You Never Know Who They Know

I walked into the office and Teresa, our office manager said, "Todd has big news."

I heard Todd's big DJ voice say, "Hey Babe! Come back to my office." (Babe was my nickname growing up.)

I walked into his office. He was grinning from ear to ear.

"I just heard from Jay and he got one of the biggest referrals ever. It could mean big bucks for him and his company. And you know what? It came from Terry, who sells Mary Kay. You just never know who they know, do you?"

The reason he said that is that sometimes you will meet a business networker with,  (How do I put this?) - an elitist attitude. That is the business person who walks into a business networking event and before they are ten feet in, they've mentally separated folks into groups. One group being worthy of giving attention to and the other not. They're only interested in relationships that, on the service, look profitable.

Perhaps you know someone who does that. And I can understand their logic. It only seems to make sense that the big-wigs, the CEOs, the decision-makers and the owners are the best people to talk to.

BUT, if I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times. You never know who they know.

One of the things that I love about having a Go-Giver attitude is that the reward starts with the giving. (Read The Go-Giver, co-authored by Bob Burg and John David Mann. It's a game-changer.)

Jay, who got the huge referral for more business, determined early on that his influence within the room was determined by how abundantly he placed the interests of others first. He comes across as a quiet and humble person with an easy smile. He enjoys visiting with everyone, not just the "movers and shakers."

As a result, it was very easy for Terry, the sweet homemaker, Mom and Mary Kay representative, to give him a referral... a very profitable referral. A huge one - on the scale of 1-10, for Jay, this is a 12.

Years ago, we had a business woman visit one of our networking groups and she sat next to a young woman that was new in her business, After the meeting, the business woman told me that she wouldn't be back because it was a waste of her time. She said that she really needed to get in front of the CEOs and decision-makers, not just small business owners.

I didn't say it, but I thought, "That is too funny."  You see, the young woman that she sat next to - her daddy was in the upper management of one of the largest and most influential corporations in Tulsa.

You just never know. It pays to give. In Jay's case, it paid to give equal time, attention and respect.

Referring back to my favorite book, The Go-Giver, the most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself. And then, sometimes out of left field, comes the most wonderful - and profitable - blessings.