Strategic Networking to Drive Business: 5 Relationship Building Tips

Guest blog post by Lisa Treadwell, owner of The Indy Real Estate Experts, Keller Williams Realty

I was recently asked to mosey on over to Dallas  for a national conference of real estate agents, and sit on a panel  to share my experience and successes in networking and building business relationships. While I was honored to learn that my peers and mentors considered me to be pretty good at this, I quickly realized that I needed to easily summarize my beliefs and approach in this area. This is the result of that effort. 

1. Be authentic: There’s no one else that has your same story. We all experience life from a unique perspective. Own your life experiences and use your perspective to bring something new, fresh, and honest to conversations. People like people who are authentic.

2. Connect: Although we experience life through our own unique perspective, there is at least one thing we have in common with others: Find out what it is and let that be a connecting factor to move relationships from awkward first moments to the next level.

3. Have a Servant’s Heart: We’re all struggling with something. Have compassion for people and a true willingness to help. Look people in the eye and really hear what they are saying. Then ask, “what can I help you with?” or “what’s the one thing that needs to happen for you that would make everything else fall into place?” Do you think you would stand out in that person’s mind? You sure would!

4. Follow Up like a Champ: If there’s one thing many of us stink at, it’s follow up. Do what you say you’re going to do. That’s it. Simple, right? A good follow up to a first conversation with someone may be an email (or better-a phone call or hand written note) expressing how nice it was to meet and that you look forward to connecting with them again at some point. If you’ve promised an introduction to someone, introduce them. Whatever you said you were going to do to help (see #3), do it – and do it at a level that exceeds the expectations of the other person. 

5. Be a Connector: Whatever their answer was in #3, I bet you know someone that could be a good connection for the person you just met. Be as diligent here as you were in #2 when you were looking for commonalities with your new connection. Find someone your new connection needs to know and send them an e-introduction. Be sincere, here. Don’t just fire off an e-intro for the mere idea of sending an e-intro. This e-intro should be meaningful and a connection that could truly be helpful.

Things are moving so quickly and continue to speed up.  We get so many people and products vying for our time and resources that its difficult to organize the information, let alone make a decision to refer a potential client to a business connection we’ve made. When we can slow down and get back to the basics with face-to-face conversations, authenticity, and the heart of a servant we will stand out from all the other junk that is coming at each one of us. This makes room for strong relationships and solid referral partners. So slow down and get very specific with your relationships. The reward is priceless…great relationships and great referrals…its a win-win for everyone!

Lisa Treadwell is an Indiana native, born and raised on the west side of Indianapolis and is the Team Leader and owner of the Indy Real Estate Experts of Keller Williams Realty. She was named “Rainmaker of the Year” by her Rainmaker colleagues in 2014. Lisa believes that our natural skills and abilities are our gifts; and that once we find them, it is our job to hone them and then give them away.  This blog post is part of that effort.

Connect with her on Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisaparretttreadwell and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisaparrettinc