Do you have a networking strategy and does it involve you giving?

Being a top business networker means having a strategy for your networking activities.  The most successful people in the world are strategic in their activities, they do not just let things happen!  There are a variety of strategies that are important to profitable networking and one of the most important is your giving activities.

Recently I read an article from a sales trainer that stated; “if you are not getting leads from your network it is time to leave them, they are not working for you anymore.”

Good networking is not about what you are getting, it is about what you are giving back. Before you drop out of that networking group stop, and take a look at what you have given to the organization or your fellow business members.  Good networking is about Givers Gain, if you are not giving you are behaving in a transactional manner.  No one wants to give to the person who is transactional, all they are thinking about is what the can get, what they can sell, what’s in it for them.  We give to people who give to us, we give to people whom we know, like and trust the most.

Here are some pointers to consider:

What is your “Giving Strategy”?
What are you giving
How are you giving
Whom are you giving to
How are you tracking your giving

In the Referral Institute we teach our clients to use the Networking Scorecard, this tool allows us to track our giving activities. By tracking our activities we take a proactive position with our network, we develop a stronger network that goes deeper.

Business professionals regularly tell me that they are tired of giving leads to people and getting nothing in return. I guarantee you though that if you give and build trust it will come back to you in the form of referrals.