NETWORKING 101

Relationships are the building blocks for everything you do in life. Whether you want to organize a volleyball game or get rid of unfair housing practices in your town, you will need lots of good relationships. Why? Because the relationships we have with our friends, coworkers, the communities we serve, and even our adversaries are the means for achieving our goals. People don't work/live in isolation: we need to be working together! It is our relationships all added together that are the foundation of an organized effort for change. We need lots of people to contribute their ideas, take a stand, and get the work done.

Networking can be very helpful to your career and sales in your market. The idea is to develop a network of people who share information to help each other. It is best known as a strategy for opening the hidden job market, for getting a good job. This is the same concept for selling. Most sales are made out of the work hours. Golf Course, Shopping, PTA meetings, Board Meetings. It is essential that you develop friendly relationships with people who can connect you to the decision maker and or influence them. There is some truth in, "It's not what you know, but who you know.“

Networking is a planned, and ongoing effort. You set goals, develop strategies for achieving them, take action, evaluate how well your plan is working, and make changes as necessary. It is something that you do throughout your career.

Who are your most important contacts? List those people who: 1. Are important sources of information, help and advice pertaining to your current place in life. 2. Have contributed most to your carrier success in the last couple of years and remain sources of advice or assistance for you today. 3. Are important sources of social support, for example, people with whom you share important related experiences and dilemmas or with whom you enjoy spending free time. USE AS MANY OR AS FEW NAMES AS YOU NEED. DO NOT LIMIT YOURSELF TO PEOPLE WITHIN YOUR COMPANY.

YOU Senior PEERS JUNIORS SENIORS JUNIORS PEERS WITHIN YOUR MARKET WITHIN YOUR MARKET BUT HAVE NOT SOLD. OUTSIDE YOUR MARKET

YOU SENIORS PEERS JUNIORS SENIORS JUNIORS PEERS WITHIN YOUR JOB WITHIN YOUR JOB BUT OUTSIDE YOUR DEPT OUTSIDE YOUR JOB D H M L W R S B F

Who are your most important contacts? List those people who: 1. Are important sources of information, help and advice pertaining to your current place in life. 2. Have contributed most to your sales success in the last couple of years and remain sources of advice or assistance for you today. 3. Are important sources of social support, for example, people with whom you share important related experiences and dilemmas or with whom you enjoy spending free time. USE AS MANY OR AS FEW NAMES AS YOU NEED. DO NOT LIMIT YOURSELF TO PEOPLE WITHIN YOUR COMPANY.

YOU Senior PEERS JUNIORS SENIORS JUNIORS PEERS WITHIN YOUR MARKET WITHIN YOUR MARKET BUT HAVE NOT SOLD. OUTSIDE YOUR MARKET

YOU SENIORS PEERS JUNIORS SENIORS JUNIORS PEERS WITHIN YOUR MARKET BUT HAVE NOT SOLD. OUTSIDE YOUR MARKET D H M L W R S B F WITHIN YOUR MARKET