friends in low & high places

Forget networking that’s a 1992 term, It’s all about making friends. People want to do business with their friends.

In every aspect of life you can never have too many friends. Friends make the world go round. In business the same applies; you need friends and people need you as a friend. In order to make friends a few things need to happen:

Encounter the person you want to befriend.
Engage them in conversation.
Give that person value, offer to help them.
Follow up on your offer within the next day.

Other tips:

• Be nice

• Smile

• Look them in the eye

• Ask questions that pertain to them

• Refrain from talking about yourself unless they ask. If they want to know about you believe me they will let you know.

• Always always always follow up with your offer.

Key point here being don’t ask for anything; just help them.

You can make friends wherever you go:
Grocery store, gas station, bookstore, work, home, school, ball games etc.
Opportunities will arise more often then you think if you’re always in the right frame of mind.

Take the relationship slowly building it up over time. With each encounter get to know the person more and more; asking questions about their personal life, family, what they like to do for fun etc. The more you get to know the person the more you’ll be able to help them. In addition the more information you have about the person the more likely you’ll be able to make a personal connection. Possibly you have the same interests, grew up in the same area or have children of similar age.

Help them in some way and they will help you. They may not help you immediately but sometime in the future they will. Helping people is fun and rewarding.

So what are you waiting for? Go out and make some new friends.

So tell me this:
How many friends do you have?