One of my favourite quotes is, ‘If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together’. I’m pretty sure it’s not meant to refer to work but it rings true for the business world.
In business, you realise quite quickly that to grow and realise your potential you have to collaborate with other people – whether that’s working for them, using their skills or forming partnerships. On your own you can only do so much and achieve so much.
Networking isn’t selling
When I first started networking years ago I thought it was about selling to each other but it’s not, it’s all about relationships. I’ve met so many great business people who’ve become friends, clients and associates and, yes, you will become each other’s clients and refer work to each other, but that’s not the aim in the first place.
Networking is great for my business but I enjoy it too, I couldn’t go to a meeting at 6.30am if I didn’t! The two best groups I’ve found locally are BNI Colchester Castle and BeCollaboration. I enjoy them so much I’ve actually got involved with running them.
Collaboration’s what you need
If you join a group you’ll find that by meeting up regularly and getting to know each other you’ll start to trust one another and build real relationships, which inevitably lead to friendships, referrals and collaboration.
It really is true that people buy from people and so often someone who starts out as a friend will end up as a client. Not everyone wants what you have to offer right now but when they do or someone they know does, because they already know you and know that you’re good at what you do, they’ll come to you.
Know, Like, Trust
If you’ve done any marketing (who hasn’t?!) you’ll have heard of the ‘know, like, trust’ factor. People have to know you, like you and trust you to want to spend their hard-earned money with you. When you work for someone else you don’t get to choose who you work with but when you work for yourself you do, so we choose to work with people we like.
Be part of the SabinaVA team
As SabinaVA has grown I’ve been able to work with some brilliant other virtual assistants who’ve become part of the team. I only work with people I trust, I couldn’t let someone loose on a client’s event or their diary if I couldn’t trust them, it’s really important to me.
If you’re an experienced VA and would you like to join my team please get in touch and let’s chat, that’s how all great relationships start…
