Finding Networking Partners

We have discussed networking partnerships and how to treat these partners in our lives. Where do we find these networking partners who mean so much to our mutual success? How do these networking partners first appear in our lives from nowhere and from everywhere?

Each and every day you meet various people in everything that you do and everywhere that you go. You meet other people in your business life and in your personal life. Remember what we have discussed many times: you cannot separate your business and personal lives. Your contacts will appear in both your business life and your personal life.

Networking partners are no different. You will find your networking partners in both your personal and your business lives. Don’t even try to separate them. You will not be able to do so, and the best networking partners will not want you to be able to do so. The best ones will be proud to be part of your life, totally and completely.

Your networking partners are the people that you meet at networking meetings; they are the people that you meet through the Chamber of Commerce; they are the people that you meet at a business event, at the grocery store, at the bank, at the coffee shop, or at the car repair shop. You can even meet them on the sidewalk or at the theater.

A partner of mine taught me that anytime people were somewhere then I should also be in that room. Every gathering of any type is a networking opportunity. Each and every time that you go anywhere, look for opportunities to meet someone new. Every time that I attend an event or meet someone for a coffee chat, I learn something new.

We just said that every gathering of any type is a networking opportunity. How about the next time you are in a coffee shop before the person that you are there to meet has arrived? How about after that person has left? How about the person behind the counter who serves coffee? How about the person who delivers supplies to the shop?

Networking partners may arrive in your life anywhere that you are; they may be anyone that you meet. Just start a conversation with other people and get to know them. Do not try to sell them anything when you first meet them. Just get comfortable with them and get to know who they are. Establish a relationship and go from there.

Once you know who they are, find out what they do, and then see if you may assist each other in being successful in your business and your personal lives. If you find that you can do business together, great. If you cannot, can you pass referrals to each other? Can you recommend events that will help the other person succeed? Can you offer advice?

Look for networking partners everywhere that you go. Then, look for ways that you can assist your networking partners to succeed. Until you try to help someone else, you never know how someone else may benefit from what you know, from whom you know, or from what you might recommend. The best gift that anyone can give to someone else is something from the heart.

Where do you find your networking partners? What starts the conversations that result in new networking partnerships? Let me have your comments, or call me at 360-314-8691, or email me at Jim@SOC4Now.com. Maybe we have some of the same ideas, but maybe we have new ideas that can help each other. Let us practice Gratitude Marketing.