Utilizing the power of people when we are building are business is, as I mention previously, an underutilized tool for your business. A resource that is often overlooked in helping you build your business is your friends and family. How well do you cultivate your existing personal relationships?
I don’t make the friends and family point in a MLM sort of way where you list them out and then try and get them in your down line. I am talking about have meaningful conversations with people that you care about so that you are aware of what it is they do professional and what types of projects they have been working on. Another thing about this, I only want you to do it because you truly care, not just to further your own professional life.
When we spend a lot of time with people, we take then for granted sometimes. Have you ever learned about a personal crisis that a friend went through that you were never aware of? Has a friend ever had a serious accomplishment that you ended up hearing about in the paper? These things have happened to me and I don’t consider myself to be too crappy of a friend. (My friends may feel otherwise.)
My point is that your friends, family, past co-workers etc could very well be up to some amazing things that you don’t know about. Beyond that, they may be up to some amazing things that fit nicely into what you are doing in your business. This is a great way to get a mentor or have a relationship that can enhance your current business offering.
Next time you are hanging out, make it a point to ask your friends, family etc what they are up to. A simple, how’s work going will suffice. If you don’t know what they do for a profession, find out. If you know where they work but not what they do, ask. Asking some questions shows that you care about that person and are interested in their lives. As an added bonus, it can also be a great way to enhance your business as well. It’s easy to forget to cultivate our relationships and take things for granted but can pay dividends in multiple ways when we do it right.