Successful Entrepreneurs Go Out of Their Way to Make "First Class" Connections

Recently, in my Get It Done Action Club, I interviewed my good friend, Colin Daymude on Building Effective Relationships. It’s those relationships that move your business forward and I want to share some of the highlights from that call.  

It’s really important to put yourself out there and network with others.  And when you do that without an agenda of trying to sell to them, amazing things can happen.   

When you meet someone new, you have to keep an open mind.

Treat every person you meet with genuine curiosity. Ask good questions and communicate your interest in learning more about them (and not just who they are in their professional life). In turn, they will demonstrate their interest in you. It’s karmic.  

Colin shared a great story about David Topus, a sales and marketing executive in Atlanta. David understood the value of building relationships so much that he actually spent thousands of dollars on booking trips to high-end business centers like New York or Chicago as opposed to Cancun or Las Vegas so he could network with business people who travel first-class on these trips. That’s the only reason he’d travel – to make connections!  

As a result of the connections he made, he built and sold a very profitable business, all because he networked with people who had the ability to turn that business around. He landed a 3-year business deal with the former Delta CEO Leo Mullins; he even got a $100,000 contract signed immediately from another plane ride just from connecting with people.  He put himself out there and got countless contacts that moved his business forward.  

While many entrepreneurs can’t afford to do what he did, anybody can put themself out there with the purpose of making a connection. If you have a tendency to go about your busy day and not talk to the person next to you at the coffee shop or grocery store or if you have an opportunity to open up to someone and you choose not to – I challenge you to think about David Topus and follow his example.  

I hope this true-life story inspires you to make meaningful connections that will add to your business and your life. Do you have a story about a great connection that changed your life and business?  I’d love for you to share it with us.  

If you want to listen to this call for yourself, part of a monthly Get It Done Training series (and gain other valuable learning), all you have to do is join the Get it Done Action Club for just $10 a month.