[vimeo https://vimeo.com/121530240]
Transcript: 3 Secrets of Networking that Generate Cash
Hey, Scalers. This is Frank here. I just thought I would record a quick video blog for you. You had a lot of questions lately about networking, and I wanted to share with you the 3 secrets to networking that actually generate revenue. This is one of those things that people think networking is this weird, salesy thing. Actually, that's the problem. Most people look at networking as a way to sell. If you think about it that way, it actually blocks you into the wrong way of thinking about the right way to network. I want to share with you some 3 secrets that will get you past that mental block into doing things that actually work for networking. What is the first thing? The first thing is
give first. This is one of those principles that gets misused, I think, in networking because there are leads clubs and networking groups that talk about give to get, give to get. That's a right way to think about it, but it's the right way to think about it for everybody, not just you. I think a lot of times these organizations can come across looking like we're just actually collecting new people who will give us stuff and then we, the old members, don't have to give anything. Then because we're not giving anything, we'll be able to use this give to get as like a battering ram over your head because you're brand new and you haven't given anything to us. Networking is not a pyramid scheme, folks. It is truly do something nice for other people and it will come back to you in a good way. There is no tracking of points. Now there are going to be people in your network who maybe aren't valuable to you anymore and you decide to move on; that's different. There should be really this value ... This idea of abundance and that you're creating value by giving to other people. One of my favorite comments by
Matthew Kimberley is "Friends get friends' work". That's the way to think about it. Your network are your friends, and you're going to help them and they're going to help you. That's just the way it is. The second thing that you should be thinking about when you are networking is that you are going to need to
ask for help. Asking for help is something that's really hard for people to do, but it's something that you're going to have to learn to do in a network. Now notice that this is a bit different than the way people think about networks otherwise. People think that I'm going to go into a network, I'm going to do my elevator pitch, and I'm going to do my 30-second commercial, and then people are just going to go, "Oh, I've got leads for you." That's not how it works. If you go into a networking group with the idea that you're asking for help, it's a very different dynamic. You're actually going in now to say, "I'm vulnerable. This is what I need for my business." Whether it's customers or whether it's testimonials or social proof, this is what you're going to need. You need to ask. You need to be comfortable asking for help. When you ask for help, people come to your aid. When you try to sell, people back off. You can see that you're creating a different dynamic by simply asking for help. Now you still are going to need to produce revenue when every business needs that. That's not a surprise. Anyone who does business networking knows that the business that they're operating with is going to have to get some cash at some point. Asking for help, even in just generating revenue, is a great way to do it because then I come to you and say, "How can I help you? What kind of customers are you looking for? What kinds of ideal clients are you trying to attract?" This is a very different dynamic. Finally, the third secret to success which is absolutely critical is to surround yourself with people who are smarter than you. Your network should be full of people who are just fabulous at what they do. If you find that you're the smartest person in the room all the time, you don't have the right network. You need to be around people who are going to be smarter than you. Why is that? Because they're going to constantly challenge you. Even when you do something like just say, "Hey, I need more customers," they're going to ask you follow up questions. They're going to get you to think about exactly what your request is when you're asking for help. That is a fundamental difference to what happens if you're just around non-performing, non-successful professionals. Think very carefully about who you surround yourself with because, with your network, you can take over the world. You can succeed. One of the people who's in my network,
Sarah Thompson, who is an incredible money coach. She talks about this this way: she says, "Me and my friends," - her network - "are going to take over the world." That's who you need to be thinking about. Who are the people who you're going to take over the world with? That should be your network. Those should be the people you spend time talking to and asking for help from. If you do those 3 things, if you give first, if you always ask for help, and if you surround yourself with the smartest people around, you will be networking in a way that is successful and produces revenue for you. I wish you luck as you go out and create a new network. Go make it happen.
