build your beautiful self

I talk to many people. I have learned that your network is the most valuable tool you have at your disposal. For the older generation it was the Rolodex. Now it’s your contact list.

I know that networking and putting yourself out there is scary. Maybe you’re worried about looking dumb, maybe you don’t like small talk, maybe one hundred more excuses. I know it’s tough, sugar, but you already do it every day! You are actually a selling and networking genius!

Here’s a story:

I was working on renovating properties with general contractors and life was splendid. Then home prices increase as they often do and the market shifted into one where you had to cut costs in one area in order to be competitive with your home offers. I started looking into saving costs by purchasing material myself and hiring subcontractors for the labor. It would save me some margin on my rehab budget.

I found a cabinet company that sold REALLY nice cabinets at a discounted rate for someone like me that did my own work. We ended up purchasing a quite a few kitchens with them because we got such good reviews on them from home buyers. I loved these cabinets and was really excited about them.

I told EVERYONE that I knew that was renovating homes about them.

I subsequently ended up sending over more clients to my, now friend, Jared who was my sales rep.

We were chatting one day about an upcoming order I had and I really felt like the conversation was being persuaded in a particularly one direction fashion. So I said, “It sounds like you are trying to get me to sell these things!” with a laugh. He replied, “I am.” That moment I realized that my excitement and enthusiasm over the product and my desire to share everything with my group that I find, I was sending business their way. He was kind enough to point out the fact that I was naturally selling these things and I deserved to get paid for it.

I took the opportunity and ran with it and sold a nice amount of kitchens. I point to this story is, we are ALWAYS selling. We are ALWAYS networking. You sell your ideas of being the parent and how life should go to your kids daily. You sell your boss/coworkers/business partners by the work you do or don’t do. You share things you found that you love on social media. You also sometimes sell yourself on an idea that things are worse or better than they seem. You network to source information about whatever you want to do. You follow people and comment on their posts everywhere.

All this is selling and networking. When successful business people say you should be excited about what you are doing, my story is why. When you are excited, you show your passion naturally. It is an easy conversation to have with people because nine times out of ten, you are making them super excited to try!

When you force it, or just don’t understand it well enough, that also shows and you are selling someone on the idea that they should be unsure about what you are trying to get them to pay for.

Some food for thought on father’s day.

Hope all the daddies that read this have an amazing day!