One aspect of networking is being the trusted advisor. We had a discussion in my monthly small business roundtable today about the value of networking.
After relating a few stories, it became evident that we all (those of us around the table who had braved the bad weather to be there) had similar skills when it came to networking to build relationships. Bill, the attorney of the group, offered up “being the go-to guy.”
If you want to be known as a reliable source of information and connections, be free with your suggestions of who should connect with who when a need arises. The example I used was of my friend who runs a graphic production company being connected to my colleague who does graphic installation. One of the resulting partnerships was with a job for one of our clients installing a new graphic on a trade show booth. While I didn’t benefit directly with an invoice and payment, my two graphic professional friends did; the good work they did impressed my client; she, in turn, hopefully, will continue to view me (and my agency) as a trusted advisor and source for getting things done.
Remember that everyone in your network is valued as a resource–if not directly to you, then to one or two steps removed from you.
Relentless
