May 21, 2013
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It’s About Who You Know
Building a lasting relationship with someone can be challenging. Some people make it easy, by being friends with everyone they meet.
In business, it’s the same when trying to gain clients and build a relationship with the community or other businesses.
There are four things I will go over about how other people can benefit your business: sharing advice, giving and sharing referrals, word-of-mouth marketing and finding jobs.
Friends share their advice about careers, schooling, life lessons and everyday decisions we need to make. In the business world, it is best to consult with someone in your network if you ever feel lost in your profession. A few pointers and knowledgeable advice helps you more than it can hurt you.
During my freshman year of college, finding the right sources for a research paper was harder than a scavenger hunt. Thank goodness for librarians and teaching assistants, who know their subjects. If it wasn’t for their knowledge and reference to articles to read, I would have really struggled. This practice implemented in job or partnership searching always pays off. Having close contacts doubles your chances of knowing someone else who has what you are searching for – utilize your resources!
Much of my time spent socializing at events, informational job meetings or career fairs have come from word-of-mouth. Most people consider their friends, family or classmates a more trustworthy source than an advertisement placed on social media, posters or email campaigns. Many businesses gain more clients through referrals from friends, family and satisfied customers spreading the word on their experience than any other effort. It’s a free, unbiased and effective way to promote your company.
An article from moneycrashers.com on finding jobs through referrals even said that almost “90% of people look for jobs only by looking at ads, but that’s where only 10% of available jobs exist. At least 30% of jobs found come from referrals.” Building relationships with a large amount of individuals can be helpful in all of your professional pursuits.
What successes have you had through networking?