When times are good, networking is useful. When times are hard, networking is crucial.
When money is tight, people seek recommendations from friends and family to ensure they get good value. Therefore, building your reputation and expanding your word-of-mouth network is essential.
Networking is like driving a steam train. You have to stoke the fire, build up a head of steam, and continuously adjust your actions—fueling the fire and managing the pressure—to run at peak efficiency.
This means you need to maintain momentum with your one-on-one meetings, adjust your weekly presentations to help others better understand and communicate what you offer, and consistently fuel your networking efforts.
Never stop reviewing your progress, actively networking, and building your word-of-mouth reputation.
Once people start referring you, the best way to keep the momentum going is to deliver on your promises. This will inspire others to refer you to their contacts.
Networking isn’t rocket science; it’s about doing business personally.