Connected People Are The Most Successful!

It’s no secret that well connected people are usually the most successful when it comes to building or running a business online or offline. I won’t try to explain why in this post today but instead wanted to offer some tips that will really help you build a large network.  (Don’t miss Number 5.  It could be just what you need to take your business to the next level!)

#1. Attend Events

Attending local, regional and national events and seminars is one of the best ways to meet and interact with people in your niche. You may consider attending a local event that you find on Meetup.com . There are many many local groups that hold weekly and monthly meetings you can tap into. Also look for larger events in your area or across the country. “You Never Know” is one of my favorite sayings and when it comes to attending large events…ya never know who you are going to meet or what connections you will make that will have a huge impact for you in the future.

#2. Network On Facebook

Second to attending events is networking on Facebook. This tool has really opened up the whole world to all of us. Make sure you are following and having positive interactions with people you meet. Remember Facebook is not a place to push your business on others. I prefer to do genuine networking and then make the proper invitation at the right time if it makes sense.

#3. Keep track of everyone you ever meet

One of my mentors taught me a long time ago that you should take note of everyone you ever meet or interact with. Record their names and important information like email, address, birthdays and make a note about how you met them. Then any time you have contact with them you log it. You will be amazed when you do this how fast your network will grow because you are actually keeping track of them. This will be your MOST valuable asset in your business going forward. You don’t have to be perfect at organization…just keep track.

#4. Have regular contact with your network

Make sure that at least 3 to 4 times a year you have some kind of contact with your network. Birthday cards, hand written notes and gifts, phone calls just to see how they are doing, emails and facebook messages just to say “Hi”. This is a super important step as you want to make sure you nourish your network.

#5. Connect your network together

One of my mentors suggested this to me and it works wonders. Once or twice a week try to introduce people in your network to each other. Try to find people in the same niche or business and just make an email or Skype introduction. It just takes a few minutes each week and it shows that you really care about the people you interact with. It also has a side benefit… many people you do this with will also introduce you to their network!

If you want to start or grow any type of business, networking is really an activity that you want to work on. In fact it may be the MOST important activity for a long term business. You never know when things will change in your life. If you build a large network, you will always have something to help you out of the hard times or inspire you to greatness.

As you’re marketing your business, there will be times when you’ll wonder whether what you are doing is working. Sometimes you’ll get immediate results, but most of the time it won’t happen that way. It’s important to be consistent in marketing. Often what you did weeks, months, or even years ago pays off. Marketing is not a one-time effort…it should become part of who you are! We can work with you to develop a marketing strategy for your business, whether in a local, regional, or international market.

Visit http://www.ashleymarketing.co/ for more information.