Amidst the present economic uncertainty it is quite clear that a job has the least amount of security attached to it. Perhaps now is the time to think beyond the employee mind set but is being self employed really the answer?
This video about the cash flow quadrant provides a fascinating insight into thinking beyond self employed.
If I could give one piece of advice to anyone starting out in a business that rewards people for building a business or a network (marketing virally, through a network) it would be this.
Your responsibility, like any other business owner, is to establish awareness for your product and opportunity. Talk to as many people as you can about what you are excited about (your story is more important than your product). Then don’t become attached to their response. What they think is none of your business.
Too many people, talk to too few people, because they attach themselves to the response they receive and the law of averages will tell you that only 10% – 30% people will say yes, the first time they hear something.
That means 70% – 90% people say no or something like that. Attach yourself to those people, people who are not ready or not interested takes most people out of the game. Don’t do it.
Don’t attach yourself to the yes’s either but instead watch what people do (far more important than what they tell you they are going to do).
Are they capable of following a system or is their ego so big, they think they know better.
Do they do what they say they do. Commitment is doing the thing you said you would do, long after the mood in which you said it, has left you.
Do they schedule ongoing training or events in their diary and work other appointments around those events or do they make excuses?
“What you do thunders so loudly above your head that I can hardly hear the words you speak.”
There is a great deal of difference between a networking meeting and a qualified referral.
Before we will risk our reputation in recommending someone we need to have established a trust and confidence that this person will not let our client or friend down and, equally important – they won’t let us down.
So we hold back. Don’t expect qualified referrals the first time you meet someone at a networking event or exhibition. Or the second or third time. Indeed research shows that it can take between 5 – 12 touches before this trust and understanding is established.
If you haven’t got a system for following up (and 97% of people don’t) you need a marketing system like BNI.
Good question and one that’s not easy to answer. Depends on two factors. How focused are the group in helping someone and how reliable is the person at meeting regularly with the group.
Reliability is a key factor when choosing anyone from the property or automotive trades and if this is a genuine strength of yours, then focus on meeting with a referral group who are focused on generating business for you.