Effortlessly Expanding Your Network

3 Ways to Find Who You Need to Know

Wouldn't it be great to have an unpaid (or minimally compensated) but much appreciated marketing department? If you structure your network correctly, you can have just that.

If you haven't already identified the most effective and efficient channels for new business, now is a great time to do that ... simply analyze where your deals, new clients, customers or transactions have come from over the past 12-24 months. If you're like most of my clients, you'll identify individuals and/or specific professions that have sent you most of your business. It makes logical sense to multiply those channels, i.e., if you have one CPA that sends you several clients each year, find more CPAs!

Now that the intention is clear, what you need next is the mechanism: the how to expand those channels and connections. Here are my top 3 ways to find the people you need to know to effortlessly expand your network:

1. Ask your current clients. Every professional and every business has a team of providers: lawyers, CPAs, insurance providers, etc. Find out who else is providing valuable professional services to your clients and ask to meet with them. Chances are great that if you have one mutual client, you have the potential for many more.
2. Ask the professionals you already know. I know over one thousand attorneys, and just as many CPAs, bankers, investment bankers, real estate and mortgage professionals (and many, many more!). By age 30, every person knows about 2000 people. When you ask specifically for introductions to the people you need to know, chances are you'll get at least one valuable introduction.
3. Use LinkedIn. I think LI is an under-utilized and incredibly valuable tool you can use to find other connections, show career highlights, allow past clients to endorse you, and so much more. Paul Castain has created an amazing reference guide: http://yoursalesplaybook.com/21-ways-to-master-linkedin/. I highly recommend you check it out!

Honorée Enterprises, Inc. turns service providers into rainmakers, average producers into rock-stars, and dreams into reality. For more information on how we can specifically help you or your organization, click here. You can read all about Honorée here.