It’s Not Who You Know. It’s Who Knows You.

We are often told it is about who we know. To the contrary, it is all about who knows you. They are influencers, connectors and people on the inside who can give you access. The more people who know you, the more help you get marketing your services. They become your ambassadors.

Our ability to attract and earn new business is proportionate to the amount of trust, likeability and credibility that we earn. So, it all boils down to relationships. When people see you as an asset because engaging with you adds value to their lives, they are out there talking you up, recommending your work and multiplying the size of your network.

The people who know you have a great impact on your business. They give you scalability in ever-widening concentric circles, with the closest circle representing those that are most key – people who trust you and to whom you add value and, people you trust who add value to your life.  

Here are some tips for developing key relationships:

• Monitor who you know. Do not collect people. The right people lead to the right relationships. When these people know you, you have access to their network. And, of course, they to yours.
• Give to get. Initiate and reciprocate to build relationships. Gestures that say your relationships matter to you have a multiplier effect exponentially.
• Use social media strategically. It can help you refresh and maintain existing relationships and create new ones. Sharing, tweeting, retweeting, commenting, etc. spread the word to audiences that matter and increase your fan base, especially when you willingly do it for them as well.

Be memorable. Be knowledgeable. Be meaningful to others. You will be more likely to be known by people who will matter to you, personally and professionally.