Greg :
I wasn't always very good at networking. So just because you network doesn't mean that all networking is powerful. It's only powerful if you know what the heck you're doing and how to network. This is Secrets for Success. All right, welcome to the Secrets for Success podcast. I'm your host, Greg Tod. Thank you as always for joining me today. I want to give you guys some tactical advice on what I believe is probably the greatest skill set that can directly and indirectly make you hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Greg :
For me, it has gone on to make me millions of dollars and that is through communication. And the communication I'm talking about for today's podcast is networking. I used to be scared as all hell to network to anyone. I know you all don't see this and you all don't believe it, but I am introverted. And if it was up to me and I had the option, I would stay by myself in a corner when I'm in a big room and talk to one person and after that person is draining my brain, just leave. But here's what I understand. I understand that networking is the exponential magic pill. It is the way for me to be able to expand my influence.
Greg :
It's a way for me to be able to expand my impact, and it's the way for me to be able to expand my income. And here's what I mean by it. I know that I am one to two people away from me being able to offer something totally different to my audience. I know that I'm one to two people away from me learning something that I had no clue and had no previous understanding about. I know that I'm one to two people away from being able to have a totally new way of delivering value and being in front of a totally new audience. That is networking and it is the most powerful thing. Now, before I used to sign up for coaching programs or be a part of groups so that I can learn from the mentor or the advisor or learn something because that's how school trained me. There was no part in high school, middle school, undergrad college, graduate college that ever talked about the power of networking and the power of community.
Greg :
It's always, hey, what am I going to learn that I can potentially use in practice, if anything at all? But today I understand that the majority of groups that I join, I join it because I know that I'm one to two people away from the things that I just told you all. Now, here's the deal. I wasn't always very good at networking. So just because you network doesn't mean that all networking is powerful. It's only powerful if you know what the heck you're doing and how to network. So am I still scared? Am I still reserved when I'm out there talking to people? Yes, I am. And if you all are like, oh, no, I've seen at your event. Yeah, because it's my event and I got to perform and I got to show up.
Greg :
But it is still not comfortable for me to be in any environment where I have to actually turn it on and network, especially to strangers. But, man, I know the power of it, and that's why I just break out of it as fast as I possibly can because it is a game changer. So what I want to do is I want every single one of you to be able to crush it as we go into a new year or a new quarter. For many of you, and I know that probably the best thing that you can do right now is figure out who you need to have in your corner. Who is it that has the patients or the clients that you're looking for? Who is it that has the skill set that you need in order for you to be of more value to the world? And so let's talk about how you actually do that. All right? Let me give you guys a few things that has changed the game for me with regards to networking. Because, remember, not all networking is going to yield results. Good networking is going to yield results for you.
Greg :
So here's the first thing that I can tell you is massive key to me being good at networking. Number one, bring great energy. Bring great energy. Everything that we do is about energy. It's about transferring something to someone that is going to make them feel amazing and make them want to continue to talk with me. So I know this. I know that if I can transfer energy to you, if I know that if I can smile, I know that if I can say something amazing about you, I know that if I can show genuine interest, I know that that brings great energy. And what people are looking for, no matter how popular, how influential, how much money, whoever they are, all they're looking for is energy.
Greg :
I'm going to give you an example. This is about two years ago. I was at this event called funnel hiking live, okay? And while I was at the event, me and my buddy Kyle, we were walking from our hotel rooms to where the event space was going to be. And Kyle and I were just talking, right? And I wasn't loud, but I was just excited. I was excited about the day. I was excited. And me and him were talking. And I was just talking to him.
Greg :
And this girl next to me is like, man, you bring off good energy. And I'm like, well, thank you. I was like, you bring off good energy, too. And I said, so what's your name? Right? And then she went on to tell me her name. Her name is Kalyn. And then we just started talking. And that leads me into number two was that you must be interested in someone instead of interesting. So that is the other key.
Greg :
As I'm just walking and just vibing with my boy Kyle, this person's like, you're giving off really good energy. And instead of me saying, yeah, like I'm hype or I'm this or know, I was like, oh, well, thank you so much, and I deflected it back onto her. And I'm like, well you give off good energy too, because you just gave me that compliment. And then what I did is I said, so tell me a little about who you are. So what's your name? And she said, Kaylin. Right? And then she went on to kind of just tell me. Then I just said, well, cool. So what do you do? And then she started telling me a little bit about what she does.
Greg :
And then I realized, wait a minute. I said, I've heard of you. I said, I've heard of you somewhere before. And then she was kind of deflecting. I was like, oh, I kid you not. Not even 3 hours later, Russell Brunson brought her on stage. He just bought her company. It was the craziest thing ever.
Greg :
And so this lady who doesn't know me from anybody else picked me out because she felt my energy. And my energy was just because I had put myself in a mindset going into the day that intentionally I'm going to make people feel good today. That's it. So I started with my buddy Kyle, and then whoever I was sitting next to and just like, it's not me going, hey, I'm not doing that, but just giving off good energy, that's number one. And then number two, be interested in other people and not be interesting. So here's what people do where they screw this up. They're like, oh wow, I've got a multi six figure business or I've got a multi seven figure business or I've got this amount of followers. Just shut up about yourself.
Greg :
Talk about the other people. Hey, so tell me where you're from. Oh, wow, cool. So you flew. I'm in here from Omaha. Oh, wow, that's awesome. Hey, you got kids? Hey, you got this. Hey, so how long you been in business for? Oh, cool.
Greg :
So where's your audience? Hey, you know what? What's your name on Instagram? Do you have an Instagram account? Can I follow you? Oh, what's your name on Facebook? Oh, cool. Okay, great. Wow, you've done this, you've done that. Once you start doing that and people are like, wow, you're showing a genuine interest in me, they already find favor with you. The Bible talks about seeking favor. You know what? I should give you all a P one. This is pre networking. When I'm going to go to any type of event and I know I got to network.
Greg :
I should have said this one first. Please do this. Please ask the Lord for favor. Lord, grant me favor over people today. I don't know who I'm going to meet, but I know that there is someone who is going to help me with bringing more impact is going to help me with bringing more influence to my audience, or maybe I am the person that they were looking for to help them with their audience. Lord, grant me favor. And so the way that the Lord grants us favor is by us bringing good energy, right. And then by us being interested in other people and not just us acting like we're just so interesting.
Greg :
People can feel humility. They can feel when you're truly intentionally interested and have a vested interest in them. Okay, number three number three is as you're now talking to people, don't over promise. Don't over promise to people. Like, if you know that if you get their number, you better make sure that you follow up with them or don't get their number. If you know that you're going to ask for what is their Instagram handle, then you better make sure that you send them a DM on Instagram and like a bunch of their stuff on Instagram or don't ask for it. So one of the things that I've really trained myself to do is don't over promise. Oh, man, cool.
Greg :
Let's link up after the event. Hey, let's do this. Hey, let's do that. And then I don't do it. That is like the worst thing you could do for your brand. It's the worst thing you could do. So if you are going to ask for anything from them, make sure that you follow up with that thing right away. So I'll give you a perfect example.
Greg :
So what I do, if I'm going to use my phone and I'm going to say, hey, let's get each other's number so we can connect after the event, I can't tell you how many people they butcher this. They get someone's number and then they don't follow up. That is bad networking. All right, if I'm going to get somebody's number, here's what I do. I open up my phone, I go into my text message app, and then what I do is I jot down their number and I send them my name right away. So Greg Tod. Cool. And then what I do is I say, hey, let's take a picture.
Greg :
I take the picture, and then about five to ten minutes later, after the picture, I basically send them the picture as well. Okay, now what I will do after that is I go into my Google task and I say, please send this person a message, and I have it on a timer for 24 hours later, which means that 24 hours later, they see that I still remember them. I didn't just remember them in the moment. I remember them 24 hours later. And that right there is the key. Don't over promise with your networking. Be the person that sorry. Don't under promise.
Greg :
And also don't over promise, all right? Just make sure that if you're going to follow up, you follow up. If you're going to ask for their stuff, then you're going to ask for where they are on Instagram. You're going to ask for their cell phone number. Make sure that you follow up, okay? Don't ask for it and not follow up. That's very flaky, all right? So don't do that. Okay? Number four is this play the long game. Play the long game. So what I do is this.
Greg :
The minute that I respond back to that first message on whatever platform it is, if it's Instagram 24 hours later, if it's text, 24 hours later, once I actually respond, I go back into my Google task, and I put a week respond to this person in a week. And then once I respond in a week and it comes up, it notifies me on my phone. Then I put respond again another week. I can tell you right now, 99% of people that network, they're not doing that. They only remember the person in the here and now. And me just doing that allows all the relationships to flourish and to take off. I was at an event in Plano, Texas, right? I was at this event. The event was small.
Greg :
It was like 30 something people, maybe tops 30, 35 people. That event, I've already made $30,000 from that event. Made $30,000. Because all I did is one person that I was networking with. I just did exactly what I told you guys. 24 hours later, I followed up, and then I did a week later. Then I did another week later. And then me and that person started to talk, and we created a deal together, and it was worth over $25,000.
Greg :
Okay? That is the key to it, all right? Just play the long game. Most people aren't doing that. As soon as they leave the person, they forget about them, and they don't remember. If you just play the long game, you don't need to talk to a bunch of people, but the ones that you feel like, wow, there's something here. Fantastic. That same event, I built a relationship with one guy, and that guy is flying in from Texas to come and speak on this podcast. And that dude charges, like, $20,000 for all of his keynote speeches. He's coming here.
Greg :
I'm not paying him anything for it. It's just because of the follow up. It's the intentional follow up and playing the long game that is the key to networking. And then here's the final thing I'm going to tell you guys, and that is ten for one, not two for one, not three for one, not four for one, not five for 110. For 110. Gives one, take ten, gives one. Ask here's how that looks. So I've now built a relationship with this person that I met at an event or I met at some farmers market or I met at a workshop or whatever, any single time, there is something that and you don't have to do this right away, okay? But now that you and this person are conversing and you're communicating, anytime that you see something that might be of value to the person, or you might meet someone that can be of value to the person, you're like, hey, I met this person and I thought of you.
Greg :
Boom. Hey, I just read this article and I thought of you. And make sure it's legit for them. So, for instance, that person that talks on leadership that I met in Texas, anytime I see a leadership article or I'm reading a leadership book, I can then text that person and be like, hey, I just read this and I thought of you. I'm anchoring leadership to what this person does. If it's someone that's in healthcare, I read this article about nutrition, and I thought of you. That is what I would send to, like, an Rd, right? If there was something that was a new thing about a chiropractor, I read this article and I thought about you. I'd send that to a chiropractor if there's something for a cash based provider.
Greg :
If I saw an article, boom, I thought of you. Again, you don't need to have a bunch of people, but if you have 510, 15 people, it's a game changer. It's a game changer of you doing this. Now, you guys know I have multiple businesses that I'm a part of, and the business that I was able to break through and make my first seven figures in a business was my physical therapy clinics. I want you guys to know that even at its peak, we're probably doing about 1.41.5 million a year. I had about ten power relationships. Ten power relationships that I just did. Those five things.
Greg :
That's what I did. And ten power relationships can yield you so many clients can yield you so much word of mouth can yield so many amazing things that have netted me millions of dollars today. And really, it's just those five things that I taught you and maybe that pre one, which is I'm always praying and asking the Lord to give me favor when it comes to who I'm networking with and how I'm networking so that they can feel the energy that I'm given off and I can be pulled and attracted to them as well as them attracted to me. So, guys, that's it. If there is one skill that I want you to really develop that can truly exponentially expand your income and your impact, it's networking. And hopefully those things that I just told you will allow you to take your networking game to another level. Till next time. That was easy.
