BRX Pro Tip: Big vs Trusted Network
Stone Payton: And we’re back with Business RadioX Pro Tips. Lee Kantor, Stone Payton here with you. Lee, some approaches, some thinking around building that big network.
Lee Kantor: Yeah, I think a lot of people think it’s just a matter of I got to get the biggest network possible, and I’m just going to collect business cards. I’m just collecting, you know, followers on social media or LinkedIn and connections on LinkedIn. And that’s fine.
Lee Kantor: But what you really need, especially if you’re in professional services at any level, you need a trusted network. You don’t need the biggest network. You need a network of people that trust you and you trust them – a small circle of people who you know, who believe in your work, who will say your name in the right rooms. That’s going to outperform a giant list of kind of superficial contacts every single time.
Lee Kantor: Measure your network by depth, not with who will answer your call. Who’s going to give you honest feedback? Who’s going to make that thoughtful introduction when it matters most?
Lee Kantor: You know, try this with the network you have. Go deep with a short list. Go through your network and pick a small subset of people and invest heavily in them. Lead with value. Don’t lead with an ask.
Lee Kantor: Trust is going to accelerate when you’re useful, before you are needy. And then follow up like a professional. Most people drop the ball after the first meeting. Trust grows in the follow-up, so just kind of make sure you follow up relentlessly and let people know that you’re available. Provide value and serve before asking.
Lee Kantor: And just try it as an experiment. Just go through your network, find that short list of people, and double down on a handful of them and see where that goes.
