Keep it intimate
Travelling internationally over the last couple of weeks brings home the realisation that we are living in a massive world. While some fundamentals of human nature remain the same, people really are so different in the way they think and behave – even the neighbours!
Observing our differences, not to mention our many various problems, needs and daily challenges, underlines how important focus really is – focus around a product or service offering, focus on niche markets and focus on solving a specific problem.
Even for networkers, focus is critical. Attending functions, meeting as many people as possible, collecting as many business cards as we can… entails a lot of wasted effort.
The BNI model of creating a small network of people at the core of your efforts is all about focus.
Attending functions to hand out business cards is direct selling. Building a referral group around you is networking. There is a fundamental difference, but the lines appear to have become blurred for most people.
If you want to build an effective network, focus on a small core of people with whom you can maintain visibility, credibility and reciprocity.
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