The Power of Networking
In a recent coaching session with a new VA we talked about developing niche areas in which to operate and promote her business. In passing she mentioned her family background which also had a connection with her husband – they all experience the same physical challenge and she was thinking that since she had experience of this particular thing, she could service business people who experience the same. I thought it a great idea and encouraged her with this thinking and then remembered I know someone else via a list forum outside of my industry who also suffers from this same physical challenge and is having problems getting work.
I asked the VA if she knew anyone else working in the same field with this challenge and she said that yes, she does, and mentioned they were in Chicago. The lady I know is also in the US and apparently on the other side of the country. I immediately asked if I could pass on the VA’s contact details to this lady and she was happy for that to happen – she will work on connecting the two people to see if it will assist this lady to obtain work.
I reflected on this later on and found it incredible. Here I am in Australia, connecting a lady in Kentucky with a VA in Wisconsin who knows someone working in the same field with the same challenges in Chicago. I have no personal experience of the geographical distance between these people but the common denominators that will help link them was my knowledge of these people and the Internet. Networking via the Internet can be very powerful and help connect people who would otherwise never have known about each other. Belonging to networking groups, both professional and social online is a good thing to do. Worth thinking about, isn’t it? KMT
The power of business networking is unparalleled and if we could quantify the volume (the true volume) of business for which it is responsible in whole or in part it would be staggering. There are tons of people willing to help you as most people have a good nature – its simply a function of communicating effectively how we might help and listening clearly as to what others might need. Then its simply a game of connecting the dots just like when we were kids.