Thanks to The Entrepreneur Magazine, Aisha and I got to meet Michael Port last week and he shared his ideas on networking and “booking yourself solid.” Michael’s unorthodox presentation style with zero power point, regular audience participation inclusive of physical exercises, keeps his audience engaged and awake. (very important for after lunch sessions)
Here are some key points about networking and getting new business that Michael shared:
- When most people think of networking, they think of it as something you do to meet new people. However, he suggests defining networking as ‘developing deeper relationships with people you already know’ and using the term direct outreach to mean ‘meeting people that you don’t yet know but would like to know’?
- On the latter, he coaches entrepreneurs to start by creating a “List of 20”. This list includes 20 people that you’d like to know but do not yet know. He suggests if you don’t have 20 people who come to mind right now, just start with three. But eventually you should grow it and keep it at 20. Why? Keeping your list at 20 ensures that it’s a large enough so as to keep your focus expansive, yet small enough that you’re able to focus on each person specifically.
- List your network of 90. Ninety people you already know with whom you can develop deeper relationships.
Each day:
- Reach out to one person you do not yet know on your List of 20.
- Introduce two people in your Network of 90.
- Share some information that is useful to one person in your Network of 90.
And, finally, fourth, share compassion with somebody in your network every day by calling or writing them. If you get their voicemail simply say, “I was thinking about you and I know that you are really working hard on your business right now. I just wanted to say if you ever need any support I am here.” Or, Port says, if you know somebody is going through a tough time, sometimes the most relevant thing to do is to just go and sit with them.
Michael Port believes that we make the assumption that networking is quid pro quo and that our reputation is based only on the work we do, but it’s not, according to him. It’s based on who we are and how we take care of the people around us.
In conclusion, if you do these four things every single day, and if you are relevant to the people that you want to build better relationships with, then you are going to be top of mind when they think of someone who provides the kind of products and services that you do.
Michael Port’s methodology calls for discipline, consistency and genuine concern for others. Read up some more on Michael Port or try to attend one of his webinars or seminars. His talk at the Miami Conference last week, made the whole trip worthwhile for me.
