Day #23:
Yesterday while going towards my office from home, I received a call from a friend of mine who is part of my BNI chapter asking me to meet an industrialist who is visiting Chennai from Coimbatore. He has spoken to him and found that he could use my services in creating newsletters for him and created an opportunity for me to get business.
I took this meeting and it went very well and I received an order immediately for monthly newsletters and a possibility of more communication and branding work for that group. This was possible purely because my friend had set up the stage for this meeting and the trust was already established.
I drove back after the meeting with gratitude that I have such friends in my life who are looking out for me and making sure I’m getting business and growing without expecting anything in return.
Are these random acts of kindness or are they something more? Am I the only beneficiary in this situation or are others gaining too? After some more introspection, one can find that the person who gave me the order also is benefitting. Otherwise, I will not be getting this order. He is now getting a trusted communication partner who will take care of reaching out to his constituency regularly month after month and build top of the mind brand recall for his group. He will surely get more business, more respect and more love for his brand from those receiving the newsletter.
What about my friend who referred me? What does he get out of it? Yes, you are right. He gains too. He earns brownie points from both of us who will, in turn, connect him to those we know so that his business also grows. This is the new business climate in our world. Co-option. Not competition. We co-opt those around us to co-operate with us and help each other get business and grow. What goes around comes around. This is the philosophy of BNI along with “Givers Gain”.
Look around you. Is there someone in your circle who can benefit and grow if you connect to someone else in your circle? Won’t both parties benefit from this introduction? Then go connect them and see the magic. Sometimes it could backfire. But it is like learning to walk. We attempt to stand and we fall. We get up. We fall again. But ultimately after so many failures, we learn to walk and finally run. Networking and referring people are similar. There will be some failures but ultimately it will be hugely successful. And you will be leading a magical life where everyone is helping everyone else in their circle.
Thank you Kandavel for connecting Madan of Rathinam Group to me. Through this connection, we should all benefit and grow through numerous new opportunities, possibilities, connections and relationships.
Thank you, Kandy, for creating this opportunity!
Raphaelcreations 