Recently, my 5-year old son told me that he wanted to plant an orange tree in our backyard. Excited about his new interest, I proudly took him to the nursery to buy a small tree to plant. When will the oranges grow, Daddy? he asked as I was watering the tree. Itll take some time, I said. We have to water the tree every few days, and in a few weeks, youll see the oranges start to grow.
Of course, my 5-year old son has no concept of how long 2 weeks is. The next morning, he got out of bed and anxiously ran to the back window, looking for the oranges. He came to my bed and woke me. Daddy, how come the oranges didnt grow yet? Itll take some time, I said. You have to be patient.
By the third day I realized that maybe planting a tree wasnt the best pastime for a 5-year old. At his age, its all about instant gratification when my wife and I promise to buy him a toy, we know we have to get it for him right away. When we make plans to go on vacation, we make sure not to tell him about it until a few days before. You cant make a kid to wait a few weeks to go to Disney World.
Personal networking is no different. When I joined my local Chamber of Commerce several years ago, I wanted instant gratification. When I showed up to a networking event, I expected the phone to ring the next day. Like my son, I wanted instant results and had no patience to wait. As a networker, I was too immature to comprehend that great things could happen later on.
After all, other marketing techniques dont take as long. Print advertising, phone solicitation, and direct mail if done correctly lead to immediate results. Personal networking takes longer, and therefore requires a greater level of patience and maturity. However, the quality of business received from networking is by far superior because nothing beats a personal referral. If done properly and with patience, the results could be phenomenal.
The concept is simple people know people, and those people know more people. By introducing myself to someone, my hope is not merely that I will do business with that person, but that maybe they know someone else (or a few people) who I can do business with. The more people who know about the services I provide, the better. It may take some time until someone needs my service, but when they or someone they know does, I know they will call me.
And it really works! Some of my biggest clients came to me as a referral from someone I know. When I need a service, I think of who I know personally that performs that service. If I cant think of anyone, Ill ask someone I trust for a referral.Its so simple, but not always obvious how effective networking can be. So keep at it - just as I know my son will be in awe at the sight of that tree as it produces oranges, I know you will be delighted with the fruits of your labor.
Amir Watynski owns Watt Media, Inc., which helps businesses promote their services and enhance their image with telephone "on-hold" messages and music, and web design services. Website: http://www.watt-media.com Blog: http://blog.watt-media.com
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