Being in business for some years may have you reminiscing back to the time you began. Images of the people you initially met when you were starting up come to mind. Then you begin to wonder where they are each at today such as:
- Did they give up?
- Are they still in business?
- Has life brought them significant change?
A fond memory moment is the perfect time to re-establish the friendship and potentially grow future possibilities.
The reason this is the case is due to the parallel journeys you have taken. Initially, you may have felt inferior with one another and in competition. But over time, you each gain experience. Some of the experiences are similar while others will be quite different.
Your higher level of expertise brings confidence and willingness to listen to the stories of one another. It is out of the sharing of good and bad experiences that you are able to recognize additional commonalities. All of this combined will turn into opportunity for finding ways in which to help one another in the form of collaboration on future projects.
Dare to Ask
Ignoring the flashing thought of someone from your past will keep everything the same. Nothing will be lost or gained but advancement will be nil. However, if you were to be a bit daring to reach out and ask what is new in their life, an entirely new and improved bond may develop between the two of you.
In order to get to “Yes” – You have to ask!
Clients
In your quiet time, begin thinking about your favorite past, current and prospective clientele as well as peers. Create lists according to the more experienced and the interesting type of people. Prioritize the names in order of those you enjoy the most.
For the corporate connections consider the types of questions would you like to ask of them. You might discover a pattern of questions for which you would like help getting to the answers.
The Challenge of 10
Make it a point to contact ten of the people on your mind and on noted your list on a daily basis. This is in addition to the other work needed to be tackled. Those ten calls or notes to be sent could make an enormous difference in business.
The reason is those willing to reconnect with you are also looking for new collaborative ideas. You will have a brainstorming session in the making. The end result could very well be a brand new idea for moving forward on a higher level than ever before.
Exchange
The conversations could include an exchange of broad ideas, new marketing strategy, and how to improve upon what is already in place. Should you appear to be on the same page with one or several people, your exchange will become highly motivating to advance forward. An underlying motivator is you will want to report back that you are making positive strides.
Your new milestones then attract a larger audience due to greater personal brand recognition. This further multiples possibility. Your purposeful increase in activity will lead to the Smooth Sale!
