Should you Network or Create? What’s more important?
If you are trying to build your business, is it more important to network or create? It’s a great question, but not always so easy to answer.The truth is, the answer is all about finding a healthy balance of both.
I feel that networking is probably one of the most powerful things you can do in your business, because any time you can connect with people in a real situation, whether in a periscope, a podcast, or a conference where you are meeting and connecting, networking is where it’s at.
However, you need to network the right way in order for it to be beneficial.
You will get to a certain point in your business where you have to determine if you should be taking on particular jobs or speaking at certain events. If networking is more beneficial than creating a new house or project, then networking is the obvious choice.
You have to choose which opportunity will serve you better at the time.
If focusing and getting a project completed is the one thing that will amplify your business, then that is the better choice. Sometimes you just need to focus, create, and complete a project. Once you have your project finished, you can better network because you are not stressed over meeting a deadline.
If networking and connecting with new people will take a project or idea to the next level, then the obvious choice is networking.
Each situation is different. The answer of whether creating or networking is more important will change based on what is going on around you at the time.
One of the best ways I built up my business was by networking with the right people and talking to the right folks. More importantly, I was building relationships with them.
Opportunities come and go. You have to determine when it’s most beneficial. Sometimes you need to just focus and create and finish a project.
Casey’s Super Tip: Always Network Up. Networking means you are always trying to find that next circle to add yourself to. If you are networking up, that is always an easy choice.
Networking and building relationships with people will help you get your product out, but what if the opportunity is good, but will slow down your momentum?
Each situation is different and the answer will be totally up to you and what is going on that moment.
One of the best ways I built up my business was by networking with the right people, talking to the right folks and more importantly building relationships with people. Not just talking with them, but doing things with them and for them.
I believe that it really depends on the opportunity.
Have you ever been to a conference and you are dead tired and just choose not to leave your room?. Then you start worrying about networking.
Sometimes you just need to reset.
When networking, you have to be sure you are with the right people. It’s okay to make connections with everyone, but I sometime have a problem with saying NO. I’m kind of a yes person. That was the big thing I wanted to do for the year of 2014. I told myself “I’m not going to say “yes” so much in 2014. In 2013 I said “yes” to everything and ended up a little burnt out. Saying NO much more in 2014 allowed me to “hustle” a little bit more. This allowed me to work on my business in a more direct way and I was still able to amplify my business. It is definitely a “give and take”.
It’s important to find the balance of saying NO and YES and not beating yourself up even if you said no and the opportunity could benefit you and you might say Yes to things that don’t. We tend to beat ourselves up over opportunities we took that took us down the wrong path.
You need to allow yourself to move on and just learn from these mistakes. Don’t always feel like you have to network if it will impede you from getting your work completed.
I believe you should always always always have a spontaneous reaction to things. I you are at an event and you know you should go up to a person and maybe do in impromtu video with them try to stop yourself from saying “people are going to look at me” or “I don’t know what to say”. Step up and take those risks more often.
Obviously both Networking and Hustling are very important.
