Kevin Willett says communication is key when trying to build new business relationships
One of the common challenges I see with networking is that people tend to keep score. I hear people say, “I gave that guy three referrals and he has never given me one back”. If you are keeping score, please stop. Networking does not always work that way. I have been running Friends of Kevin for eleven years and there are many types of businesses that people have never asked me about. I also find that referrals can come in bunches. The person that you sent the referral to might not come across a referral for you right away, so please be patient.
I met with a friend recently and when we spoke about referrals, he said his goal is to find the best person for the job, whether the person ever sent him a referral or not. I simply love his approach.
We are all trying to build referral sources to grow our businesses. The key to this goal is to communicate and be honest. I see people try to build relationships by sending referrals. Then they become upset when they do not receive any in return. My question is always the same, did you ask them if they were open to exchanging referrals? Some people are happy with their existing relationships and are not open to adding new people. So please take the time to ask. As always communication is the key.
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Kevin Willett is the Author of One Connection How you can grow your business (and change the world) one connection at a time. The business networking book is available on Amazon. Purchase One Connection on Amazon
Kevin is also the CEO of the Friends of Kevin Networking Group and the New England B2B Networking Group. Please connect with him on social media to hear about his upcoming business networking events