Who do you know? Who knows you?

Which one do think is the most important question? Although who you know is a vital element in making things happen in your business and marketing efforts, who knows you is a more important factor. Let me explain.

Ask yourself these following questions:

1. Who can I text that will call me back within minutes?
2. Who can I call in the evening and will answer the phone for me?
3. Who do I know that I also know personal things about them; their likes and dislikes, family names, music taste, frequent hangouts, their goals, objectives and dreams?
4. Who would take your call no matter what?
5. Who would do something, just b/c you asked them to do "that thing or favor"?

Now think about every contact you have in your Rolodex, your Outlook contacts, and other email contacts. How many do you know on that level?

For me evaluating this was a tough thing. I knew a lot of people, but how long would it take for it to register who I was if I called them? Would they take my call? And then I realized what I had to do.... "get more people to know me". In order for that to happen, I would have to care more about people then myself, put away my agendas and listen to people on a deeper level.

Would you agree that people will tell you everything you need to know if you just listen and get them talking. Asking people more about them, what they do, how they do it gets someone pumped! People love to talk about themselves. Listening, will tell you everything you need to know about how to do business with them... if it makes sense to do so.

If you are like me you probably have at least 3+ email address's in yahoo, gmail, and corp email. On a social network end, you are members of facebook, myspace, linkedin, twitter and probably one, two or three more, after all... isn't that enough? Yes and No.

Yes: Because you have to find ground "somewhere". A place that you can reference to and be referenced. Tip Part 1: take any of your following urls to linkedin, twitter, or other and attach it to your signature on your email. This will get people to access you from every email and it's not "in your face". It's a nice approach to marketing YOU. Tip part 2: You can also embed a code in any word in your email. A cleaner way of listing your URL.

No: Keep an eye out for other networks that pop up. It could mean finding a new client. But start somewhere and grow.

OK, so get more people to know you! Then make sure to ask them direct questions like, how can I help you with your business? What are you looking to do? What is your time frame? Then YOU will become the contact that people in your network want to meet!

Homework: Make a list of 10 people in your network of "who you know" that you want to know on that level. Then make a call, send an email, have a coffee and talk! Have Fun!

Jake Press - Reporting