This past weekend at JV Alert wasn’t just a “great networking event,” or “full of useful information.”
It was way more than that.
It was life changing.
The culture at JV Alert Live events are unlike anything I have ever witnessed before.
At most events people are noticeably pitchier and self serving.
(I’m sure you’ve been at events where people are simply business card dispensers…)
But at JV Alert Live, people actually cared enough to sit down and have a conversation with you about how they could help you.
And this went for speakers as well as attendees.
It’s strange because as Internet Marketers, sometimes you believe that all you need to be successful is your laptop.
You don’t need people, you don’t need to meet anyone face to face.
All you have to do is sit in front of your computer all day, doing the things that you do.
My new friend Ron Capps, aka Niche Prof, said something pretty interesting to me this weekend.
I told him how I finally realized that it wasn’t just your skill set that paved the way for your success.
It was actually a mixture of that as well as your social network.
If people know you, trust you, and love you, they will just buy your product and get their community to buy from you too.
It’s that simple.
And the best way to gain recognition, trust, and love, is to press the flesh, shake some hands, kiss some babies… okay, maybe not kiss babies, but to make some face to face contacts and real life relationships.
To quote an oft used phrase… “It’s not about what you know, but who you know…”
When I said this, Ron looked at me and said, “It’s not just about who you know… it’s about who knows YOU!”
And it’s true.
There is an inner circle of marketers who get rich by promoting each other’s products.
And how did this inner circle come to be?
By becoming friends first.
And how did they become friends?
By consistently going to events, hanging out, and actually cultivating relationships before asking for any business favors.
Many times they don’t even look at the products they are pitching.
That’s the power of friendship.
That’s the power of face to face networking.
You just can’t create a lasting connection online as fast as you can in person.
So the lesson is, go for friendship first, and the business will come automatically.
-James D. Lee
Popularity: 39% [?]
3 Comments
Thank you for submitting your entry to the Weekend Quick Picks.
Thanks for your submission to the ninth edition of the Blog Carnival: Blogging. Your post has been accepted and its live: http://thatsblog.com/?p=79
-ThatsBlog.com
I can’t recall how many stories I have heard about people finding jobs through their network. Being networked into a company greatly reduces your perceived risk factor. A few kind words from someone on the inside goes a long ways to getting you in front of the hiring manager.
I agree with your statement that our skill set takes us just so far in life. It is our social network that keeps the career doors open. And it is generally easier to crystalize relationships face to face.
Unfortunately, many people wait until they need a job before they begin the networking process. While it is never too late to developing a web of networking associates, it is not a game in which you want to play catch up.
Nice article. Thanks
Mitch Byers, author of InterviewRX and SalaryNegotiationsRX
6 Trackbacks/Pingbacks
[…] Lee presents The Awesome Power of Face to Face Networking posted at Online Business […]
[…] Lee presents The Awesome Power of Face to Face Networking posted at Online Business […]
[…] Lee presents The Awesome Power of Face to Face Networking posted at Online Business […]
[…] Lee explains The Awesome Power of Face to Face Networking posted at Online Business Freedom. This is a helpful reminder that building lasting friendships is […]
Carnival of the Entrepreneur - July 21th, 2008…
Welcome to the July 21st 2008 edition of the Carnival of the Entrepreneur. At the Carnival of the Entrepreneur you will find articles submitted by authors from all over the internet relating to anything associated with being an entrepreneur. Topics ran…
[…] Lee presents The Awesome Power of Face to Face Networking posted at Online Business […]
Post a Comment