Thanks, Steverson.
When it comes to business, there’s one truth that’s stood the test of time: You can’t do it all yourself. And at some point or another, you’re going to have to find and rely on others to help you achieve your life’s mission. Or just make a lot of money.
But building business relationships can be extremely stressful for naturally introverted people. I mean, who willingly walks into a group of people they don’t know and introduces themselves? Crazy people. That’s who. But luckily, even if you’re the most introverted alpaca in the alpaca farm, we’ve got some solid networking tips that will help you build your team and accomplish your wildest business goals.
The Myth of The Solopreneur (And the Importance of a Great Team)
Many people in history that we think of as successful individuals didn’t do it all by themselves.
From Ben Franklin to Oprah, each successful individual has had massive teams working tireless hours behind the scenes. Even the newest trend of Million-dollar, single-employee firms aren’t ACTUALLY one person doing everything. It’s one person contracting everything out using sites like Upwork.com and finding killer business partners by leveraging networking tools like VoiceSocial and LinkedIn.
It’s a bunch of really smart, hard-working people working together. Because networking and cultivating positive business relationships are key to growing your business.
But how are people going about finding the best business partners? Well, there’s a couple ways. But first, let’s quickly cover some networking basics.
Networking Tip #1: Skip the Typing
An article on Forbes based on a Harvard Study mentions that the key to successful business networking comes down to one thing: Talking.
The fact of the matter is, it’s becoming harder and harder to successfully build your business network using cold emails. Too many people are using them, and business owners / people looking to expand their network are growing tired of receiving the same boring, cookie-cutter networking pitches.
Richard Carthon, Founder & CEO of followmycal.com said:
“Emails are being overused and most times do not receive a timely response. I started calling the number on the card, especially if it says cell phone, and have received increased responses.”
And this is exactly what we’ve noticed as well. That is also the core reason we created Scan Panda, which is a tool that helps you skip the sketchy cold-emails and instead allows you to talk to real people quickly using your voice. Try it out to take your networking game to the next level.
Networking Tip #2: Ask Yourself: How Can I Provide Value here? Then Focus On Giving Value First
Zig Ziglar, one of the—Oh, you already know who Zig Ziglar is. Said:
“You will get all you want in life, if you help enough other people get what they want.”
And this is one of the most important things to keep in mind when business networking. Instead of going into the conversation thinking “What’s in it for me?”, flip it 180 degrees. And head into that social firestorm wondering “How can I blow this person’s mind with value?”. Then once you’ve got a solid grasp of the business networking basics, it’s time to buckle up, and put them into action.
Remember, before you call someone, think about what they want and who they might want to help them achieve it. And if you’re a natural match, go ahead and let them know why you called. Make sure you use some of our tips on (link: having meaningful conversations) while you’re doing it! These will fast-pass your way through small talk, right into meaningful-conversation village.
To summarize: Ask yourself how you can provide massive value to the other person. Then give value first, receive value second.
Networking Tip #3: Create Your Story. Then Rehearse It.
One of the most powerful networking tips we can give you revolves around crafting your story, and then mastering it. As in practicing. A lot.
The reason your story is such a powerful tool is because it lets people know who you are, where you’re going, and most importantly, your reason for going there. This is also the reason why voice is the best way to build business relationships. Because while text only has the ability to TELL someone your reason why, with voice, you’re able to SHOW someone your reason why. Using the passion you have about your story when you speak.
Telling your story effectively also allows the other person to see if they fit into your larger vision. Or, occasionally, if they want to abandon their vision for yours. Seriously. Told well enough, you may find that people are actually jumping into YOUR ship holding with the same beliefs and passions that you do. You’d be surprised at how powerful a well-told story can be.
P.S. If you’ve found any value AT ALL out of this article, please share it with your bestest buds. We’ll be so happy that we’ll attempt a backflip at LEAST 3 times. And if you want ready-to-talk business partners at your fingertips, and are interested in using the best all-around Voice networking App in the game, Y’all ready know where to go. ScanPanda.org. Thank you.
