Do You Have Advocates?

No one can sell you like you can sell you. (Yes, I know that's a tongue twister!) Once you embrace the fact that you are ultimately and singularly responsible for your own success, you can commit to the behaviors that sell you and connect you to people who will defend and speak up for you. As Michael Morris recently said, "someone who will pound the desk for you." The core of this is networking and relationship-building. Advocates don't just appear. We must develop and nurture them over time with patience and faith in ourselves.

Our behavior and how we interact matter as much as our work's quality. Being the best is not a guarantee because "best" is relative.

No one will do the work for you regarding networking (or sales, for that matter). You need to be someone people want to engage with. If you're not, the customer is never going to say yes. Seth Godin said, "Be genuine. Be remarkable. Be worth connecting with."

Networking is NOT just about the venue; it happens in every conversation.

It's up to YOU to figure out your "sweet spot" for successful and profitable networking.

Figure out where you are best at connecting and forming relationships and what excites you, and focus on that. I firmly believe that COVID complacency and, in some cases, plain-old laziness ( I speak the truth here) and fear have degraded basic networking skills. Here is the payoff, though: Networking, like sales, is a mindset that helps you create a powerful and positive personal brand, which only strengthens the determination of people to be on your "team." Being your advocate requires solid relationships because self-advocating is successful when we have a receptive audience.

Every conversation is a networking moment and a chance to build a relationship. If you have advocates, you get more. if you don't, you don't.

Todd Cohen, CSP, has been inspiring and motivating audiences for over 15 years, teaching them to sell themselves to achieve goals and incredible success. His sales culture programs are in demand from audiences from every background. Delivering approximately 90 appearances every year worldwide, Todd leaves people?with a story to tell and feeling great about themselves!

Todd has just released his third book,?"Mastering the Sales Mindset."