Cultivate and Nuture Your Network
By Larry Galler

Just as every successful farmer cultivates the fields and nourishes crops to insure a successful growing season, successful businesspeople cultivate and nourish their networks.  They realize that every meeting, every chance encounter, and every business function can be a networking opportunity.  They think of their network in the same manner as a farmer thinking of the growing fields – as an investment in an ongoing, never ending process of growth.  They make the effort to meet new people, discover commonalities, and widen their circle of influence of people they know and, at least as importantly, those who know them.

Those who cultivate a business network have an ever-increasing group of people who they can call on for any number of reasons beyond the obvious one of attracting more business.  When they need a vendor for a product or service they can find someone in their network who sells it or who can refer them to a reputable source.  When they need advice dealing with a new or difficult issue and want a “sounding board” or informal advisory board.  If they need a focus group to look at a new product or proofreaders for a brochure, case study, or manual.  If they are seeking introduction to a person or company there might be someone in the network who can be of help in identifying the right person to contact or “knows someone who knows someone.”

People who are good at networking know that cultivating and growing their network is more than just shaking hands and exchanging business cards.  It requires organization skills to construct and maintain a database and an effort to occasionally keep in touch with those in the network, giving them relevant information they can use, a referral or testimonial when it is appropriate, tools to help them remember you and what you do so they can give you that testimonial or referral, even an occasional tasteful emailed joke.

The next time you go into a room filled with businesspeople, think of that gathering in the same manner as a farmer gazing at a field, as a room filled with potential for personal, business, and financial growth if it is cultivated and nurtured to maturity.

Larry Galler coaches and consults with high-performance executives, professionals, and small businesses since 1993. He is the writer of the long-running business column, “Front Lines with Larry Galler.” For more information visit his website, www.larrygaller.com.