If you want to be valuable to your network and your customers/clients, you must be constantly improving what you can offer. Your competitors are constantly getting better, and you cannot afford to be left behind. In fact, being technically competent and highly knowledgeable is merely your entrance ticket to the game. Here are five solid ways you can be better at 5 o’clock today than you were at 9 o’clock this morning.
Write Articles. Writing pre-sells others on your abilities, and exposes you to thousands of prospects Magazines, trade journals, local, regional and national newspapers, and association newsletters all need great content to make them interesting. Millions of websites are looking for daily fresh content to engage their followers. These internet avenues for writing include membership websites, online magazines and papers, professional associations and ezines (electronic magazines or newsletters). And even if you are working for an employer, you can write for these in your own time. If your byline says who you work for, your company benefits as well as yourself. You can also raise your profile ‘in-house’ by writing for your company’s newsletter, in-house literature or intranet.
Read Extensively. It has been said that where you end up five years from now will depend on the people you’ve got around you and the books you’ve read. I heard Brian Tracy say ‘today’s readers are tomorrow’s leaders. You should read everything you can. You can go wide or deep or both. Experts set aside time to read a variety of media that affect their target audience. Consider a speed reading or photo reading course to maximise your precious time. Read trade and special interest magazines and articles - either hard copies or online. They will cover issues affecting your niche and provide focused, up-to-the-minute information.
Keep Current. Subscribe to e-mail newsletters, blogs, news services and specialised publications. These sources enable you to take the pulse of your industry and keep yourself up-to-date. Developing personally and professionally should be a big part of cultivating and maintaining your reputation.
Develop a Library. This can be especially effective in any room or place where you meet clients and contacts. Develop a reference collection of quality books. Ones you can turn to for immediate, dependable information. Make frequent trips to a good business bookstore and look for books that address your industry, niche, and type of work. When people see the kind of things you read (even if you have not read every single page of every single book) they will judge you favourably and respect you for your knowledge and commitment to learning.
Take Seminars, Courses and Classes. Your continuing education should be life-long to keep you ahead of the chasing pack. I invest around 10% of my annual income back into professional development. This helps me stay ahead of the field and work hard to bring new and fresh insight, knowledge and research to my audiences and clients. It’s good to stay ahead of the game!
Attend Conferences, Trade Shows and Exhibitions. These only take place once a year, and by picking out 3-4 key events over a twelve-month period, you can keep yourself connected to all the people, knowledge and trends you need to be held in high repute. Know who the key players are in your industry and get yourself known by influential people ‘in the know’. If you are not self-employed, your company may well be keen to send you to places like this anyway. If they don’t, ask them. It’s in their interest that you develop professionally.
When you get better, your circumstances and your opportunities get better. When you become more valuable to your network, your network becomes more valuable to you!
Rob Brown is an international speaker and networking coach who helps people build and leverage powerful networks. He specialises in make people more money from their networking and accelerating career opportunities through networking. He is Head of the Global Networking Council, which comprises the world’s top thought leaders on the topics of networking, referrals, connecting, relationships, trust, influence and communication.
About Rob Brown
Networking coach, motivational speaker & conference MC. International authority on personal marketing, networking, executive presence, referrals and reputations.