You Are who You Know!
The value of networking is espoused in every business I know and yet few people make more than a passing effort to meet more people and almost no one puts networking in their marketing plan. That’s a shame because networking is perhaps the quickest and surest way to build your business and it doesn’t cost very much. It’s a simple fact of life that the more people you know the more business you will get.

The Law of 200, states that the average person knows 200 people well enough to invite them to a wedding or a funeral. People at the pinnacle of success in any business know four or five times that many people. When I was active in the martial arts business I knew in excess of 2,000 clients and potential clients by name, sight, state, style of art and enough other personal information to hold a meaningful conversation with them.

Doing seminars really fast forwarded this program because each time I did one I got to spend all day with 50 or so people. That’s why seminars are such an incredible way to market professional services like martial arts not just because people get to hear what you have to say but partly just because of the shear volume of people that you can meet.
That’s also why golf has played such an important part in my life. Not only do I enjoy the competition but it’s an incredible way to meet new people. Where else do you get to spend four uninterrupted hours with prospects or clients?

Ten Ways to Meet More People
1. Join a club any club.
2. Get involved in the Chamber of Commerce
3. Say Yes to party invitations
4. Attend trade shows and conventions in your industry.
5. Put on your own seminar.
6. Get involved in a charity. The movers and shakers in any community almost always do!
7.  Hold a dinner party once a month.
8. Start your own networking club or ask to join one that’s already going.
9. Get active at school, church, work or any other place where committees are formed and people interact in small group.
10. Actively send referrals to other people in the area with whom you are familiar. Call them up or drop them a line when you do. That’s a great way to start or expand a relationship, by sending them business.

Most people get very stuck in their ways and stop expanding their circle of friends almost by accident. Perhaps now would be a great time to take the other approach from both a business and personal stand point! Start actively looking for ways to expand your circle by meeting more people and making new friends, more business will surely follow!

www.actionradio.net   www.richardhackworth.com

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