by Jared Goralnick
If I had to point to one reason why business is good, I’d guess it’s because of planting lots of seeds. Very rarely has anything been immediately successful for me, but taking my time without pushing too hard has proven to work. As this has been an important lesson for me and as I’d like part of this blog to focus on business ideas, I want to share a little bit.
When I started my business I knew no one: my family was elsewhere, my previous local jobs were in government (the government is another world, let me just say), and my friends were too young to really help. So I did what I did in school to make friends–join lots of groups and volunteer your time. At first it was difficult to walk into room trying to sell myself, knowing no one, and being unable to offer much in return. But over time those casual acquaintances turned into real relationships.
Specifically, I joined a local chamber of commerce and it’s technology committee. Soon I was elected chair of the committee, which also brought with it attendance to their board of directors. Suddenly I had a little credibility (even if I didn’t really have any clients). I just stuck with the group and played nice…then eventually friends turned into clients. At a certain point I began to be able to return their business with my own.
Since then I’ve planted mostly personal seeds–following new topics by reading thought leaders’ blogs, buying more professional clothing one article at a time, writing a newsletter, finding one speaking opportunity or another. Every time I started it was nothing short of painful–there was catching up, there was prodding, and there was no audience. But now I’m able to consult on a number of topics, present myself in a way I’m proud of, boast a large following of my newsletter and regularly get calls to speak.
However, this isn’t meant to be about me; it’s meant to be about another way to grow or spread the word. Quite often businesses launch marketing initiatives with a flood of news. It’s nice when you can afford it and it’s wonderful when it works, but it can be just as effective to just start running the water. You may not get a splash at once, but eventually the basin will fill. You won’t even notice it at first, but once its full there’s no difference how the water got there.
The lesson: try something new and try it slowly. Tell a few people and make sure you’re really comfortable with it. Then stick with it. Sooner or later you’ll have an audience, a business, or a skill. Plant a seed, nurture it, and then just watch as it grows without much more work on your part.
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One of the specifics seeds of late is that I’ve begun emailing some of the people on the blogs that I really respect. At first they’d just give me ho-hum responses back, but lately it’s gotten to the point where they’ll ask me questions on some topics that they know I have experience in. All I did was just start asking thoughtful questions and posting comments…
I can’t remember who I was reading the other day when they brought up the point that it’s best to get to know people when you don’t “need” them. Then it just turns into a natural friendship.
I think the seed of friendship can be planeted by just a little perseverance and honest willingness to see what you can offer them first.