11 Mar Next 3 Steps to Making Powerful Connections
{5:03 minutes to read} As we explored in my previous blog article, being a masterful connector can be captured in 5 simple steps:
Identify
Questions
Save and Store
Wishlist
Catalyst
You can remember this acronym—I.Q.S.W.C.—with this phrase: “Networking IQ Supports Wild Connecting.” In this article, we’ll focus on the final 3 parts of the acronym.
Save and Store:
The third step is to Save and Store the answers we get from the questions we ask from Step 2. To lock this information into my brain, I write their answers on the back of their business card and then enter it into their profile in my database of contacts.
Time-saving tip:
Always write the date and name of the event where you’ve met them on the back of their card. This makes immediate follow-up 10x easier. But it takes discipline. So just commit to this 5-second task and you’ll thank me later!
Wishlist:
The fourth step in this process is our VIP’s Wishlist. These are the people they most want to know—their dream client or dream alliance. Every time I meet a VIP and nurture that relationship, I keep their wishlist top of mind. I attend events intentionally looking for introductions that will nurture my garden of VIPs by listening for triggers that remind me of their wishlist. Instead of going to events to get, go to events with the intention to give. In this case, you’re giving to your VIPs, and you’re giving to those you introduce to your VIPs.
Catalyst:
The fifth step in making powerful connections often gets dropped. This step takes a high level of professionalism. It is the act of serving as a Catalyst. In other words, as a person making a connection, we relate to ourselves as the catalyst. We are not just staying at an elementary level and making a simple introduction. Being a catalyst means we’re taking it to an advanced level and setting an alarm for two weeks after the initial introduction: we circle back and ask our VIP how the meeting went between her and the person we introduced to her.
Instead of the gardener who plants the seed and walks away, we become the gardener who plants the seed and sticks around to see what fertilizer can accelerate an authentic connection between the two people. It’s about remembering to make sure something of value actually takes place. Sometimes the connection hasn’t happened because one of them forgot or lost track of an email. Reminding them is not only welcomed, it’s what distinguishes you as a true professional, a catalyst.
And those are the 5 steps to making powerful connections.
With my clients who participate in the Power Partners Initiative™ we look deeply at the untapped resource of remarkable people already sitting in our network. They are like dormant seeds of huge potential. One of the most powerful ways to activate these relationships is to ask ourselves which of these colleagues could potentially be significant fruit-bearing trees in the future. Before going overboard forming new connections, we focus on nurturing the important relationships already present in our network. This allows us to maximize our social capital portfolio.
If you’re interested in exploring mastery in the art of fertilizing VIP relationships, feel free to contact me to learn more about the Power Partners Initiative™.
Cynthia Greenawalt
954-214-2511
cynthia@seachangenetworking.com
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