Image Credit: Flickr / MicahMacallen
Ever thought how much easier it would be to get your business off the ground if only you could go without sleeping?
Just think, an extra 2,500 hours a year to handle all the little tasks that keep getting bumped to the bottom of the pile.
Like meeting and following up with new contacts and prospective clients.
Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I can’t show you how to get by on less than 7 hours a night without turning into a dribbling idiot.
I’ve tried, and the results weren’t pretty.
What I can share, however, are some steps to help you get more out of the time you do spend networking.
So here they are:
Step 1. Know how much money every minute is worth to you
This works because we’re very poor at tracking our time disappearing as we fritter it, but we’re (usually) better at adding up the cost of things.
How much? Your hourly rate is a good start. After all, if you don’t think your time is worth what you charge for it, why should anyone else?
So, knowing this, would you pay $150 for the hour you’ve spent retweeting pictures of crabs smoking cigarettes this week?
Step 2. Get clear on what you want from all this social activity
What exactly will you get for the time (which = money, remember) you’re investing? More clients? Advice and expertise? Shoulders to cry on during those times you wish you had your old job back?
Any of those are fine. As long as you decide in advance. Then, once you’ve decided, keep a track of your goals to see if you’re achieving them.
Step 3. Be selective
Although you’re doing this to meet people, that doesn’t mean you need to spend hours on the phone to everyone who gives you a business card. Selectivity is the key to maintaining your sanity here.
Does this person inhabit a similar world to you, work-wise? Did you genuinely like them?
Yes, I know there’s a school of thought that anyone who can fog a mirror could refer you to your perfect, best ever client. But unless you’re a pathological extrovert, you’ll probably wear yourself out a long time before that happens.
Step 4. Avoid making rash promises
“I’ll call you” is a promise. Even if you say it casually, you’ll be reminded of it whenever you look at that persons business card sitting on your desk, meaning to get round to it.
That little twinge of guilt takes up valuable mental space you could be using for something important. Like planning your next promotional release of live sheep with your website address painted on into the local shopping centre.
Step 5. Be generous (with no expectation of getting anything back)
If all the above sounds terribly self-centred and calculating, that’s because it is.
I’m a firm believer that when you’re planning any marketing activity, you need to work out exactly what you’ll get out of it. Otherwise the answer will probably be ‘very little’.
But that doesn’t mean you should carry that over into your behaviour when you’re dealing with other people. Quite the opposite.
Once you’ve identified people who you really want to get to know better, go out of your way to be helpful, with no agenda other than being a helpful, nice person. This sounds counter-intuitive, but it works because your goal is to build long term relationships with people. The best way to do that is to be likeable and trustworthy.
It’s important that you don’t have expectations, because nobody likes a scorekeeper. In some cases, people will let you down. That’s ok because in my experience the people who really respond well and help you out in return more than make up for it.
By following these steps, and being patient and consistent, I’ve gotten to know plenty of very cool people who have really helped my business.
And I’ve got plenty of sleep. Result!
So… how do you manage your time when meeting people?
