Your instinct is to stay in your own comfort zone by networking with people who are equally successful. If you want to achieve higher levels of success, it is imperative to surround yourself with people who are more successful.
When you surround yourself with others who are more successful than you, you’re in a position to learn from them, collaborate with their connections, and challenge yourself. You’ll also see how they create a system of reciprocity, that is, they actively and regularly give back to a person who was able to connect them or refer them.
This is where a lot of business owners get stopped when trying to network “up”. They don’t network up because they don’t think they have anything to give the highly successful and influential person.
Don’t let that stop you. If someone of high influence has been generous with you in giving you their time and attention, try these ideas:
- Be intentional about getting them a referral by bringing someone to their next live event
- Refer their book to others and include the link to the book on Amazon
- Refer them to a major news outlet or to another major player who could interview them on their radio or TV show
There are many ways to give back to a successful business professional. It can be as easy as tapping into your LinkedIn network, too.
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