Good Fences Make Good Networkers
October 6, 2008 by Jennifer Gniadecki
Filed under Jobs
We’ve all heard the phrase before. Good fences make good neighbors. Boundaries are important to keeping good friendships and other relationships.
This is even more important when you have friends that own businesses. If you are always out there as a potential client or customer for someone, you have to be able to clearly state if you are interested or not interested in that business at this time. If you may be interested in the future, tell them. Be honest – because you don’t want that person to follow up with you and not know what to do.
If you are going to be interested next year, or when your business is doing better, or never – tell them. If you say you aren’t going to become a customer and they never talk to you again…they weren’t really a friend in the first place, were they?
You don’t want people being nice to you because you might give them money. Friendships are real, and they are different from business acquaintances, and you have to keep them apart in your mind. For your own well being.
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Excellent food for thought, Jennifer. And I’m considering the responsibility to let people know they’ll still be my friend if they say “no” to me.
One of my clients is going through that right now. Though she crossed the person who said no off of her list, they were confused and distanced themselves from her. That’s her loss – therefore, her responsibility.
Still thinking – W!
Jenni, this is such an important point to make. I may not be the target demographic for many of my contacts, but I willingly spread the word if I know someone who is. I would hope they wouldn’t cross me off their list!
Networking is simply not effective if it is this shallow. Once I feel like I’m merely a stepping-stone to someone I’ve built a relationship with – and helped and supported and promoted – I’m just not as enthusiastic about their product anymore.
“If you say you aren’t going to become a customer and they never talk to you again…they weren’t really a friend in the first place, were they?”
Well said. I agree with you. It takes a lot of time to come to this realization.