Our guest today is Grant Marcks, the principal and head of business development for Atlantic Street Capital, here to discuss the idea of your relationship equity and keeping it in the black as well as having a data-driven process while remaining authentic in your networking and business development efforts. Grant talks about paying it forward in a real way, showing that you have taken genuine interest and are committed to the follow-through rather than simply repeating the words you think people want to hear. What is particularly challenging is finding the balance between growing the size and scale of your network while remaining authentic and coming at each relationship from a personal perspective. But Grant assures listeners that they cannot go wrong with authenticity and transparency. He shares how his outreach approach has evolved over the years, how he keeps connected with people further afield, and the role of data in helping you to relate to people in a personal manner. We also get into the difference between activity and productivity, the value of simply chasing down the numbers, and why you should never presume to know where your next deal is coming from. 

 

Key Points From This Episode:

• The importance of finding ways to create real connections with people. 
• What it means to pay it forward authentically instead of just saying things by the book.
• Follow-through and genuine interest: two things that distinguish those who really want to help.  
• The balance between building out the size of your network while remaining authentic. 
• How Grant’s outreach approach has evolved since he started at Atlantic Street Capital. 
• Advice for getting in front of and staying engaged with “second-degree” connections. 
• Examples of how data and CRM can help you to approach people on a more personal level. 
• Grant’s stance on the best communication mediums from a relationship-building perspective. 
• Keeping focused on deals amid the stunted market presented by the COVID-19 crisis.
• The importance of authenticity and honestly when it comes to relationships and deals. 
• Differentiating between activity and productivity and building purpose-built relationships.
• Never taking people for granted and presume to know where your next deal is coming from. 
• Making your mark through authentic relationships that become assets to your network. 

Grant Marcks LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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