As a member engagement specialist at NPAworldwide, part of my job is to help members find success in the network. We always advise members that in order to build relationships in the network, it’s important to be visible by posting records, attending calls/meetings, and reaching out.
But sometimes, we have members who only reach out when they say: “I have a critical search and need help!”
We are always here to help, but I cannot help but wonder –“Who have you reached out to? Who do you network with?” If you don’t have relationships with your network partners, you may not get the help you need.
The best advice we can give members is to develop network partners long before you need them. As businessman/author Harvey Mackay says about networking, “Dig your well before you’re thirsty.”
If you are an importer seeking an exporter’s help, and they don’t know you or your client relationship, why would they choose to work with you? If you are an exporter who hasn’t been posting candidates, reaching out, or attending networking calls/events, why would an importer choose you to work on their jobs? People are going to reach out to those that are visible and communicative, as well as those who they have already built a rapport with.
So many times we hear of split placement success stories where someone met a trading partner at a meeting (or conference call) a while back and because they learned about their niche, when they had a need in that area they remembered that partner and reached out to them.
We all know that relationships with clients and candidates make or break our bottom line – but are you investing yourself in all the relationships within your reach? Those who are members of a global recruitment network have access to trading partners in and out of their geographic area and specialty areas, as well as experts in other industries and specialties to help expand and grow their business.
It’s easy to get busy with day-to-day business, it’s important to stop and take a moment to make sure you are doing all you can to leverage these relationships. We often tell new members, make it your goal to reach out and “meet with” 5 network members on the phone each month. Put it on your calendar. If you don’t know who you should know, call us and we can point you in the right direction!
Relationships take work and our network is no different. Members who are successful are good communicators and transparent, and they see the value of working together to build the best network possible. Author Steven Covey studied this and found that “high trust” teams out perform “low trust” teams as much as four times more. Recruiters who trust each other and are completely open and transparent when sharing information, such as their client’s name, often find more success than those who aren’t trusting.