The Best Insurance Policy You Could Ever Have…Especially In A Recession
If you haven’t already figured out by now…we are in a recession . Not just any recession but rather one of the worst recessions since the great depression.
Every day more and more people are laid off and businesses struggle to stay afloat.
As employees and entrepreneurs experience hardships, there are a select few who are experiencing the economic storm and interestingly enough have nothing to fear and are thriving.
Who are these people you may ask?
The individuals who have nothing to fear are those who are highly connected in their niche.
Each of these very individuals who are highly connected, and who understand that “Connectivity is the New Currency In This Day And Age," as my friend Michelle Price says, are those that thrive in their life no matter what the economy is doing.
Translated… “Your network is your greatest insurance policy if/when the shit ever hits the fan.”
I repeat…
Your network is your greatest insurance policy if/when the shit ever hits the fan.
Because these networkers in this economy have taken the time BEFOREHAND to build and nurture these types of relationships OVER TIME before a crisis hit, they now hold the key to many new opportunities and pathways that most people don’t have access too.
Now if anything ever happened to these types of individuals…
Lost their job…
Closed their business…
Suffered some sort of hardship…
Guess what their next move would be?
They would connect to and reach out to their network of course to ask for help/assistance/contacts etc!
So instead of waiting for the economy to get better, to build your network I highly recommend that you do these 5 things right now to get yourself on the path to not be a victim any longer.
As a famous person once said, "A victim blames, a victor learns."
Don’t be a victim…please do these 5 things right now.
1. Call Every Friend You Have
Call each one of these friends to check up on them to see if there is any way you can help them. As someone who believes in giving for the sake of giving I know that it will come back 100 fold. Maybe not tomorrow or the next day, but sooner or later it always comes back in some way shape or form. Even though you may be struggling right now no matter what your situation, you never know what new opportunities this may create for you and plus it feels good to help others…this shouldn’t take you more than a day to do. By doing this, strengthening the bond with your contacts is a good thing in these tough times
2 Put Yourself Out there
Meet more people in your niche. I don’t care how you do it…on the web or in person just get out there and pound some pavement. Meet some new people and find ways to work together with them. As you grow these new connections don’t forget to follow up!
3. Continue to Strengthen Your Online Presence
As you contribute to more communities online and are continuously seen, you open yourself up to more opportunities that can be presented to you. I can’t tell you how many times new opportunities have fallen into my lap because of someone I met on facebook or from someone who read my blog for the first time. Find a way to build your presence online and think of creative ways to leverage that going forward to land the gigs you want to attract into your life.
4. Make A List
Make a list of people you want to get to know, but have been procrastinating to introduce yourself to them. Know why you want to reach out to them, and once you create the list, figure out the best way to get in touch with them.
Do you have someone who possibly knows them that could introduce you? Do they have their e-mail on their blog or website?
Just be sure that when you reach out to anyone new that you make the e-mail/letter/phone call personal and customized, and don’t sound like a robot treating people like a number.
People want to be treated like people…NOT numbers…as one of my mentors, Roberto Torres taught me a long time ago.
5. Have Some Fun
Even though we are in tough times, don’t be afraid to have some fun as you build new connections and strengthen the bonds with your contacts. Even though times like this can be stressful, don’t forget that we are all in this together, and that there are other people just like you who are dealing with the same economy.
So in summary : As you shift your mind to a "higher level" of thinking about connections and relationships, don’t ever forget that your network is your greatest insurance policy, and they should NEVER be taken for granted. As you nurture the relationships over time you should never have anything to fear as you continue through the crazy journey of life.
April 24th, 2009 at 6:55 am
I would add a sixth, “Throw a party”.
One of the joys of my networking is when I get to introduce two people who I think would ‘hit it off’ whether socially, professionally or intellectually.
I also find I have a good time when two people from different areas of my life meet, both so they can see who I complain about (just kidding) and so they can share funny stories about me.
I find that crossing social circles also enhances me in their eyes, at least for a time, because they realize I have good friends that they don’t know about, sociologists call it ’social power’, I call it popularity.
Doing this one simple thing (that would be throwing a party) actually includes just about all of your five points.
May 18th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
I’m so glad you posted this and I ran across it. You bring up some stellar points, among the best certainly has to be “nurturing” your network. That’s a point that gets taken for granted.
I wonder what percentage of people who successffuly generate business (and are having a record year) are active in nurturing their network…?
I bet the figure is 80% or even higher.
Ali Coffey, w/ client referrals blog
June 6th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
Love this post! I am constantly telling my friends they need to come to networking parties with me and build up their online relationships. I work in a creative industry that is not very stable, right now and I have seen many friends lose their jobs and have no back-up plan.
Following your advice makes a lot of sense for anyone who wants to add a little security to their life. I might add, “Attend Industry Networking events” to your list, as I have found it one of the best ways to get up close and personal with “decision makers” in a particular industry, when they have had a few drinks and are willing to talk (sometimes they talk too much, which can work in your favor down the line!).
October 15th, 2009 at 7:44 am
I not only enjoyed reading the post but the comments as well. Younger professionals enjoy networking through parties. More senior professionals have more family responsibilities so their social time is more limited, and networking becomes a more pragmatic activity.
In any case one factor I’d like to throw into this mix is it is essential to build an upgraded network. In other words, getting out there is important, but getting out there with people who have decision making roles and are influencers, are thought leaders, etc. will be very valuable to learn from and can be so helpful in accomplishing greater things.
“SNOB” networking(c) may not be as bad as it sounds. In fact, it can save your neck.
January 5th, 2010 at 11:03 am
I think we are also seeing some signs of recovery from the Economic Recession. Of course, we have no idea of how long it will take to completely recover, but some say it’s going to be longer than for the other recessions in decades. I also scanned an article yesterday that said business owners need a new set of tactics to do well during recovery.