3 Things you need to know to build a strong network
The biggest misconception I hear about building and nurturing a strong network is that it takes a lot of time and is rarely enjoyable.
Neither needs to be true.
Here are 3 things to consider to make the way you grow and maintain a network one that works for you:
You don't have to be 'strategic'
One of the most fruitful (and enjoyable) things you can do is to prioritize being in relationships with people you enjoy. Even if none of them are or work directly with your target clients, they each represent hundreds, if not thousands, of people they know. And chances are, people within their network are, and/or work with, your ideal clients. When you click, you get to 'know, like, and trust' (thanks, Dale Carnegie) each other with more speed and ease. This will result in people opening otherdoors for you to other people you'll want to know. Because you like them and this is a friend or colleague of theirs, you stand a good chance of also enjoying the company of this new person with whom you might be able to do/refer business together.
2. No one in your network needs to be famous or well-known by many.
However, being in trusting relationships with people who are super connectors (ie those who are the hub in a wheel/are connected to all sorts of people in different industries, regions, levels of business, etc) is key. They will be fast-tracks either to first-degree connections you want to know or second-degree ones who are other super-connectors. These people are likely not well-known beyond their networks, but they have impeccable reputations and their introductions carry weight, which helps you to warm up any relationship they generate for you.
3. You can spend 5-10 minutes a day and be in touch with your entire core network in 2-3 months.
How? If you spend 5-10 minutes each weekday (or 25-50 mins one day each week) reaching out to 3-5 people in your network, you'll have reached out to 15-25 people per week, 60-100 a month, or 180-300 in 3 months. Since the average number of people with whom any person can be in a relationship with is 150-ish (thanks, Dunbar's number), you've been able to have a touchpoint with all of them in 2-3 months. What do you do in those 5-10 minutes? Send a text, voice text, direct message, comment on a social media post, make an off-the-cuff phone call (leaving a voicemail), or send an email. Your remarks can be as simple as, 'You came to my mind just now and that spurred me to check in. How are you? How's that ____ (thing they told you about last time) going? I hope all is well and that you receive the good energy I'm sending your way!" Certainly, you also want to nurture some relationships with more depth than a quick text or email. But allow this to be a baseline reminder that even in busy seasons, you can (and should) carve out time to stay connected to the people in your orbit. Not only will it feel good, but you can't 'drink from an empty well'. When the time comes that you need something, you'll be glad you kept the well full.
What's one thing you can take from these reminders or tips to help you build and nurture your network?