The Importance of Honesty in Networking Relationships
Posted by the Networking Goddess in General, Getting Leads, Online Networking
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The Importance of Honesty in Networking Relationships
This topic may seem a bit obvious to those who read my work frequently. But I’d like to touch on some things that may not be so obvious when making the most of networking relationships. There are times when being honest (and being tactful about it) are essential
to ensuring that you spend your time making money, not chasing it.
Let’s look at what you say about yourself to your fellow networking team. If your presentation is very specific, you will give them small details about what you do that lead to big dollars. You will help them focus on faces and send you leads.
You won’t say you can do something that you you THINK you can, but aren’t really sure you can. Why? Because your networking team will be referring their contacts to you based on what you say you can do. You won’t get another lead from someone EVER if you say you will do something and you don’t – with one of their referrals. Remember, someone referring to you is endorsing you. When you look good, they look good. When you don’t…well, you know.
What happens when you start getting leads that really AREN’T leads for you? There are two reasons for this:
1. Your networkers don’t really understand what you do and you need to look at what you are telling them about yourself.
2. Your networkers have stopped “hearing” you when you speak and you need to vary what you say and how you say it.
In either case YOU can fix this. And what happens when you STILL get referrals that are not really leads for you? You tell the person who gave them to you. You thank them and tell them that this is not a lead for you and why.
The process of networking involves educating your sales force (also known as your networking team). That education means that, if someone doesn’t really “get” what you need, you educate them. And you do that by being honest with them when they refer non-leads to you.
A word of caution about honesty. It is not advisable to tell your networking team everything about your personal life. These people are doing business with you (or will be) and are referring business to you (or will be). Your credibility also lies in what you think is appropriate to tell a business associate. We all have friends and we have business associates. Sometimes people are both. But more often, they are one or the other. There is such a thing as too much information when building a networking team. Consider how your
networking team will view your business acumen when deciding what to share with whom.
Nancy
Your Networking Goddess
