are you working your Network. I asked this question of several of the students in our Referral Dynamics Class last week and I later asked the same question of several BNI members. In every case they said that they spent a great deal of time working their networks. They attended the regular meeting, connecting with their fellow members, and they indeed did work their network.
Unfortunately that is not the network I was speaking of. That is one of the places that you go to network, I was speaking to “Your” Network. Those people whom you have in your database, those people who have met when you have been out networking. How much time do you put into working your network, calling them up to reconnect, sending articles to them, meeting them for coffee, inviting them to events, or publishing them in your newsletter. Do you track your activities and whom you are spending your time on?
The Referral Institute has a very handy tool called the “Networking Scorecard”. This tool allows you to track the activities that you are spending on your network. Creating a proactive process for nurturing your network, so when you have a need there is no problem picking up the phone and calling someone in your network and asking for help. After all, you have spent quality time working your network. Sometimes it is more important that you spend time developing what you have then adding more to the mix. Once you have developed your network, then you can spend time adding more to the mix.
