Risk & Business Magazine Atlas Insurance Risk & Business Magazine Fall 2017 | Page 15
CONNECTING WITH PROFESSIONALS
E
very businessperson needs
allies. That’s why successful
industry experts, authors
and consultants don’t
operate in a silo; they have
a following and tribe that surpass
company and industry lines.
These allies have influence, and
befriending them can provide endless
benefits for your business, as they have
for mine.
Building relationships with influencers
is never a one-and-done deal. Earning
introductions and respect takes hard
work and careful planning. But when
you forge meaningful connections
with important people, you’ll get help
on projects, meet new allies and get
introduced to groups that will raise
your profile.
Here are five ways to make
connections with world-class
professionals based on my own
experience:
1. BECOME KNOWN AS AN EXPERT.
VIPs don’t want to waste time when
networking. They would much rather
learn something from interacting with
you. That’s why it’s crucial to find your
niche and dominate it.
You need to create great content and
get it into places that matter. Become
an influencer through social media,
podcasts, print or wherever else you
can put out fresh content. VIPs will
Google you to see what pops up. If
nothing appears, they might not give
you the time of day.
Demonstrate that you have intelligent
things to say, and get the right team
of content strategists behind you. It’s
more accessible and less costly to do
this than you might think.
2. FIND A CONNECTION POINT.
People want to hang out with peers,
not groupies. Seek introductions
from trusted friends or advisors.
Once you’ve found that connection,
determine how to build a relationship
with one influencer at a time.
The beauty of connecting with VIPs is
that they usually hang out with other
people you want to meet. It takes one
strong connection to make many.
3. HANG OUT AT THEIR WATERING
HOLE.
I’m not talking about their favorite
bar. Figure out what conferences
and events these VIPs attend. Don’t
focus on trade shows with 50,000
people. Tap into events like Archangel
Academy, Genius Network and
MastermindTalks, where there’s less
noise and more intimacy.
You’ll need to invest money to join
these networks, but their focus on
learning, growing and giving will help
you become exactly the kind of person
these VIPs want to befriend.
Spending time at one “watering
hole” can lead to an avalanche of
connections. While attending a
conference held by the charity
Opportunity International, I met
acclaimed speaker and entrepreneur
Jason Duff. After staying in touch with
him through thoughtful follow-up, he
introduced me to Empact co-founder
Michael Simmons. Michael connected
me with Cadre CEO Derek Coburn,
who asked me to speak at the same
event as Cameron Herold, one of the
top business coaches in the world.
Spending time and money on the
right event can cause a ripple effect of
big-time connections. But this process
takes time, so don’t give up if one
event doesn’t get you noticed.
4. BE BOLD AND DIFFERENT.
Invest in doing one thing better than
anyone else — it’ll set you apart from
the crowd. When I wanted to deepen
my relationship with Cameron, I
wasn’t just going to take him out to
a steak dinner and a Cavs game –
everyone has access to those.
Cameron told me we could meet up
after he shopped at his favorite store,
Brooks Brothers, but a five-hour
travel delay messed with his plans.
Because he didn’t have time to shop,
I brought the shop to him. When he
got to his room, he saw dozens of
Brooks Brothers suit jackets, pants
and shirts in his size. Not only did he
love it, but he also called an author
friend, John DiJulius, to change the
example he’d previously given him for
the best customer service he’d ever
experienced.
Keep your interactions first-rate, and
make them all about the other person.
Your new friend will never forget it.
5. THINK TANGIBLE, NOT DIGITAL.
Most VIPs are overloaded with
emails, texts and newsletters. Sending
tangible items will help you stand
out. I’m not talking about a pen with
your company logo on it. You need
to send something so high quality
and thoughtful that it becomes an
“artifact” of the relationship.
Over the past seven years, I’ve
continued sending Cameron
handmade cutlery and custom-made
wine tools. He’ll often thank me for
being the better friend and going out
of my way to stay in touch. I don’t
keep score, but I’m happy to have him
as a friend and ally.
I’ve built most of these relationships
over the better half of a decade.
They’ve required hundreds of
handwritten notes, phone calls
and gifts, but the value of these
connections is worth far more than
the time and money I’ve invested
in them. When you keep adding
value from afar, you’ll forge deep
connections that will slowly mature
into an army of dedicated allies. +
John Ruhlin is the founder of Ruhlin
Group. John’s company is trusted by the
leaders of fast-growing companies to
develop relationship-building strategies
and VIP gifting programs to increase
referrals and strengthen retention
with their most important clients,
employees, and prospects. His book,
GIFTOLOGY: The Art and Science of
Using Gifts to Cut Through the Noise,
Increase Referrals, and Strengthen
Retention, was released in June, 2016.
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