Feed Your Network

Like a garden you network needs to be fed and fertilized if it is expected to bear fruit.  Remember bearing fruit is a two-way street. One of my early posts was how you must believe in the give-to-get mantra if you are to be a successful networker.

How do I feed my network?  What can I do for them?

A couple of suggestions:

1. Provide job leads
2. Provide leads on potential customers
3. Share industry reports and news
4. Offer suggestions on how to improve a website, a display or  sales material (if you can speak from experience)
5. Recommend people in your network to each other – cross pollinate
6. Ask how you can help

This week I sent an email to those I have met “along the way” its something I do on a regular basis, its my way to stay in touch and let people know what I have been up to.  In this email I offered to send them a copy of a report on social media, inbound marketing and marketing budgets for small to mid sized companies.  Its not my original research but that of a firm I follow.  So far about 10 people have asked me to send them a copy.  Through this I have provided value to my network and perhaps help them improve their business or knowledge.

Plus when I send them the report via email I’ll check in and see if they want to meet at a later time over coffee, etc to talk about the report.  A great way to reconnect and further feed my network.

Until next week….