Who Knows What You Know? Dear John,
"Youth is wasted on the young." This is a quote widely attributed to George Bernard Shaw, and it refers to the energy young people bring to their activity. When I hear that quote these days, I think of something different. I think about the experience, and network mid-career professionals have built and how they leverage those assets infrequently. This inspired me to coin my quote: "Relationships are wasted on the uninitiated." I'll explain: As professionals grow in their careers, they meet and work with other professionals. Your colleagues, your adversaries, your partners, and your friends all fall into this category. Every person with whom you interact can help you grow and deepen your relationships with your clients. Yet you don't invest in these relationships the way you invest in other assets. By the time an attorney graduates from law school and finishes her first year at a firm, she has already met over 1,000 professionals with whom she could collaborate, exchange introductions, build trust, and invest time and energy. That's 1,000 connections from high school, undergraduate studies, law school, and professional interactions – after just your first year as an attorney. Imagine the potential in year 5, 10, 15, 25, 35, etc.? Why should you invest in these relationships? After all, we are talking about lots of time and energy spent getting to know people, extending ourselves, making connections, and maintaining our standing with these folks. Why invest this time and energy? Five reasons come to mind immediately. They are not the only reasons, but they leap off the screen when you read them. One: Recession-Proof Your Growth When you invest in relationships and grow a network of people who care about you and your success, you recession-proof your business. Some people invest in professional services in any economy. In a downturn, it becomes more difficult to find those people. An expansive, diverse, active network makes it more accessible. Connecting with people who work in every economic sector, and every geographic region offers you an opportunity to participate in not just one economy, but many. This helps you remain viable in a downturn. Two: Your Ability to Provide Services for Your Clients Grows Exponentially If you connect to thousands of people who work in complementary areas, you can promote their services. When you do, you help clients solve a wide range of problems. Even if you are not financially compensated for the service of connecting people to others, you stay top-of-mind, and when those folks need help in your area, they will remember you immediately. Three: Sourcing Clients Becomes Infinitely Easier Want new clients? Ask your network to help. If you know who you'd like to meet, and you have an extensive, deep network, you will be easily able to connect with that person. There's a second (underappreciated) aspect to this. The trust the person making the introduction has with the potential client is immediately passed through to the new potential relationship. This not only helps you make the connection; it is your competitive advantage in closing the deal. Four: Increase Your Knowledge Base If you want to learn something new, you can do lots and lots of "desk research." This means you start the music and do the Google dance. That's marginally effective, and it provides a superficial overview. Connecting with someone who works in the field and can share first-hand knowledge is far more valuable. This exposure is priceless because it allows you the benefit of a lifetime of experience. It can eliminate the trial-and-error. It shortens the learning curve and makes acquiring new knowledge less expensive and more efficient. Five: Your Firm Can Compete on a Bigger Stage If you want to go up against your industry's monsters but don't have the desire to invest in a considerable team, your network can be of enormous assistance. A dozen superb professionals, committed to functioning as one cohesive unit, can easily compete with the titans of your profession – and do so in a nimbler, entrepreneurial way. Now that you believe in this strategy, now that you buy into developing your network, how do you start? That's easy. Give me a call, and I can share some ideas. If you want to jump-start this process, you can join my community and immediately acquire thousands of relationships. Fo more information and to find out if your practice area and geography are available, call me: 888.444.5150. There is a small financial investment (less than $10 per day), but the return is incredible. The best time to start growing your network was the day you entered high school. The second best time is right now!
Warm regards,
Dave Lorenzo
Revenue Growth Expert
Toll Free: (888) 444-5150
Miami, FL: (786) 436-1986
Email: DLorenzo@DLorenzo.com
Website: DaveLorenzo.com | 
