Networking is not about who you know, but who knows you

We started our project “Interviews of interesting people” with Noah Redler, a Montreal entrepreneur and involved member of the Start-Up community and RJCCQ (Regroupement des Jeunes Chambres de Commerce du Québec).  

Noah’s specializations are project management, communication strategy, political strategy, event and production logistics, problem solving, and writing (speech, content, creative).

Noah started his first company when he was 22 years old. He is a successful entrepreneur, and today he helps us to understand more about the wonderful world of entrepreneurship.

The principal focus of our conversation was about networking, this powerful tool that can change your business, steering it in a good or bad direction.

Networking is the single most powerful marketing tactic to accelerate and sustain success for any individual or organization!
– Adam Small

Networking is about making connections and building enduring, mutually beneficial relationships. There are thousands of reasons to build a strong network, be it sales related (meeting new prospects, receiving referrals to new prequalified prospects) or non-sales related (find a new job, getting new ideas, new insights and new wisdom, getting another perspective). In this article we will explain the most important tips to create and to maintain a strong network.

You know that meeting the «right» people can help your business, but it can also help you in your personal life.

Noah Redler, tells us about the importance of good contacts: «Networking is important not just to start a business but also to be able to know what to do at the right time. Having a diverse network is important in all areas, especially if you’re a small business or a start-up that does not have a big marketing budget. Your reputation and your network are what will help you to expand your project, your product or service. There is great value in having people that respect you; then they’ll be there to support you».

Noah explains how important it is to have a good reputation (for a company or for a professional) and how it is better to have a reference from somebody. If you want to buy a new television or renovate your home, you will be more relaxed if a friend gives you good tips on stores or indicates a good contractor.

But if you are starting your business or you want to expand it, it is important to return to the classic formula of networking. Noah shares with us an important tip: be a volunteer. «You give your time, the time that you can put into your business or into something else. But networking like the name says, is working! It is a job to do networking. You can put money in your networking and in your marketing, or you can put your time. Your time is as valuable as money. I like working with Start-Up Canada and RJCCQ. I think their missions are excellent. I do the promotion of their values, but also it gives me access to a network that I never could have access to otherwise. It gives me a chance to talk with people, whom I would have never met otherwise. I give my time, but I get good things from it.»

The traditional formula of meetings and happy hours for executives works very well, and today we also have other interesting networks to explore: social media. LinkedIn is an important tool to keep in touch with your contacts and follow their professional path. But be careful: you have to preserve your connections in the real world!

Because it does not matter if you have 500 contacts on LinkedIn, if these people aren’t ready to help you. Noah reveals a little secret for us: «This is my secret to keep good virtual contacts. You should go to the real world at one point or another. You have to be face to face to have discussions, and know the person. The big secret to keep good contacts is to do three contacts per year. Only. If you know the birthday of your contact you should send a message: «Happy birthday». At the end of the year, send them another message and try, at least once time per year, to have a coffee. There are three things to do: three messages during the year just to say hello, keeps me in your head. It’s simple, but it’s amazing.»

«If you follow these simple steps your can be sure», adds Noah: «even after four years, if you do not talk to this person, but maintain the three contacts per year, you can call him and he will say, yes, I am ready for a coffee … even after four years».

To succeed you must continually connect with new people, cultivate emerging relationships and leverage your network: «You never stop learning when your are an entrepreneur. And for this reason we should always be surrounded by young people with enthusiasm», tells us Noah.

Ultimately, it’s not about who you know … but who knows you.

If you ask the most important executives about what turns an ordinary person into a successful person, they will all tell you: Networking.

We invite you to visit this page of our website to discover more about a type of business based solely on networking: network marketing.

For more in depth and detailed information, Phoenix Alliance offers a FREE specialized «The best way to create and maintain a powerful network» seminar to its registered members.

Interesting outside link: « Ten Ways to Build and Maintain Your Professional Network »