Filter Less, Business Relationships First

Photo by JP Leddy

“Categorize“, “Filter“, “Prioritize”, “Identify” and other similar terms have become common in our efforts as networkers and business connectors to find clients and business partners.   Although there is wisdom to really getting to know our contacts and systemically nurturing our relationships with them through getting to know them,  we often find ourselves strapped by the process rather than freed by it.

Why?   Because in our filtering process we discount individuals who may be our greatest lead sources.   I hear many networkers who pride themselves in weeding out their “non-productive” contacts.  Some of them can do it , they say within minutes of meeting them.  Some use filters like type of industry or other category.   While using filters is good  within a certain context,  they can also prevent you from your greatest lead sources and your greatest revenue.

Photo by JP Leddy

The whole idea behind networking is to nurture business relationships. If we treat each person that we meet like some sort of product that needs to be assessed and categorized,  we take the human part out of the relationship.

When you meet people, free your mind and heart, away from these categories,  and simply go in to meet people, human to human.   it is amazing how your perspective changes and how easily it is to find out about each individual.  You also allow yourself the freedom to unburden yourself from selling ( even though you are setting the groundwork for it).  In that mode, you are a 100% more approachable and people will be drawn to you.

What is also interesting is that you will meet and allow yourself to get to know a larger group of people from diverse industries. You can meet them later for one on ones to get to to know them further.  Then as you get real information from authentic interaction that is more in depth , you can use the filters not for negative purposes but to chart the kind of business relationship you will have with them. There are very rare cases where you would cease pursuing a relationship of some sort with people you meet.  However, you will be charting the development of real relationships in business partnerships that produce clients and revenue in the end.

I have found that when I approach my business relationship development efforts in this way with those I have found through networking, I have been able to gain lead sources from individuals and industries I would have never imagined before being able to produce such revenue and results.

I truly believe there is abundance out there in business opportunities , but we have to be open to receive it and to prove it through our actions.

Related articles

• List of Things I Need Filtered Off Facebook – In Response to That Rhody Ram’s Facebook Filter Blog (rhodyview.com)
• What Makes A Relationship A Box Of Chocolates? (anthonysramblings.wordpress.com)
• Networking Is Not An Event (ideasnmotion.wordpress.com)
• Going Against the Grain (royaltkomediaproductions.wordpress.com)
• Avoid these business relationship killers (sanderssays.typepad.com)
• 7 Tips for an Introvert Who Wants to Run a Startup (startupprofessionals.com)
• What’s most important in life? (venturegal.com)
• 5 Actions of Power Networkers (inc.com)
• The Importance of Building Relationships (opherbrayer.com)
• Do All Customers Want A Relationship? (alroche.wordpress.com)