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Kindle Notes & Highlights
I didn’t really learn about the power of a network until I started running a start-up business called Skullcandy.
You build a strong network by investing in it over a lot of years, helping people and connecting them with each other. At the beginning, it may feel like you’re picking up one grain of sand at a time, and then suddenly you’re picking up buckets of sand as it continues to grow.
If you want to achieve any goal, you need other people to help you do it—and your chances of success are far greater if you can help other people achieve their goals as well.
every person has a gift to give and receive, and every person has problems that he or she needs help to solve.
You need to (1) pinpoint the relationships you will pursue and nurture; (2) reach beyond just friends, family, and profession and build a wide network of connections; (3) use a system for adding value to those contacts regularly; and (4) become the connector between connections—the person who can help people reach a resource they would never know about and could never
“making deposits in others’ emotional bank accounts”—favors that start at a low level to gauge interest and build trust, then progressing upward and outward.
“Cain theory of economics.” The more connection, the more abundance; the more connection, the more creativity; the more things are made
handing out or collecting masses of business cards with no system for strategic follow-up) will get you nowhere.
Networking succeeds only if you’re looking for help in all the right places.
Without a system, there is no strategy in your relationships. And even if opportunities come your way, you fail to seize them.
Before people are willing to help with the big things, they must know you, like you, and trust you.
through regular, value-added contact through
You need a plan for connecting and adding value to your network regularly. Value comes in many forms, and it is determined by the needs of the situation and the individual, but I’ve found that nearly everyone needs more
strategic relationship as a connection between individuals that takes into account the value that each party can provide to the other—through their contacts, introductions, information, and other forms of support. It is a “mutual assistance pact” where value is given and received by both parties.
Strategic relationships must be built on a foundation of generosity, value creation, and ultimately, friendship. Your time, energy, and efforts are precious—why spend them on people whom you wouldn’t want as friends?
Social capital is also shorthand to describe the difference between an “insider” and an “outsider.”
You are “sponsored” by an insider who then gives you entry to his or her world.
A power connector creates high-quality connections between individuals and their networks. Power connectors seek to add value by putting the best people in touch with the best resources, with the goal of creating greater success for all concerned.
Top 5. The 5 people closest to me. I connect with these people almost daily. These are the people I would trust with my life. Key 50. The 50 important relationships that represent significant value to my life and business. I tend these connections carefully, and I am always looking for ways to add value to them.
Vital 100. The 100 people I touch base with at least once a month. Both the human touch and added value are critical to my keeping these relationships fresh.
You must actively seek to develop trustworthy relationships with the people in the ecosystem by adding value and keeping your word.
Everyone has problems, and no one has everything they need, and we are all looking for solutions that can come only through other people.
“I know that I have built a good reputation for helping people, and that reputation has benefited me when I go to other people and ask for assistance, coaching, or introductions,” he says.
“The currency of the Relationship Era . . . is not awareness, nor even quality; it is authenticity,”
Your value can be your knowledge, or your network, or even just your ability to listen and empathize.
“How can I help?” and “Can any of my contacts be of assistance?”
Studies show that those who seek advice from others at work are regarded more favorably than colleagues who don’t.
People buy with emotion and justify with logic, and the same is true when it comes to “selling” your ask.
“Aim for the heart, not the wallet.” Your story is the heart of your ask.
A personal introduction allows you to borrow credibility from someone who already has it. It also will give you and the other person something in common immediately;
mistakes make you look sloppy and uneducated.
“The best way to provide value for others is to focus on them and find out about them by asking questions they enjoy answering—like, ‘How did you get started in business?’
everyone is trying to be successful, loved, and healthy, and that’s why the three things that are important to most people are their money, their children, and their health.
“How can I help?” Even if the answer is, “Nothing,” most people will appreciate—and remember—the offer.
“Attempt the impossible in order to improve your work.”
power connectors are experts at linking people to create the maximum benefit for all concerned.
If someone that you respect introduces you to a new contact, respect the introducer enough to explore the relationship.
Often some of the best-connected and knowledgeable people at the conference are the organizer and the volunteers. These are the people who do all the work and get very little of the credit. Find and introduce yourself to the conference organizer and/or host.
“Stand in high-traffic areas where you can be seen and heard.”
Be completely honest. Always own up to a mistake if you’ve made one. It’s more important to be nice than to be right. Forget about your ego, and look out for the feelings and welfare of your business associates and clients. Go the “extra mile” and “toil upward through the night” when necessary. Trust that if you put others first and do an honest job, you will rise to the top somewhere along the way. Never criticize anyone. Never burn bridges. People change—cut them some slack and be forgiving. But if you encounter someone who is not worthy of your trust and respect, politely and quietly
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Start with the Three Golden Questions: “How can I help you?” “What ideas do you have for me?” “Who else do you know that I should talk to?”
For every tough problem, there is a match with the solution. Critical resources are attached to people.
People must know, like, and trust you before sharing valuable social capital.
Keep the rule of two: give two favors before asking.
If you can remember only one tip, make it this one: engage in random acts of kindness. You never know how one small act can tip the scales.
