I, myself, am almost getting sick and tired of hearing my own voice preaching to people about the value of connections. You can never have too many contacts, I always say. There are just so, so many benefits to networking.
But there’s another very popular expression out there that wasn’t originated by me, yet I feel such a strong attachment to. “Pay it forward,” you’ll often hear people say.
To some that’s paying for the order of the person behind you in the drive-thru line. And I love hearing those stories, by the way.
But what if you could combine paying it forward with the equally impactful power of networking?
That’s what I’ve done twice very recently, and you know what I got out of it? I just flat out felt good. There was no ulterior motive. There was no, “Let me sit and wait to see if one of those people comes back and does something good for me.” It was just the right thing to do.
Let me explain these scenarios so that this could be a potential teaching moment for others.
In the first instance I was interviewing a guest for my weekly “Now Hear This Entertainment” podcast and knew that although there were lots of other highlights to talk about (and we did cover those), there was a particular interest in talking about that guest’s podcast. The more we had that conversation, the more the wheels turned in my head and I started thinking of potential guests that I could recommend. In later writing a follow-up email about one of those individuals I even made clear that this person was not a client and so I had no attachment here. If it wasn’t a fit, I wasn’t going to be upset. Voila, it ended up being a great referral and the host was most appreciative of my having made the connection.
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The second instance was somewhat similar, with just a bit of a twist. This time I was interviewing someone for NHTE again, however, in listening to this guest’s story – not to mention what they wanted to promote – I saw the proverbial light bulb turn on over my head again. After we stopped recording, I asked if there would be interest in and permission for me to try to place this guest onto another show that could likely be a fit for an interview.
Some months ago, I had learned about someone who does a podcast whose subject matter left enough of an impression on me that I was ready to do some digging. I got in touch with one of my key contacts and asked what they knew about the show and its host (and contact information). Next, I used some of that information to dig up the show title, read up a bit on it, and prepare for the final step – the e-introduction.
Another successful match was made and the two of them would take things from there to arrange a date and time to record.
Meanwhile, I found joy in being able to help essentially four people, all by being a listener, being present, and having a giving mindset rather than a “what’s in it for me” approach. I suggest you give it a try and share in the satisfaction that I got. There is strength in numbers, and we can all help one another in some way.
How have you been able to pay it forward to someone? Tweet at me to @NHT_tweets or tell me on Facebook or LinkedIn. Alternatively, use email to let me know as well.