It’s Not WHAT You Know, But WHO You Know–True or False?string(67) "It’s Not WHAT You Know, But WHO You Know–True or False?"
How many times have you heard the phrase “It’s not what you know, but who you know” when it comes to determining success?? I’m willing to bet that over the course of your life to this point, you’ve heard it a lot. Do you think it’s true? Well, it’s not–it’s false. It’s not what you know, or who you know–it’s how well you know them that really counts.
Here’s the difference. How many people do you know? Open up your e-mail address book and count the names. You know as many people as are listed n your e-mail address book and probably a lot more. Now, reach into your pocket and pull out your car keys. How many of the people you know would you hand your car keys to?
Surely, now you understand that the importance of how well you know a person. A contact is a person you know but with whom you have not yet established a strong relationship. A connection, on the other hand, is someone who know you and trusts you because you’ve taken the time to establish credibility with that person.
Your network must not only be broad but also deep. When you rely on others to cross-market your business or promote your program to a client, you’re not asking a simple favor. For true referral networking, you need relationships that are deeper than mere contacts; you need strong connections, established well in advance.
So, beginning this week, focus on taking the time and energy to cultivate deep relationships by giving your referral sources anything and everything you can to help them succeed. These will be the relationships you can count on when you need powerful connections because it really isn’t what you know or who you know–it’s how well you know them, how well they know you, and how well they know the people you want to meet.