Does Your Message Answer the "What" or the "Why"?

Andy Lopata, host of The Global Networking Show, says the first step in building a profitable network is to understand what your message should be. What do you want people to say about you when you're not in the room? And with whom do you want them to share it?

When Andy asks business people what they'd like the people in their network to say about them, the most common responses he gets are:
''I’m professional."
"I’m reliable."
"I’m good at my job."

Sadly, these responses don’t address what you do. Yes, it is important that people perceive you have those qualities, but on their own they mean little. People first need to know why they should care and in what way you are relevant to them.

Get In the Mind of Your Prospect
Consider what resonates with a potential client or employer. Get inside their head. Answer 'Why?' rather than 'What?'

Last year Andy spoke at a conference for public sector accountants. At that same conference, Jon Harrison shared Simon Sinek's Golden Circle. Sinek explained, "Every single person on the planet knows what they do, some know how they do it.  But very few people or organisations know why they do what they do."

Sinek went on to say, "By 'why', I don't mean profit. By 'why' I mean what's your purpose, your cause, your belief? Why do you get out of bed in the morning...and why should anyone care?

The key point says Sinek, is that "People don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it." People will buy from others who share their belief systems; they will employ people who think the same way as them. Shared values and beliefs are a key factor in creating the right opportunities for people to work together or for each other.

But it's not just shared values and beliefs that count. People don't just buy what you do or why you do it, people buy why it makes a difference to them.
 

Read the full story here. It’s worth it. And I invite you to add the "why" to your story. Why do you really do what you do?

Get Free from the Feast or Famine Cycle

How to find time to network when you're busy.

From BNI SuccessNet, by Richard White

It was a Catch 22 of sorts: I would network like crazy when I needed more work; then when things picked up and client work started to flow the very thing that brought in the work—networking—I would cut back on.
The trouble with networking like this is you end up getting caught in the “feast or famine cycle” – I bet you know what I am talking about! One minute you are maxed out and dreaming of having more time to yourself, and the next minute you are wishing you were really busy again.
Riding this rollercoaster a few times, I finally realized I could not afford to stop networking during busy times. I began to look for ways to ensure that the sales leads would keep coming in during those busy times. Here are five strategies I now use to network, even if I am ridiculously busy with client work.

 
Click here for Richard’s advice.

Business Networking and Sex

(It’s not what you think)

BusinessNetworking and Sex—Not What You Think, by Ivan Misner, Hazel Walker and Frank De Raffele is about gender differences in networking. I've have the good fortune of knowing all three authors.

Here’s a bit about the book: one co-author (Frank) focuses on the man’s perspective, one (Hazel) on the woman’s perspective, while Dr. Misner took the networking expert’s perspective.

One of the important questions the book addresses is “Are men and women really so different?”

Both men and women want business from networking and both are willing to work hard to get it. But they approach it in different ways, and could benefit from learning the style of the opposite sex.

Here are some tips for women dealing with men:

• When asking for help, communicate clearly what you want
• When speaking to men, try to impress them and share your accomplishments
• When spoken to inappropriately, speak up immediately. Don’t accept it.
• Convey an image that you’re a serious business person at all times.

For men dealing with women:

• Slow down. Build the relationship.
• Don’t assume that women don’t take their business seriously.
• Edit what you’re about to say. Filter out anything that’s not business-appropriate.
• Remember that women are at networking events for the same reason you are: to get business.