Selling Through Entrepreneurial and Social Networks

Regis Philbin told a story of his continuing relationship over a period of years with a New York City cop, Thomas Caruso. While on his beat, Caruso would frequently accompany Philbin as he walked to a gym several blocks away, sharing warm conversation. Philbin, of course, would tell countless stories of Notre Dame from his experiences and Curoso, thoroughly enjoying them, would get caught up in the experiences. Philbin, shocked to discover that Caruso had never been to the Indiana campus, arranged for a trip for the two of them which they thoroughly enjoyed. In fact, so much so that they did it again and remain friends to this day!

Philbin described seeing his friend every so often and just yesterday enjoyed lunch together. Regis was again shocked to discover that Caruso, now retired from the force, was president of his own security company. What a security company it is! Regis was totally surprised to discover just how successful this cop/entrepreneur had become. Kelly was quick to point out that it was undoubtedly his affiliation with Notre Dame that made the difference with his success!

Caruso transferred his police career experience and relationships with other like-minded, outstanding officers into a growing, profitable business concept. It's always gratifying to hear of entrepreneurial success, especially among the heroes of New York's Finest! Caruso sells safety and peace of mind to celebrities who desire protection.

Regis and Kelly openly discussed the story of Regis' relationship with Tom Caruso for several minutes and concluded with Regis giving a great plug for Caruso's company on the air. That warm story and free publicity likely produced a number of new prospects for Noble Security. Such is the power of social and business networking, connections and personal relationships. Granted, this unique relationship provided the opportunity to receive national exposure, but the same result can be experienced by most of us in our networking efforts, although it may rake a little longer if we lack that prime-time connection.

The remarkable principle of Six Degrees of Separation states that we are all related somehow within six iterations. Since that is true, our very relationships will eventually provide the exposure we desire. It's not so much who you know directly, but rather who you know who knows who you need to know! Again, as in so many endeavors worth pursuing, the key is persistence. Take action. Get your compelling message out to as many people as possible on a continuous basis, and as they share it with others, your goals will be met. Harvey Mackay and Mark Victor Hansen built their empires on the back of their Rolodex. They realized that the resources and people they needed to accomplish their goals were close by.

The lesson here is to make certain that everyone you know is aware of what you do and what your expertise is. Taken a step further, inform your friends of your goals ask them for their contacts that may help you. The resources you need are there, you simply need to connect the dots.