In 30 seconds
In networking, differentiating between contacts and connections is crucial. Contacts are like fledgling plants with shallow roots, while connections resemble sturdy trees with deep roots. Contacts are those you know but haven’t deeply engaged with, while connections are individuals with whom you’ve built trust and credibility over time. Balancing both in your network is key. It’s essential to avoid unrealistic expectations by not leaning on contacts prematurely. Instead, invest time in developing these relationships, ensuring trust and respect. By understanding these distinctions and applying a patient, farming approach to networking, you can create a robust and enduring professional network.
In 2 minutes
Networking enables professionals to establish and nurture relationships that are mutually beneficial. In this digital age, where it’s easy to amass a long list of “contacts” on various platforms, it’s essential to understand the difference between contacts and connections in the world of networking.
The Farming Approach to Networking
To truly grasp the significance of contacts and connections, it’s helpful to think of networking as farming. Just as farmers carefully cultivate their crops from seed to harvest, effective networkers build and nurture relationships over time. Patience and diligence are key ingredients in this process.
Contacts: The Little Plants
Contacts are like little plants that have yet to develop deep roots. They are people you know but haven’t formed strong relationships with. While casting a wide net and accumulating contacts is important, it’s equally vital to realise that contacts are not immediate resources. Contacts provide the potential for future connections, but their influence is limited until you nurture the relationship.
Connections: The Large Trees with Deep Roots
On the other hand, connections are like large trees with deep root systems. These individuals are not only people you’ve known for some time but also those with whom you’ve developed a deeper relationship. Connections trust you because you’ve invested time and effort in building a solid relationship. Connections can be powerful referral sources because they can recommend you from a position of credibility, making their referrals more valuable and trustworthy.
Balancing Contacts and Connections
A successful network consists of a combination of contacts and connections. The key is to discern which contacts have the potential to become connections and to apply the farming approach to develop these relationships over time. By doing so, you’ll ensure that your networking efforts bear fruit and yield powerful results over an extended period.
Managing Expectations
One common pitfall in networking is having unrealistic expectations. When you attempt to leverage your contacts before they’ve transformed into connections, it can lead to disappointment. Contacts may provide support out of obligation or, conversely, choose not to support you if they feel that they don’t know you well enough.
To avoid such pitfalls, engage with a thoughtful approach and nurture these relationships into robust connections that will genuinely benefit your professional network.
The art of networking hinges on understanding the distinctions between contacts and connections. By applying the farming approach, balancing your network, and managing your expectations, you can build a reliable and valuable network that will serve you well over time. So, take a moment to reflect on your own networking relationships, identify your contacts and connections, and consider how you can invest in nurturing more of those valuable connections. It is worth the effort in the long run.
Remember, everybody lives by selling something.
Stories from the field
Since our workshop yesterday:
Steph sold 80-100hrs this morning with his customer.
Robert has followed up 3 or 4 leads and booked a number of customer meetings.
I sat in a meeting and did a WWW with a customer, got 3 Fs out. Got another one in 30mins.
And it’s before 11 am.
A little confidence goes a long way eh. I’ll need more delivery capacity…
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