Successful business-people know, that it’s WHO you know and CONNECT with that matters.

One way of meeting people, like minded people, people who you like, people who like you, is to consistently show up where these people are.

“Consistency” is KEY – some of the MOST SUCCESSFUL people I know consistently applied good networking habits, investing time, (years in some cases) before they end up  doing business together. LONG TERM BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS can only exist with those YOU KNOW, LIKE AND TRUST.

However, I have noticed what UNSUCCESSFUL and BELOW AVERAGE business people do AFTER turning up where the people are...

• Avoid Eye Contact – (universal symbol of trust), and when they do connect, one senses defensiveness and anxiety  Distrust:

• Smile (universal symbol of friendliness), that cannot be seen – followed by a limp hand-shake - Impolite:

• Talk about their business without any interest in the other person of - or ask questions with only one intention in mind - to “size” one up – “whether or how USEFUL this person is going to be". - Self importance:

• Sell Sell Sell. Anyone not interested in what I do or does not buy from me - must be simply out to get ME – False Belief:

• Failure to believe, that they deserve success - Self Sabotage:

Last week, I encountered one such person, who claimed to be an expert at helping people to present themselves for more business ... they confidently said with utmost clarity to a group of some highly successful people who I know consistently network

"NETWORKING ISN'T FOR ME AND YOU CAN ALL DO SO MUCH BETTER IF ONLY YOU KNEW HOW TO SMILE AND TO PRESENT YOURSELVES - AND I CAN HELP YOU.”

Which is fine, however they horribly failed to listen, or show any interest whatsoever, in the people they were talking to – it was all about “I this” “I that” .... followed by taking everyone's business-cards without returning the favour.  How impolite! Apparently they forgot to bring business cards but carried on "working the room"

- no surprises by the comment “networking isn't for me”

Promoting one's own business shamelessly, using the very business networking platform that a group of people who have dedicated years to develop -

can this type of self-centred person really help others?

Hmmm – one definition of “helping” means, to give a gift, – GIFT is giving something that is useful to others without expecting anything in return.  

Successful business-people are in the habit of GIVING gifts - all the time...THEY

• listen to others

• ask questions to find out what makes them so special with their clients

• go out to find the reasons why they so successful in what they do

• and so on

Finally, after asking themselves  “Who do I know that may be benefit from whom I have just met and also be beneficial to them?”, if they can, they ACT on it.

Hence truly successful people are indeed very RARE – so watch out for them, early on, and when you find them, please look after them well. 

If you are ever so lucky to receive a gift from them - accept this with grace - and to make this gift work for you well - develop the habit, like these rare people, of giving gifts to others.
 
I wonder how many people today regret dismissing, ignoring, or standing up OBAMA, before he become the president of one of the most powerful nations n the world?