Network With Purpose

Transform Your Skills In 4 Simple Steps

Gordon Jenkins

• Publisher: Gordon Jenkins
• Year: 2018
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9780648380702
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Business Communication
• Index: Business

Step 1: Be Visible

Why is being visible important?

Let’s visualise a lake, with many pink flamingos. Ask yourself, “Am I just another pink flamingo or am I that blue flamingo standing out from the flock?”

If you’re just another pink flamingo, then you are what I call ‘an expert in a vacuum’. You may be technically skilled; you may know your ‘stuff’, but nobody knows anything about you. They don’t know you exist. You’re just another body in the crowd. You are invisible.

However, if you’re a blue flamingo then you will be noticed. Being visible is about standing out from the crowd. Contrary to what some people think, the best way to do this is not to make the most noise, to beat the loudest drum or show off all of your finest qualities. It is not about you at all.

Being visible is more than just turning up to a networking event or having a coffee meeting. You do not even have to have a conversation with someone to be visible to them. There are a range of methods you can use to be seen. They may notice you liking one of their social media posts or comments. They may learn about you from a mutual acquaintance. A video you post may capture their attention. The way others positively greet you will start to create their first impression of you.

If you do have the opportunity to communicate directly, then this can still be outside a formal networking environment. Face to face contact is the ideal opportunity to listen to others and discover what their own passions and values are; what their needs are; what purpose they have. As you learn about them you will gain visibility threefold:

1. They will feel a special connection with you, as you have taken the time to value them.
2. They will feel more confident sharing with you their time, money and freedom aspirations.
3. They will feel comfortable in further developing a relationship with you.

Notice the emphasis on ‘feel’. People will always remember how you make them feel. It is timely to remember that people don’t really care about what we know, but they care how you make them feel. That will then make you the centre of purpose; the reason they want to be on your plane, your path and our journey. This is a key cornerstone of Network with Purpose.

Let me put this in a way that may resonate further.

Consider the dating app, Tinder, where you swipe left and swipe right. Tinder is all about schmoosing. It’s cold and it’s impersonal. It’s about you and taking care of yourself. It’s fake. Both parties are only showing what they want each other to see, not their real lives and feelings. People are posing for other people. It’s about collecting likes. Where is the long-term intrinsic value in that?

On the other hand, Network with Purpose is all about the other person and how they feel. You put people first and you put your focus on them. You work in a network that is aligned with their passions. You seek like-minded individuals with whom you can really connect emotionally. You nurture relationships that are sustainable.

Think about the process of being where you want to be in seven years’ time.

You need to begin by determining how best to be visible in your network, organisation or industry. You ideally want to connect and work with people who have the same values as you. Most importantly, you’re looking for outcomes that will benefit both parties, so they will want to have an ongoing relationship with you. You want to take accountable actions that align to this philosophy. In turn you will become more visible.

A useful analogy to highlight the importance of being visible is to imagine an airport. Imagine your destination; you are about to board your plane.

Who in your current network do you want to take on the plane with you to your ultimate destination? Who are the new contacts that currently don’t see you, and would benefit by coming onboard?

Who do you want on your plane?

Remember to focus on your ideal destination. You may find that your current network is no longer as relevant to your future. You may need to leave them at the departure gate. You can still remain friends, however, a long-distance relationship can be difficult when you are both heading in different directions.

I have found that there are five key challenges to being visible.

The first challenge is the need to be clear about what sets you apart from the market. What will make you more visible than others? You need to stay away from terms such as; we are your local professional in the suburbs, we are authentic, genuine, unique, dynamic, client-focused… These are generic terms that everyone uses to try to stand out. It would be like describing a flamingo as pink, tall and covered in feathers. At the end of the day you’re just one of the flock.

You need to be clear about what differentiates you. What can you quantify that will enable you to be credible? What have you actually done to help others in the past? How have you made them feel? What solutions did you specifically provide that helped them to realise their goals?

The second challenge is about transparency – how visible you will be? The stakeholders (people who are internal and external), want a high level of transparency.

They want to be clear on who you are, who they are, and who they are dealing with. They want to see who and what they are getting involved with. The transparency is not just in what you say, but also in how you act.

The third challenge is about staying relevant – how visible you are in the current environment? We live in an ever-changing and fast-moving world. The demographics are challenging organisations to stay relevant. The community that we’re working in changes constantly. Technology is one of the biggest adaptive disruptors to humankind today.

More importantly, as we’ve said previously, the network of yesterday might not be the network of your future. As I previously mentioned I am a classical example of that. The network I had during the...

Table of contents

• Dedication
• Contents
• Foreword
• Preface
• My Story
• Why Network With Purpose?
• Step 1: Be Visible
• Step 2: Be Memorable
• Step 3: Be Intriguing
• Step 4: Be Compelling
• In Memoriam
• Copyright