Success in business is directly related to who you know and how you help people.
Here’s a quick exercise to demonstrate the power of helping others….
Before you quit working today, list who you know on a piece of paper. This exercise is designed to be quick so only one piece of paper is needed. If it’s notebook sized, that’s good. If it’s stationery sized, that’s good also.
If someone crosses your mind, put their name on the paper. It truly doesn’t matter if the names represent co-workers, your boss, your neighbors, friends, etc. Just list whatever names come to you as you’re staring at this piece of paper.
After you have a list, start at the top of the list. Ask yourself “how can I help Person A today?” Write down whatever occurs to you. It doesn’t have to make sense and some of the things that occur to you may very well seem really odd. Just write them down.
When I did this exercise, here are some of my ideas.
How can I help Kelly today? I can offer to listen the next time he calls. It seems like something’s on his mind and maybe he needs a willing ear.
How can I help my mom today? She wants to go visit my grandmother. Maybe I can make arrangements to visit her and drive with her to Tennessee. I can call and ask her about that.
How can I help Heather today? Heather is establishing herself in a male-dominated industry. I can encourage her to keep going because she has valuable services to offer.
How can I help Tanya today? Tanya needs some help with marketing emails she’s sending to her clients. I can offer to show her how to set up a distribution list so that she maintains her clients’ privacy.
You get the idea….
After completing your list of actions, start contacting the people. Some people may be startled by your offer to help. Even if they don’t accept your offer, I guarantee they will appreciate being offered a tangible and specific action.
This exercise will provide ideas on how you can nurture your current relationships. Following through on your ideas will strengthen the bonds you have with the people on your list.
The benefit of strong relationships is S U C C E S S!