The Perks of Being Related to Me

Having me for a big sister is pretty great, if you ask me. If you ask my two younger brothers, they may have some varying opinions on the situation over the past 30+ years. But late last month for my brother Jake, it was all worth it.

Jake has been on the job hunt this summer. When he and his wife moved back to Spokane after 2 years living in Prague (they say Spokane is the Prague of the Northwest…) he got a job teaching. He decided it wasn’t the right fit and he needed to look for something else. Here’s the thing about Jake & his wife – things ALWAYS work out for them. It’s ridiculous.

With my large network across the Northwest, we’ve been talking over the summer about companies that may be a good fit and I’ve been helping him to best network and take advantage of my contacts. So, in late August we were chatting and I asked if he’d contacted my friend Kevin. They know each other and so Jake sent Kevin a note. And then a few days later Kevin called me. They were scheduled to have coffee the next week, but this couldn’t wait.

Evidently someone in Kevin’s office left that they weren’t anticipating. And they had a position available ASAP and they needed someone with a teaching degree. Kevin wanted to talk with me to see if this is something Jake might even consider. To which I said multiple times “holy crap this is perfect for Jake!” So instead of a meet and greet and brainstorm coffee next week, Jake went to Kevin’s office the next day to meet with the CEO and ended his day with a new job.

Kevin summed up the point of all this well…

Don’t worry, I won’t EVER let Jake forget this.

What does this have to do with marketing and small business?

You need to use your network.

The whole point of spending time networking is to develop relationships. If I ignore you for years then call you up and ask for a favor, that’s not great. But if we keep in touch over the years, I see you at networking events, we grab beers once in a while, then when you need a favor (for your brother or yourself or a client or a colleague) you’re top of mind. And, when I’m looking for a connection or referral for someone, I haven’t forgotten about you because I saw you or heard from you recently. I will preach it till everyone gets it:

Networking Works.