ACQUAINTANCES

Everyone needs friends.  Friends and family are what it is all about, right?  Well, let's look at this from a purely business perspective for a minute.  If you have a need, who might actually be in a position to be most helpful, a friend or an acquaintance?  If you stop and really think about it, you will come to realize that you and your friends probably know many of the same people.  You and those people you only know as an acquaintance likely have very few people in common.  Say you are looking for a new job, or a new supplier, contact an acquaintance about this need and there is a good chance that person can put you in touch with someone who can help you who you don't know and probably would not ever meet had it not been through this acquaintance.

So how do you make new acquaintances?  Here is a TIP FROM A MAN... branch out from your  traditional circle and thoughtfully place yourself in situations where you only know a few of those in attendance.  The photo above is of a group of men who recently went on a golf retreat.  Most in attendance only knew a few of the attendees before hand.  After the retreat, contact information had been shared and everyone now knew one another on a fairly personal level.  I think it is safe to say that over the next weeks, months and years that as a result of this event many leads will be traded and problems solved through the new acquaintances made.  It is true that many people find it challenging to step out of their usual comfort zone - but regularly doing so could really expand your business opportunities and yes, acquaintances do become friendships.

Here is a bonus TIP FROM A MAN... when taking down contact information, obtain a personal email address as well as the person's company email.  In the event that person changes jobs and the business email is deactivated, you will now not lose track of this person.  So get their Gmail, Yahoo, or other address.  Now get out there!

Enjoy life!