HOW TO GROW YOUR NETWORK (BY BEING A LOVELY PERSON)
There are certain times in life when it’s just EASIER to make new friends.
Kindergarten.
The first week of middle school.
The first week (year) of college.
The first week(s) of Periscope. (I’m @nikkielledge, BTW :))
After that…you’re on your own.
You may be the only newbie in the office – or the only new mom at Gymboree class.
(I use this example because I totally chickened out of asking “Ellie’s mom” for her number years ago at a Gymboree class, and I still regret it. But that’s an awkward tale for another day.)
Point is: How are you supposed to make new friends (ahem…”build your network”…) when you work ALONE all day?
Why does it seem like everybody already KNOWS everybody – and how the heck did they meet each other, anyway?
I’ve cracked the code, my friend. (See? We’re basically friends already. #onedown)
And I’m gonna share it with you today.
FACT: It’s totally possible to make new friends + biz buddies from the comfort of your couch. Or your (safely parked) car.
And the most proactive way to get the social ball rolling is to friend it forward.
In today’s video, we’ll cover:
- what the hey I mean by “friend it forward” (wish I’d thought of that before I recorded the video, BTW)
- why it’s so important to share not just WHAT you know, but who you know
- how to match your buddies into mutually beneficial connections
- how to introduce them without making anybody feel awkward or uncomfortable
Click below to watch (or take a listen):
IN A (COCO)NUT SHELL
Step 1. Brainstorm potential matches in your existing network.
This new connection needs to be mutually beneficial, so it won’t feel lopsided. If they can both help each other in some way and you think they’d get along, SWEET. Move on to step 2.
NOTE: These don’t have to be your best buddies, BUT you do need to know them well enough to be confident they’ll open your email because your next step is toooo….
Step 2. Privately seek permission to introduce ’em to each other.
No surprises here! Send a quick text or email to ask each party if s/he’s interested in the intro (and explain WHY s/he would be). Once you’ve got the all clear…
Step 3. Send a very brief, benefit-driven introduction via email.
Here’s an actual example of a match I made earlier this year.
Female Entrepreneur Association founder Carrie Green shares tremendously valuable content every. single. week, and I know Lucky B Denise Duffield-Thomas *hearts* interviews.
#steponecomplete
Asked if they’d be down to meet each other, got two thumbs up, and right on to step 3:
SUBJ: Denise, meet Carrie, meet Denise :)
Hi lovelies!
This weekend between texting Carrie + pinning Denise mantras I realized y’all haven’t “met” yet, aaaaand that just won’t do.
Carrie – as you’ve heard from me (+ many members of the Members Club), Denise‘s approach to money mindset is delightfully fun, real, and refreshing.
Denise – Carrie‘s a gem of a human being, and her ability to unite + inspire our fellow female entrepreneurs is unparalleled. Your message would be a great addition to her library of vids + resources!
Can’t wait to see what comes of the connection :)
Nik
Once this interview happens, you can bet your booty I’ll share it on my FB page, which is actually……
Step 4. Step back + enjoy!
You’ve done your job :) If these two work on something together, promote it and spread the love. You’re like the fairy godmother here, after all!
BONUS TIP: If you’re comfy enough with a friend to ask for an intro to someone she knows (but you don’t know yet), GO FOR IT. Why not? Sometimes all you’ve gotta do is ask – as long as you’ve added value to this particular friend and she’d love to help create that connection. (Maybe she doesn’t know y’all haven’t met yet!) She can then privately ask the other friend if she’s down for the intro, and then you move right into step 3 :)
BOTTOM LINE(S): Everybody wins here. When you facilitate beautifully beneficial connections for others, they will want to do the same for you.
Your network gets bigger and bigger, and the world gets smaller and smaller.
So get out there and start makin’ those matches, will you?
The positive (profitable!) energy + warm fuzzies will come back to you in ways you can’t even imagine :)
YOUR HOMEWORK: MISSION MATCHMAKER
Over the next seven days: Take the challenge + follow the steps to introduce two of your biz buddies and let me know how it goes!
For TODAY, in the comments below, tell me:
Have you ever benefited from a friendly introduction? Got any simple, non-scary network-growing tips to add?
Bring ’em on. We’ll build a bank of goodness.
To the abundance of grateful biz buddies in your future,
P.S. If you liked this post + want to help me spread the word by using the links below to share it with your buddies, I would greatly appreciate it! You can also subscribe to my YouTube channel if you’d like to see new videos before I’ve had time to turn them into blog posts ;)
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