The Best of Connecting
Meeting people we instantly enjoy is rare for most. I had two elderly female cousins. They were my mother’s cousins. Each was so engaging that they made you think that you were the only person in the room. This was especially attractive when the banquet hall was full of wedding or bar mitzvah guests. I loved those two cousins and everyone loved them.
As a young engineer, I developed a friendship with another engineer about my age. His place was known as “party central.” He was the one that you would get excited about attending a week in advance because he made everyone feel like they were the central part of the celebration.
Business partners, referral partners, and clients can be just as engaging to work with. They are the ones that want to know all there is to know about you, and you want to know all there is to know about them. Answering your call, text, or email is often done immediately. When they are unusually late in returning a call, text, or email you worry about their condition. You ask yourself, “Are they OK? Is their family OK? What is wrong?” You do this with urgency for their best interest versus your own best interest.
These connections are also the ones who give the best referrals. You might think that I am referring to business referred to me. Actually, these are the folks who make the best connections for referring business services for our personal use. In one such case recently I received a referral for moving services to move our household. The movers were to arrive at 8 AM. They were backing the truck into our driveway at 7:50. By 8:30 I was texting my friend because I was already impressed with the movers’ desires to please me. By 10:00 I texted my friend again as the movers got even better.
When you first meet folks like these you might spend 30 minutes on the phone which prompts an exchange of ideas and a desire to get together. Urgency to get together is sensed by the adrenaline rush you feel because you know this connection will be a great one. In some cases we go from the phone to that first meeting in 30 minutes or less. Your heart is pumping. The excitement builds. Often that first meeting is scheduled for a 60 minute exchange that turns into three hours. During that first meeting you discover what intimate small connection that created the excitement to engage. You discover common threads. Maybe there was a common coaching alliance or a connection that brought you two together. From that small common identity develops a base for a long lasting relationship.
Over time your relationship builds. You introduce your new client or referral partner to others they can help. (I have referred the movers twice and they only completed our move 20 days ago.) They in turn continue the chain of introductions to others strengthening your value to the business relationship. Your new found friend is now becoming a valuable cog in your sphere of influence. Your excitement continues to build as you see this is a special person with talents that are unique and exceptional.
As the years roll by, you learn that you have been of support in helping your colleague triple their income during the three years you have built your relationship. You develop a relationship that allows you the opportunity to create many years of seven figure incomes, planning events around your now protégé’s ideal market matches. You are vibrant because of their vibrancy. The combined energy ignites each of you as you enjoy the game of playing business. The excitement of doing business together is all consuming. You look forward to each and every opportunity to engage in business success. You collaborate in book writing, creating international events, while teaching your protégé how to create more relax time with family.
As you read this, my wish for you is to discover more of those business partners with whom together you can create a dynamic relationship that carries you to exquisite heights of success.
Gerry Rose runs INTEGRITY Networking Solutions in Oceanside, CA. He works with people in business who want to attract the right prospects and generate more referrals. More than 10,000 businesses have been presented the INTEGRITY Networking Solutions system in San Diego, Los Angeles, Riverside, and Orange Counties.
Gerry’s stimulating presentation Unlimited Prospects, Unlimited Referrals is ideally suited for small business owners, home-based businesses, and independent professionals who want clearer direction and want to attract more prospects, develop dynamic systems, and strengthen their companies’ accountability. Gerry does one on one consulting, conducts a range of keynote speeches from thirty minutes to full-day education workshops. His book series, Unlimited Prospects, Unlimited Referrals, are available on the website, www.integritysd.com.
Gerry has more than 20 years’ experience directing business owners how to grow their businesses. He is a networking dynamo. Those who know him will assure you that he does a great job of bringing people together—which is why he started INTEGRITY.
Involved with networking organizations since 1984, Gerry is a Distinguished Toastmaster, a member of Toastmaster International, and has chaired numerous chambers of commerce and non-profit organizations.
Are you truly committed to attracting the right prospects and generate more referrals? If so then contact INTEGRITY Networking Solutions for availability and information. You can contact Gerry by mail at 1610 Quiet Hills Drive, Oceanside, CA 92056. Direct dial (760) 439-4623; e-mail to gerry@integritysd.com. For more information, go to www.integritysd.com