel about the friend who only shows up when he needs to borrow something or help moving furniture? My friend Chris Brogan said, "No one likes desperation in relationships, no one likes it in business either." Keep your connections warm, don't let them get cold.

If it's been 6 months and your first contact with me is a desperation call because you need help, that's not cool. Don't be a fair-weather friend. Keep your connections warm so that when you need help or you can help others you have a strong support system.

5. The Person Who Can Help Most is the Person You Least Expect:

Sometimes you might not want to show up to an event because you don't think the "right people" are there. In my experience the famous, notable, popular, wealthy--whatever people can't help you or don't care about helping. Don't judge a book by its cover, you never know what someone can do for you or who they know that might make all the difference.

6. Pull Your Weight: 
You have a responsibility.  Remember the Little Red Hen? In the story of the Little Red Hen the Hen decides to make some delicious bread. All of her friends want to eat it but are not willing to help. There's a lot of work to be done and the moral of the story is about pulling your weight, not being selfish and earning rewards.

One of my favorite quotes is "Be the change you want to see in the world." If we really want to create something special, we all need to participate. What can we do when we do it together? The possibilities are endless...
-Bryan Elliott

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