Expanding Your Network By: Douglas Ogbankwa Esq.

Expanding Your Network.

By: Douglas Ogbankwa Esq.

Your Net Worth is Determined by Your Network.

-Anonymous .

If you asked any person who is high up in life how he got there, you are going to find that he got there not just by his skill or qualifications but through the support and push of others.

Every one you meet in life is a potential part of your Network. It is like being a mobile phone network provider, if you do not have a base station in an area, there will be no network. Life is like a river, you have to build bridges to stay away from the stormy waters of life.

Tips to building your network.

1.Humility: This is the first thing that will attract people people to you. Always appear meek and do not assert more than who you are. Salute people at all times and answer greetings too. Never you outshine the master, as some times less is more!

2.Congeniality: Always be friendly with people and show an affectionate disposition. Be a giver of happiness and joy to people around you. Wear a smile when dealing with people and exchanging numbers with someone will not kill you! As a matter of fact most times it is in your interest to do so. Many persons have missed opportunities by saying “I do not give my phone number to strangers”. These Strangers some times can end up being the strongest link in your life!

3 Generosity: Be a giver to the people around you. People are attracted to people who are givers no matter how small they give. Those who give are not necessarily those who have, but those who want to give. Leave that change for the vendor if you can afford to. If people ask you for favours and it will not put you out, do it for them and they will owe you. You can also give your time and your expertise.

4.Transparency and Honesty: Be honest in all your dealings and do not rip people off. Be truthful at all times and do what you need to do for people when you need to do them. Do not bother about taking small money that will cost you big opportunities tomorrow. “Yam wey dey hot na small small dem dey chop am”.

6.Take your best shot at first impression: Always give a good first impression of yourself, it will factor in whether a person will ever see you again. You do not have a second chance to make a first impression. Whenever you are at the big stage, give it your best shot. “Na from the smell of mess, dem dey know the taste of shit”. Give a good account of your self to people, your biggest break in life always comes from recommendations from those you had dealings with.

7.Competence and Expertise: Be the best in anything you do. Do not be an “it does not matter person”. What you think does not matter, actually matters most to some people. Improve on your skills and always be ahead of your peers. Learn about recent developments in your trade or profession and be a stickler for details. Never take anything for granted.

8.Increase Your Value: Having a wide network does not mean appearing commonplace. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Nothing that is commonplace has value. Look at the things in life you run after, it is because it is scarce. Sometimes, as a person you have to create an artificial scarcity of yourself, else you will lose your value. This includes in your posts on social media.

8.Keep Friends: It is not every man or woman, you come in contact with you must have sex with. Sometimes, you need members of the opposite sex who are just friends. Friends sometimes stand stronger than brothers and sisters. Some of the biggest opportunities you may have in life can come from that a friend of yours who is a member of the opposite sex. You can not be bigger than how the friends around you perceive you.

9. Money is always the easy part: In the Movie “The Devil’s Advocate”, Al Paccino was having a conversation with one Kelvin Lomax played by Keanu Reeves, Al Paccino said:

“Pressure, pressure, I am worried about pressure. Can you summon your talent at will? Can you meet deadlines and sleep at night?”

Then Keanu Reeves asked Al Paccino: “When do we talk about money?”,
“That is the easy part ” answered Al Paccino.

Some people sacrifice relationships for money not knowing that it is not money that makes you rich, it is relationships that will give you mega money to get rich. Life is not mathematics. In life, 1+1 is not always 2, sometimes it could 0 or even 1 Billion. If you are given one million naira today chances are that you will not become rich, what will make you rich is having relationships that will not make you run out of millions in the future. It will take time, but keeping genuine and loyal relationships pays in the long run.

10. Oil Your Relationships: Always check on people on the phone, WhatsApp and Facebook. A single like on a person’s post on Facebook can make the person happy. “Good Morning Sir/ma! Just checking on you, I hope you are fine?”. This simple SMS or WhatsApp message would count if you require help from a person. Rejoice with them, when they are rejoicing, mourn when they are mourning. Attend their ceremonies and contribute to the same if you could make some contributions. Don’t just go there, eat, drink and go. Leave an impression!

If you do not change the oil in your car engine, the engine will knock. That is how relationships are.

The list is not exhaustive.

About the Author :

Douglas Ogbankwa Esq., @ douglasogbankwa@gmail.com, is a Benin Based Lawyer and Writer .