For professionals to succeed, visibility is the key. For those of you who are shy or reticent, and with busy lives we all lead, it is getting more difficult to develop connections with other people. The workplace has many obstacles to those who are shy, to the point that they prefer solitary work than working on projects with others.
Get very focused on connecting with the network you have. That’s right. You have a network already. Everyone you know is a potentially valuable contact. Examples: your friends’ parents, your parents’ friends, your professors and advisors, former employers, neighbors, church members. Remember, your software defined networking contacts don’t have to be people who are in the field you want to be in. We all know a lot of people- and not all of them do what we do or work where we work. Start with the people who know you best, those who will go the extra mile for you, who think highly of you and would likely pick up the phone on your behalf to connect you with their best contacts.
From a content point of view, consider what it is that you want to get across, what is that unique point? Think also about who it is that you are trying to get in touch with, remember that you’re not selling to your audience, you are trying to get them to understand your products and services so that they can recommend them to others and refer those potential clients back to you.
Think about a time when you needed to make a new connection, say, to a reliable auto mechanic. You may have started out by scanning the yellow pages only to realize that there’s no way to know who’s honest and competent. What do you do then? You do what everyone does: they turn to friends, family and acquaintances for a personal recommendation. If the first person you ask can’t offer you a good referral, he or she may know someone who can, and if not, you move on to the next person on your list, and the next. Pretty soon you make the connection you were looking for…even without your set of official networking java!
People in social networking groups are there to network socially. They didn’t come to hear about your infoproduct or eBook or podcast or video or software tools or your great new money-making system. They didn’t come to be advertised to, and they resent it.
Boisterous animals can be very chaotic. They may not be trained enough leading to hygiene issues not only for pets but for the people living in the same house as well. You can hire an expert pet trainer to teach some new tricks and some outstanding animal skills. Most pet training gives a better communication link between the owner and the pet. Through social networking for pet lovers, you will know more about the advantages of training and as well as knowing the best trainers in your locality that can help you out.
Finally, make a commitment to yourself to growing your business through acquiring new accounts. Commit a certain amount of time each week to finding new accounts. Learn how to do it effectively and consistently.