ing others to succeed.
Please understand that this isn’t manipula- tion or a sales tactic on my part. I’m not expecting these people to give me business. I really care about how they’re doing. Business is simply a by-product of re-con- necting with them.
8. Take advantage of everyday opportunities to meet people. You
can make excellent contacts just about anywhere — at the health club or on line at the supermarket. You never know from what seed your next valuable relationship will sprout.
When I go to the gym on the weekends, I always wear an “Attitude is Everything” shirt. It’s a great ice- breaker and people will come up to me to talk about attitude. It gives me an opportunity to learn about them — and to tell them about my company.
9. Treat every person as important — not just the “influential” ones. Don’t be a snob. The person you meet (whether or
not they’re the boss) may have a friend or relative who can benefit from your product or service. So, when speaking to someone at a meeting or party, give that person your undivided attention.
And please promise me that you won’t be one of those who gazes around looking for “more important people” to talk to. That really bugs me. You’re talking with someone and then he notices someone out of the corner of his eye — someone he deems more important than you! So he stops listening to you... and abruptly breaks away to start a conversation with that other per- son. Don’t do that! Treat every person you encounter with dignity and respect.
10. At meetings and seminars, make it a point to meet different people. Don’t sit with the same group at every gathering.
While it’s great to talk with friends for part of the meet- ing, you’ll reap greater benefits if you make the extra effort to meet new faces.
In 1994, I was in Washington, D.C., to attend the annual convention of the National Speakers Association. At lunch, instead of sitting with some friends, I sat down at a table where I didn’t know any- one. Sitting at that table was a woman named Joan Burge — and we struck up a conversation. Her compa- ny, Office Dynamics, conducts excellent training pro- grams for administrative office professionals.
It turned out that Joan is also a big believer that atti- tude is everything! And, for the last five years, she has ordered my “Attitude is Everything” lapel pins and dis- tributed them to some of the participants in her training programs. In addition, Joan often displays my literature at her programs, which has generated thousands of dol- lars in business for me. Most importantly, Joan has become a wonderful friend.
I’m sure glad I didn’t sit with my friends that day, as I would have missed out on a tremendous opportu- nity!
11. Be willing to go beyond your comfort zone. For instance,
if you have the urge to introduce yourself to someone, DO IT! You might hesitate, thinking that the person is too important or too busy to speak with you. Even if you’re nervous, force yourself to move forward and make contact. You’ll get more comfortable as time goes on.
12. Ask for what you want. By helping others, you’ve
now earned the right to request assistance yourself. Don’t be shy. As long as you’ve done your best to serve those in your network, they’ll be more than willing to return the favor.
F O L L O W - U P
13. Send a prompt note after meeting someone for the first time. Let’s say you attend a dinner and make a
new contact. Send a short note as soon as possible explaining how much you enjoyed meeting and talking with him or her. Enclose some of your own materials and perhaps include information that might be of inter- est to this person (such as the name of a trade magazine and a subscription card). Ask if there’s anything you can do to assist this individual.
Be sure to send the note within 48 hours after your ini- tial meeting so that it’s received while you’re still fresh in your contact’s mind.
14. Acknowledge powerful presentations or articles. If you
hear an interesting presenta- tion or read a great article, send a note to the speaker or writer and tell him or her how much you enjoyed and learned from their message. One person in a hundred will
take the time to do this — be the one who does!
I’m not saying that speakers and writers are special people who deserve to be worshipped. The point is, speakers and writers often have developed a huge net- work of people covering a variety of industries — a net- work you can tap into!
15. When you receive a referral or helpful written materials, ALWAYS send a thank you note or call to express your appre- ciation. Follow this suggestion only if you want to
receive more referrals and more useful information. If you don’t acknowledge that person sufficiently, he or she will be much less likely to assist you in the future.
16. Send congratulatory cards and letters. If someone in
your network gets a promotion, award or celebrates some other occasion (for example, a marriage or birth of a child) write a short note of congratulations. Everyone loves to be recognized, yet very few people take the