How Powerful is Your Web ?

Sales Man Up


Personal relationships are always the key to good business. You can buy networking; you can't buy friendships.  - Lindsay Fox

While exiting through the front door of my house one brisk Fall morning, I walked up the steps towards my circular driveway, and felt an unseen string brush against my head. I immediately knew it must be a spiderweb, and commenced to searching for the source. Gazing off to my left, perched seven feet in the air within the branches of a magnolia tree, was a one foot diameter web accentuated by the droplets of dew still present from the morning. What was impressive to me, was the fact that the “ home web” was positioned a good twelve feet away from the heirloom rose bushes.  The spider that built this Web must've eaten her Kashi the night before , since she was able to fire off supporting webs at a distance of over twelve feet long to lend structural support for her magnolia tree web. Wow ! The spider was nowhere to be seen. Probably sleeping soundly on another branch, recovering from a hard night’s work !

In musing further about this impressive network of webs, as I commenced with my morning walk, I translated that real life example into how powerful a good network is within our business life. Like the spider, we begin spinning our web with a very small circle. If we only think about ourselves, we will remain as a small circle; but if we move forward in consideration of others, being intentional about becoming a resource to other business professionals, and helping others along the way ; our web begins to grow. It broadens and expands. Why is this so beneficial, even imperative for future success ? Because everyone is spinning their own web, with their own set of contacts and relationships. The clients you need to build relationship with, may already be close to a friend or associate ,who can make a warm introduction.

An example of this was evident when I was given a new sales market within the state of Florida, which included a city that I had not previously worked in. I knew little to no one in this vicinity. How could I build a thriving business within this city, if I didn’t even know where to begin ? I started with the husband of a past co-worker ; someone I had sold building materials within a former life (i.e. A friend ) . He agreed to meet with me at Cracker Barrell one morning. I bought his breakfast, and after our first cup of coffee, he began to extemporaneously expound on all of the key architectural firms, designers, and end-users within this given city. I took copious notes and asked clarifying questions. Major download ! That was the best twenty dollars that I ever spent. But wait, it gets better. A few weeks later, another close friend , who was also a salesperson I knew from a former life ; graciously volunteered to travel with me for a full day, and make personal introductions to his key businesses partners within this city. I cannot tell you how HUGE that was. Not only did I have names and numbers. I knew faces, and these faces now knew mine. The rest is history, as I watched my company’s business double within this city over the next two years. My part was to follow up and follow through, but it all began with relationships in my network, and friends who were willing to help.

How powerful is your web ? Are there relationships that you have that are untapped resources of mutual business opportunities? Yes, it needs to be a win/win when it comes to networking ; but whenever we give our time, energy and assistance to others ; it always comes back to us in unexpected ways.

Networking is an essential part of building wealth.   - Armstrong Williams