By Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter”
This past week I was reminded again how important it is to have a strong network of contacts. We all know how a network can help us with leads. What we may not realize is how a network can serve as our insurance policy.
The reminder came in the form of an email with the subject line “Help.” It was from a person who I have not talked to in close to two years. The note was a plea asking if I could provide some assistance with a severe financial situation the person was dealing with in their business.
As I read the note, I remembered the last time I talked with the person, they were also facing a desperate situation in their business.
Am I happy to help? Sure. The problem is the person only reaches out to me when they’re at their neediest.
Unfortunately, due to my schedule, I am not able to assist them as quickly as I might like. What bugs me is the person seems to only be interested in talking to me when they are in a dire situation.
I am not oblivious or insensitive about dire situations. I’m helping the person out, but I know how it will end. After I get done helping, I won’t get even a “thank you” out of the person. The reason I say this is because this is the way the person works – use people when you need them and ignore them the rest of the time.
Thinking about this, I wonder how many problems this person deals with and if they treat other people the same way they treat me. I’m also wondering how many of these problems they could avoid or deal with in a less stressful way if they spent time nurturing their network.
I will admit if the person had taken the time to thank me for things I’ve assisted them with in the past and stayed in touch with me, I would be far more willing to reach out and assist them faster.
This experience calls attention to the need to have as big a network as possible. More importantly, the network needs to be more than just a list of names and contact information – it needs to be a list of people who I genuinely know and with whom I stay in contact.
When I say “stay in contact,” I mean not just shooting them an occasional email, but also talking to them, finding out how things are going for them and showing a genuine interest in what interests them.
Business is about networking. There’s no way anyone can sustain any level of success working in an isolated hole.
Who are you having lunch with this week?
Who are the people you haven’t talked to for months?
In our business, we show our clients how to minimize risk and how to maximize assets. When I look at my network, I have to look through a similar lens. How am I using my network to minimize risk for me and the other person? How am I using my network to help both of us maximize our assets?
Mark Hunter, “The Sales Hunter,” is a sales expert who speaks to thousands each year on how to increase their sales profitability. For more information, to receive a free weekly email sales tip, or to read his Sales Motivation Blog, visit www.TheSalesHunter.com. You can also follow him on Twitter http://www.Twitter.com/TheSalesHunter, on Facebook www.facebook.com/TheSalesHunter and on Linkedin http://www.linkedin.com/in/MarkHunter. Reprinting of this article is welcomed as long as the following is included:
Mark Hunter, “The Sales Hunter,” www.TheSalesHunter.com, © 2012.
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