Next Steps

So you have all this behind you. You've written your obituary. You've identified your cure mission. You've identified 3-5 main goals you want to achieve. You're certain you're congruent with all of this. You've got your financial priorities in line. You've looked at the time you spend and realigned if necessary. You are approaching the thing with a generosity of spirit and the desire to help people and pay it forward. You accept the fact that connecting is the most important thing you can do. You have adopted a pay it forward attitude.

You're ready. If you've been networking, you've probably been to some networking groups. You know that a bunch of people gather and trade business cards and talk. But what is really going on is nothing like what it looks like. So if you have some groups, let's wait on you for the time being.

If you're totally new to networking, here's what I recommend. Talk to your friend, family members, colleagues and make sure they're up to speed on what you are doing. Ask their opinion. Listen to it. Do not respond except to clarify. Then, when they're done ask what you should do. Listen again and don't say anything except to clarify what you don't understand. Then ask if they know of anyone they would recommend you talk about it. Then write down who they say and, unless it's inappropriate for some reason, ask if they wouldn't mind making an introduction for you.

If they don't want to do that, ask them if they could at least call the person and tell them you'll be calling them.

If they won't do that, ask if they can give you their contact information, how best and when best to contact them, and if you can use their name.

If they won't do that, I'd thank them very much and forget about them. I'd question how much of a friend they really are and they may use what you've told them to work against you. Some people like to stomp on other people's dreams.

Keeping a diary is not a bad idea in all of this. Write down who you talked to, when you talked to them, what you talked about, what they recommended, your observations and what you did on account of it. And keep copies of any correspondents.

Then, send each of them a thank you. You can send a card or an e-mail or take a phone call, and thank them for their help. If they gave you a name, or offered to make an introduction, thank them for that and say you'll be eager to talk to the person. Then work as hard as you can to cultivate that lead.

I'm trying to help people network more productively. Is this helping?

Connecting makes Your Stop for Real Estate , my real estate referral business, go. See www.yourstopforrealestate.blogspot.com.

It powers my approach to writing. See www.kearneymusicschoolmurders.blogspot.com where you can read my mystery for free, download it for free or buy it from Amazon.com more cheaply than you can print it.

It fuels my publishing outlet, By and for Writers. See www.byandforwriters.blogspot.com where you can get a poem or a short story published.

It is fueled by my reading and thinking and talking about entrepreneurship. For those ideas, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com.