In some upcoming postings, I am going to outline the many benefits of networking. They include financial currency, getting smarter, social currency and career insurance. I am
going to start with Financial Currency or that networking can lead to a revenue stream, and what does that mean? Money. We all have heard the expression, “your net worth is equal to your network”. The opposite of networking is not working. It is not what you know but who you know. But it doesn’t just happen out of every room that you go in and out of at every networking event you attend.
For me, it’s a stepping-stone to other people, events and opportunities. It’s a game of singles, not grand slams. You have to have a “connect the dots” philosophy about linking people. Many people are too impatient. They’re looking for the home run. They want the quick fix. They want to go in to one meeting, one networking event and score the big score. That’s not the way it happens. You have to plant the seeds, and the bounty will follow. You have to get to the place where—I often get emails or calls from a stranger who said they were referred by somebody I hardly remember, but it leads to a revenue stream.
Take the test. Sit down and review all the income that came your way in the last year. Did it come from strangers who called you out of the blue or people that are part of your network or were referred by somebody in your network?