Welcome to the BNI Western Washington Blog. Today I will discuss a podcast from September of 2009 by Dr. Ivan Misner. His guest was Ed Wallace, author of Business Relationships That Last and he talked about the “soft skill” of relationships.
Building relationships is at the core of networking. So let’s talk about the 5 steps in the system to build relationships.
- Establishing Common Ground
Our first step is so basic that if you miss it there is no way to begin the relationship building process. How do we find common ground? Talk about things that might be common to both of you. For instance: hobbies, interests, past vacations, type of work, pets, family or maybe even people you have in common. Keep the conversation positive while you create the lines of communication that allow you to find those common threads. Remember, God gave you two ears and one mouth. You should use them proportionately.
- Displaying Integrity and Trust
Trust is at the center of all referrals. Each time you receive a referral that referral giver is putting a little of their own creditability on the line. Your integrity directly affects that trust factor. Trust and integrity is a must in maintaining good networking relationships.
- Using Time Purposefully
I was in Europe one time and the most notable difference between Americans and Europeans is the speed at which they walk. I stood on a street corner and watched with amazement at the speed of the Americans. They were all in a great hurry while the Europeans just sauntered. We have been ingrained with the time limitations we have and try to get all we can into a day. To that end none of us likes to have our time wasted or used in a manner we do not see as productive. So plan your use of time, especially if you are using someone else’s time too, so it has value to the person you are networking with.
- Offering Help
No one knows how much you know until they know how much you care. So often these days we see people who want it to be all about themselves. But first we need to show we want to help others or they will often be reticent to help us. Sincerely offer your help. It diffuses the feeling of being sold. BNI’s motto is Giver’s Gain. Give of yourself and your networking partner will gladly give back.
- Asking for Help
Once you have helped others they will want to help you in return. Asking for help is a great way to focus them on the type of business you want. If you don’t ask they will not know what you need and will give you some of your worst type of clients. Let them know the type of clients that work best for you and that is what you will receive.
Skipping any of these steps is like driving a car with a flat time. It is a rough ride and you never get to your destination. Remember, it is all about the journey
