Blog Post: Power Network and Experience the Coveted Boomarang Effect

We all hear about the power of networking, but we often forget the long-term value when we don’t see immediate results. Networking is much more then getting a job lead or identifying a new qualified prospect. Networking is about creating collaborative relationships that are supported through shared knowledge, resources, experience and referrals. This doesn’t happen over night. It takes time. It also requires a mindset focused on giving value, not getting help. I’d like to introduce you to two clients who truly understand this strategy and reaped huge benefits as a result.

Both Mike Simon and Mark Dean are going through my Accelerated Search program which requires participants to ramp up their networking efforts. They get to the point where they actually attract opportunities rather then search for them. They learn how to grow a pipeline that supports interaction with up to 20 people A DAY — Monday through Friday. Yikes — that’s 100 people a week. Are ya thinking you don’t know that many folks? Well, they didn’t either. Now they’ll know even more. They were just featured on the front page of a local paper. Free advertising! It came from networking and it came from giving without asking for anything in return.

Mike was just completing the transition process and I asked him if he’d speak at a local networking event to share his experiences with the group. This was a non-paid gig that snatched four hours out of his schedule. There were no up-front benefits to him for speaking except the good feelings that come from helping others.

Mike was happy to do it. His presentation inspired, motivated and educated the attendees. His presentation also captured the attention of a reporter who was in the room. She asked Mike if she could interview him and was once again happy to help.

That led to Mike being featured an article with impressive distribution. This “free publicity” plugged the fact that he was a highly competent Black Belt in Six Sigma and his services were available through his consulting company, Simon Consulting.

Wouldn’t you love it if someone wrote about you and told the world about your expertise?

That’s what happened to another client, Mark Dean. Marcia Heroux Pounds, a reported from the Sun Sentinel, called me to say she wanted to do a follow up article and asked for a client who was just starting the process who lived in Broward County.

BAM – Mark was tagged.

Mr. Dean hit the front pages this past Wednesday’s Sun Sentinel article. Now he’s a marketing wizard in search of his next great opportunity. What do think this will do for him? Mark will take this publicity and through some viral works of his own share it through social media tools like Linkedin, Twitter and Facebook. That will further catapult his visibility and accelerate his search. Don’t ya think?

My message her is , Mark didn’t do the interview to promote himself. He did it to help others. Go out and help someone else today just to be nice. No strings attached, no expectations. When you least expect it, I guarantee something wonderful will come your way in return.

What sort of no strings attached nice things have you done that have undirectly boomarang-ed back some unexpected benefits? Share them with us as comments so the rest of us can see these stories are more wide spread than you think.