An Inspiring Example For Quality Over Quantity

 

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Writer By John Paul Iwuoha

Last year, one of my clients was trying to hire a general manager for his company.

We published a vacancy in the newspaper and on social media.

We looked at profiles on LinkedIn.

In the end, guess how we finally found the best candidate who was hired?

By referral.

One of my client’s trusted friends recommended the guy and vouched for his skills.

Did you know that referral is the most trusted source for hiring people in senior, important, and strategic positions?

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These days, thanks to social media, you can advertise your business to anyone you want.

But despite all the money people spend advertising on social media, there is still one strategy that works 1,000 times better than social media.

Do you know what it is?

It is referrals.

When people tell their friends about how good your product is, the influence of word-of-mouth advertising is far stronger than any other form of advertising.

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Every week, investors around the world receive a lot of emails and pitches from entrepreneurs who want to raise money.

But do you know the No.1 source most investors depend on to find good businesses to invest in?

You guessed right: referrals!

This is why most investors depend on the opinions and recommendations of trusted colleagues to make investment decisions.

The power of networks

Technology, the internet, and social media have made it very easy to reach anyone you want.

Still, when it's time to make an important decision, most people depend on people they know and trust.

Why?

Why do most people still value personal recommendations and referrals?

Here's the reason:

It's because humans are uncomfortable with unfamiliar people or things.

We are naturally suspicious of someone or something we haven't tried before.

But if someone you know and trust can vouch for that person/thing, we become less suspicious and more accepting.

I'll give you an interesting example.

Think about some of the friends you have.

How many of them did you make by yourself, personally?

When you really think about it, it's likely some of your friends were introduced to you by your other friends.

It's how I found my wife. A mutual friend introduced us.

It's how many people find jobs, customers, distributors, suppliers, employees, investors, and different opportunities.

Our lives are built on the power of our networks.

That's why the people you know have a very strong influence over how far you will go in life and business.

That's why your network can determine your net worth.

Networking should be a top priority in 2021

You will need help to achieve some of the goals you have set for yourself this year.

And that help could come from people in your network.

Unfortunately, many people don't have the right people in their network to help them get what they want.

That's why you have to focus on building your network this year.

If you're trying to raise money for your business, is there someone in your network who can help you with this goal?

If you're trying to grow and expand your business, is there someone in your network who can help you breakthrough?

If you're having issues with hiring, sales, strategy, or any other business problem, who can you reach out to?

An inspiring example

Some people are really good at building strong networks.

And the rest of us have to consciously work at it.

One of our members, Maxwell, invited me to the virtual launch of his business, Kuueza -- an e-commerce service that facilitates trade within and outside Africa.

I was supposed to deliver a speech at the launch.

What really caught my attention was the quality of people he got to speak at the launch of this relatively unknown company.

One of them was a former US Ambassador, and the other was the head of a major American Africa-focused fund.

Since he joined our community, I have watched with keen interest as Maxwell has built connections with other members.

Recently, he used his e-commerce platform to help one of our members export a test batch of honey from Cameroon to the USA.

Last year, Maxwell emerged the winner of the regional Seedstars competition in Ghana.

And everywhere he goes, he keeps looking for quality people to add to his network.

In my experience working with dozens of entrepreneurs, people who know how to network are far more likely to succeed in business.

And that's because they know how to leverage other people's knowledge, skills, experiences, and relationships.

Focus on quality over quantity

An Inspiring Example Quality Over Quantity

The strength of a network is built on the QUALITY of people you know, and not the quantity of people.

That's why you need to be strategic in building your network.

One of the best networkers I know is an introvert.

He doesn't hang out or speak much.

He has fewer people in his network than most people.

Yet, there is absolutely no business problem he cannot solve with just one phone call or email.

To build a solid network, you don't have to become extroverted or change your personality.

You don't have to know everybody.

Just be strategic; focus only on quality people.

When I created our private Insiders community, I wanted to create a space for quality entrepreneurs to meet and network.

And I'm very happy with the quality of people we are attracting.