What is one of the primary reasons you got selected for a project, closed that big sale, or even got hired?
I would argue it’s the company you keep, the network you’ve built, the relationships you maintain.
But, are you just a passive part of a network, or do you participate and contribute to a community that helps you build relationships and, ultimately, drive revenue for your business? You can see this question in play with marketing and sales professionals on LinkedIn. However, do you just have a LinkedIn account, do you simply “connect” with people, or do you actually take the time to engage with someone about a common project, client, or company to earn the relationship request to join each other’s networks?
What Does Your Network Say about You?
I’d argue that the most successful sales and marketers take it one step further. They leverage their network to help others, as well as themselves. I’ve found LinkedIn to be a great example of a platform where you can ask your network for help—and to be helpful in return.
It’s these “behind the scenes” discussions that get the real work done. If I were at the office, I would call these types of conversations “watercooler” discussions. You know the kind, when you whisper something important to a colleague asking for help, and— Wham!—the truth comes out. That’s the type of networking I get excited about. And it does exist, online as well as offline.
In my professional career, I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of wonderful networks. I joined ExactTarget in 2003 and, because of a mountain of hard-working colleagues, contributed to the company grow through IPO and acquisition. Great things are inevitable with a strong, dedicated network.
And who doesn’t want to be surrounded by people like that?
Here, we built the Kapost Community as a way to bring together a network of friends, colleagues, and clients who want to share their insights and genuinely participate in professional conversations. If you’ve ever asked your existing network for help, and the response went something like, “We met at a conference once, I doubt he/she remembers me,” then we may not be right for you. However, if you’re looking to be a part of a culture that lives and breathes by words that inspire…Well, let’s just say we have posters around the office of Al Pacino’s Any Given Sunday locker room speech:
“I’ll tell you this, in any fight, it is the guy who is willing to die who is going to win that inch. And I know, if I am going to have any life anymore, it is because, I am still willing to fight, and die for that inch because that is what LIVING is. The six inches in front of your face.
Check out the Kapost Community, an environment where you can refine your marketing prowess and gain a better understanding of how marketing leaders are managing their entire content lifecycle – from ideation through distribution – and measuring the impact of every asset so you don’t waste resources but move buyers forward….all while working alongside people who are fighting for that inch every day!
So in the words of Al Pacino…”Now, whattaya gonna do?”