Why Your Network Sucks and How to Fix it

There are a ton of people that spend an excessive amount of time building their network. 

They attend networking events nearby; they meet people, collect business cards, and build a vast network.

But it doesn’t produce anything of value.

A huge network doesn’t mean a great network, and here’s why:

Everyone has the initial phase of going everywhere, being everywhere, and meeting everyone when starting.

However, at some point, you need to grow up and realize that being the person that’s everywhere, everybody knows you’re broke.

Everybody knows that you’re not doing any business because you have too much time on your hands to be everywhere.

You never want to be known as the networker. You want to be known as a good networker.

Links

1. Website - https://successchampionnetworking.com/
2. YouTube Video - https://youtu.be/mnpCfBbFUjU
3. Blog - https://successchampionnetworking.com/why-your-network-sucks-and-how-to-fix-it/
4. Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/SuccessChampion

Mentioned in this episode:

Success Champions Networking

If you want to grow and scale your business you need to be getting into great conversations with other business owners that can help you take your business to the next level. Joining an online business peer group like Success Champions provides access to a select pool of successful business people from around the world, each having a well-established network who trust them, who want to introduce you to people that can help you build the business of your dreams. So once you get to know your fellow members and they’ve gotten to know you along with your services and ethics, the conversations you get into will multiply!

Most businesses fail because they don’t know their numbers.

The most important numbers that a business has to have and know are the accounting numbers.

You must understand the financial side to the point of knowing what is leading to revenue coming in, where it’s going, and how much is left over. 

The biggest struggle in this arena is people run their business like they run their personal life.

If you don’t know any numbers in your business, you need to start with the revenue and profit, all those fundamental numbers, to understand your business’s health. 

If you’re not looking at the data, there’s no way you can optimize and grow your business.

Links

1. Website - https://successchampionnetworking.com/
2. YouTube Video - https://youtu.be/BLBtHie2Mio
3. Blog - https://successchampionnetworking.com/do-you-know-your-numbers-why-not/
4. Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/SuccessChampion

Mentioned in this episode:

Success Champions Networking

If you want to grow and scale your business you need to be getting into great conversations with other business owners that can help you take your business to the next level. Joining an online business peer group like Success Champions provides access to a select pool of successful business people from around the world, each having a well-established network who trust them, who want to introduce you to people that can help you build the business of your dreams. So once you get to know your fellow members and they’ve gotten to know you along with your services and ethics, the conversations you get into will multiply!

Keeping the Plates Spinning

Far too often, we overestimate or underestimate the time something will take to complete. And if you’re like me, you get to the point of mental exhaustion when you start getting mental burnout. 

It happens because you’re trying to do all the juggling and putting out fires as other things keep popping up, all while trying to keep the vision of your trajectory at the same time.

Start putting things in particular boxes and figure out how to handle each stage or process. You have to learn how to keep one foot in the marketplace and a handle on operational things.

Links

1. Website - https://successchampionnetworking.com/
2. YouTube Video - https://youtu.be/u0_viIfTl88
3. Blog - https://successchampionnetworking.com/how-to-manage-clients-and-still-run-your-business/
4. Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/SuccessChampion

Mentioned in this episode:

Success Champions Networking

If you want to grow and scale your business you need to be getting into great conversations with other business owners that can help you take your business to the next level. Joining an online business peer group like Success Champions provides access to a select pool of successful business people from around the world, each having a well-established network who trust them, who want to introduce you to people that can help you build the business of your dreams. So once you get to know your fellow members and they’ve gotten to know you along with your services and ethics, the conversations you get into will multiply!

When going into a sales call, there are different strategies you can use depending on how you like to approach meetings.

On the one hand, you can be very systematic about how the conversation flows. If you’re one of those people who have a terrible habit of talking about yourself, systemizing will help prevent that and help to focus on finding out about the client, their issues, and how you can help. Then you can better frame a conversation more effectively.

After following the script for so long, you won’t need it anymore. You will eventually be able to have those conversations and control the questioning to move how you want.

But you have to start with a process.

Links

1. Website - https://successchampionnetworking.com/
2. YouTube Video - https://youtu.be/g1V5Dl5iZwc
3. Blog - https://successchampionnetworking.com/why-winging-it-on-sales-calls-is-costing-you/
4. Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/SuccessChampion

Mentioned in this episode:

Success Champions Networking

If you want to grow and scale your business you need to be getting into great conversations with other business owners that can help you take your business to the next level. Joining an online business peer group like Success Champions provides access to a select pool of successful business people from around the world, each having a well-established network who trust them, who want to introduce you to people that can help you build the business of your dreams. So once you get to know your fellow members and they’ve gotten to know you along with your services and ethics, the conversations you get into will multiply!

If you’re getting ghosted, it’s your fault. 

One is you’re probably coming across as an overbearing salesperson, and they feel like they’re getting sold. Everybody loves buying stuff, but they hate being sold to. Prospects are ghosting you because they feel like the conversion has no value.

Start setting appointments where people are excited and interested in showing up. 

Second, they don’t know anything about you. Make small talk. The simplest way to keep from being ghosted is to ask them why they’re taking the meeting in the first place. Ask specifically what they are hoping to accomplish during the meeting.

The more qualifying you can do, the greater the likelihood that the meeting is going to happen.

The minute you duck and dodge the upfront honest conversations, you’re going to come across like a jerk that nobody wants to do business with.

If you feel like you’re being a salesperson, then you’re being a greaseball salesperson; knock it off.

You need to figure out how you’re coming across as a jerk and change that ship.

Links

1. Website - https://successchampionnetworking.com/
2. YouTube Video - https://youtu.be/CzQaKQJqmMQ
3. Blog - https://successchampionnetworking.com/how-to-stop-getting-ghosted-by-prospects/
4. Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/SuccessChampion

Mentioned in this episode:

Success Champions Networking

If you want to grow and scale your business you need to be getting into great conversations with other business owners that can help you take your business to the next level. Joining an online business peer group like Success Champions provides access to a select pool of successful business people from around the world, each having a well-established network who trust them, who want to introduce you to people that can help you build the business of your dreams. So once you get to know your fellow members and they’ve gotten to know you along with your services and ethics, the conversations you get into will multiply!

If you haven't heard Kevin and my story, it's a pretty cool one. We met because of Facebook. And then we built all of this because of that relationship. When it comes to doing business development on Facebook, this is Kevin's game.

I will tell you for sure that building a personal Facebook group was one of the most significant moves I did in business as a whole because it gave me a collective place to have all the champions come and hang out. 

But Kevin has become a tactician when it comes to getting business off Facebook. So this will be a team Kevin blog.

Links

1. Website - https://successchampionnetworking.com/
2. YouTube Video - https://youtu.be/U8ldYH0wYpA
3. Blog - https://successchampionnetworking.com/how-to-get-clients-from-facebook-without-spending-money-on-ads/
4. Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/SuccessChampion

Mentioned in this episode:

Success Champions Networking

If you want to grow and scale your business you need to be getting into great conversations with other business owners that can help you take your business to the next level. Joining an online business peer group like Success Champions provides access to a select pool of successful business people from around the world, each having a well-established network who trust them, who want to introduce you to people that can help you build the business of your dreams. So once you get to know your fellow members and they’ve gotten to know you along with your services and ethics, the conversations you get into will multiply!

It’s fascinating for me to watch when imposter syndrome shows up and hits an individual. Most times, it happens when they’ve put themselves out there to be seen by the world. Because now other people see them in the limelight. They are afraid they’re going to step on stage and be seen completely naked.

I even have moments, not as much anymore, where imposter syndrome will pop up.

Imposter syndrome is all self-inflicted. It’s when you think you’re not qualified and not capable. We’ve all found ourselves in situations where we have taken jobs, careers, or projects that were way over our heads and out of our skillset. And we figured it out.

It’s all just a self-affliction. You’re doing it to yourself.

Links

1. Website - https://successchampionnetworking.com/
2. YouTube Video - https://youtu.be/OoSN5rk8Amw
3. Blog - https://successchampionnetworking.com/imposter-syndrome/
4. Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/SuccessChampion

Mentioned in this episode:

Success Champions Networking

If you want to grow and scale your business you need to be getting into great conversations with other business owners that can help you take your business to the next level. Joining an online business peer group like Success Champions provides access to a select pool of successful business people from around the world, each having a well-established network who trust them, who want to introduce you to people that can help you build the business of your dreams. So once you get to know your fellow members and they’ve gotten to know you along with your services and ethics, the conversations you get into will multiply!

I genuinely believe that the reason you're not getting introduced to the right people is most likely you're not asking to be introduced to the right person. 

It comes down to most people because they're so in their heads that they want to serve everybody and help everybody. It makes it very difficult to make introductions for them and get them introduced to somebody.

I sat down with a guy recently and had a virtual coffee. I asked him to walk me through specifically what he does to help wrap my head around to whom I can introduce him. Once I got him to walk me through what he did, I now understand that I need to get him to CEOs of ad agencies that will use his services. But up until that point, I could not figure out who I'd open doors for and to whom I would introduce him.

I think part of the battle and strategy is we as individuals have got to be so crystal clear on who we want to meet, so we can legitimately tell others who they can introduce us to.

Another part of it is people don't teach their referral partners how to recognize a referral. For example, I always use the chiropractor story. A good referral for me is anyone with a spine. It's like an insurance person; you know anybody with a heartbeat or a real estate person saying, you know anybody with the house.

It's insane that people don't get crystal clear on teaching others how to open doors.

It comes down to getting people to introduce you to the right people; you have to tell the story so that they can know exactly who to make an introduction. What are the triggers? What are the keywords they should be listening to hear?

I've got a three-letter acronym that teaches this whole idea of CAP, which stands for characteristics, alternatives, and problems. 

Links

1. Website - https://successchampionnetworking.com/
2. YouTube Video - https://youtu.be/h7jXNmSw1hA
3. Blog - https://successchampionnetworking.com/getting-introduced-to-the-right-people/
4. Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/SuccessChampion

Mentioned in this episode:

Success Champions Networking

If you want to grow and scale your business you need to be getting into great conversations with other business owners that can help you take your business to the next level. Joining an online business peer group like Success Champions provides access to a select pool of successful business people from around the world, each having a well-established network who trust them, who want to introduce you to people that can help you build the business of your dreams. So once you get to know your fellow members and they’ve gotten to know you along with your services and ethics, the conversations you get into will multiply!

Over the years, I've had people come up to me and say, Donnie, I feel like I'm just bothering people. I feel like I'm interrupting their day. And they don't want to talk to me in the first place.

If that's the case, you're doing sales wrong.

If you feel like you're screwing up their day, if you feel like you're interrupting them, if you feel like you're not showing up and making them want to meet with you, two things are going on. First, you probably hate what you sell. Or you're just not doing sales properly.

The fascinating part for me is watching people interact from a sales perspective. They have such a high need to be liked and wrapped up in the idea that the person has to like them, so every move they make and every strategy they try is a struggle because they are seeing if from the perspective that the potential client doesn’t like me because I’m interrupting their day. 

That perspective is what hinders a lot of people from the follow-ups and slows down their reach outs. It’s this whole idea that they just don’t want to put themselves out there.

There are two simple fixes to make this much easier. They just require patience and discipline. They require you to do things that may be less scary than doing the reach outs or follow-ups.

Links

1. Website - https://successchampionnetworking.com/
2. YouTube Video - https://youtu.be/eHnOoDxyMvY
3. Blog - https://successchampionnetworking.com/is-following-up-bothering-people/
4. Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/SuccessChampion

Mentioned in this episode:

Success Champions Networking

If you want to grow and scale your business you need to be getting into great conversations with other business owners that can help you take your business to the next level. Joining an online business peer group like Success Champions provides access to a select pool of successful business people from around the world, each having a well-established network who trust them, who want to introduce you to people that can help you build the business of your dreams. So once you get to know your fellow members and they’ve gotten to know you along with your services and ethics, the conversations you get into will multiply!

My short answer is yes should you quit your business and start a company. It may be bad advice that you probably shouldn’t listen to, but it’s what I did, and I’m glad I did.

The reason that is the dumbest advice on the face of the Earth is that you’re about to embark on the most challenging journey of your life, going from zero to a business that will cover your finances.

If you don’t already know my story, in 2017, I walked away from a business partnership to launch Success Champions. Six months later, I was looking at my wife, saying we’re about to lose everything. And do you know what she said to me? She could have said many things, but her choice phrase was, “Donnie, get off your ass and sell something.”

When she told me to get off my butt and sell something, it was a lightbulb moment. The switch was flipped, which allowed me to get out and start selling. It was tough, and it took every mental fortitude I had to stay in the game, not throwing the towel. And finally, build a somewhat respectable business.

Links

1. Website - https://successchampionnetworking.com/
2. YouTube Video - https://youtu.be/8B_YUsFr5Aw
3. Blog - https://successchampionnetworking.com/should-i-quit-my-job-and-start-my-own-business/
4. Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/SuccessChampion

Mentioned in this episode:

Success Champions Networking

If you want to grow and scale your business you need to be getting into great conversations with other business owners that can help you take your business to the next level. Joining an online business peer group like Success Champions provides access to a select pool of successful business people from around the world, each having a well-established network who trust them, who want to introduce you to people that can help you build the business of your dreams. So once you get to know your fellow members and they’ve gotten to know you along with your services and ethics, the conversations you get into will multiply!