The saying goes, “It’s not what you know in life, it’s who.”
Having a sphere of influence can help grow your business rapidly. People who you’ve known for years as friends or acquaintances can suddenly help you in your own business or they can recommend you to someone who can. But say you are trying to build your career and you don’t know anyone. What do you do then?
Have no fear. Just because you don’t have a sphere of influence right now doesn’t mean that you can’t grow one. Follow these 3 simple tips to start growing your sphere of influence:
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- You know more people than you think. If you go through your phone right now, I can bet you have contacts in there you haven’t spoken to in years. At one time they had been someone you spoke to frequently or there must be a reason they are still in your phone. Reach out to them and see how they are doing. Not only will you be reconnecting with an old friend/acquaintance, you will have just expanded your sphere of influence.
- Get out of your comfort zone. As of today, there are 7.88 billion people in the world. Don’t ask me why there are decimal points for people but going back to my point. There are 7.88 billion people in this world and you feel like you don’t know anyone? If you want to grow your sphere of influence, you are going to have to get out of your comfort zone. Try this next time you are at the grocery store or shopping, smile at the person in the same aisle as you and say hello. This will help grow your confidence and get you comfortable with saying hello to strangers. All your friends were strangers at one point so what’s stopping you from the chance to make new friends?
- Networking. Attend open houses, weekend events, volunteering opportunities, etc. Keep up with things happening in your community to be sure you don’t miss the chance to network. Weekend events could be going to music/food festivals, visiting popular areas in the city or even just stopping at the Farmer’s Market. Volunteering opportunities can consist of volunteering at the soup kitchen, beach clean-ups or your local animal shelter. All of these are great ways to get to know more people.
Have your own tips and tricks to get your sphere of influence growing? Put them in the comments below and follow our blog for more insight on how to be successful in your ever-expanding career.
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