Referrals are fuel for any industry. They can either get you great mileage or they can run you right down to the nub and get you nowhere fast.
A true referral, a good referral can be a great resource. They can offer counsel, be a mentor, help you transfer from one thing to another and help you create dialogue that bridges some meaningful intersection point.
Networking is the origin for that fuel. How you put yourself out there will determine just how far you can go…..or not.
Manage your contacts well and with great purpose. Cherish all the people you meet, for you never know whom and when help will follow. The objective is to have these contacts become relationships. If you can make that happen – it should become significant and helpful. Maybe not today or even tomorrow, but sooner or later, there might be a need and the resource is there.
Keep in mind that not all the referrals give you the kind of distance you want or need. Some will go dark and cold. Expect little but hope for the very best. Always do what you can to help. Never think of it as payback, equal exchange or feel entitled by a contact you have in place. Many times – reciprocity just does not apply. Don’t help because you need/want help. Help because it’s the right thing to do. That in of itself has great value and contains high re-sell.