Successful entrepreneurs acknowledge that having a professional network is one of the essential skills to scale a business. Despite its importance, many entrepreneurs are lost on how to create a network. According to Jason Humble, the good news is that the art of professional networking can be learned. Jason Humble, CEO of the Humble Capital Group, firmly believes that building long-term relationships is integral to being successful.
Humble highlights that the first step to building and maintaining a strong relationship is finding common ground. If both parties are comfortable around each other, the relationship will last longer and be more fruitful. The acronym F.O.R.M. is a great way to engage someone within the first 5 minutes. Family, Occupation, Recreation, Motivation. Typically this entrance will allow individuals to follow back up with the same questions as a response. This is a key initial component to building relationships. Another lasting relationship that Humble focuses on is the relationship between you and your customers and potential customers. Jason Humble explains that returns on relationships are more valuable than Return on Investment in today’s world.
According to Jason Humble, maintaining strong relationships will help you grow your business and maintain your brand image. This will also help you attract more customers, and your existing customers will be loyal to your brand. On the other hand, building relationships with other entrepreneurs helps you stay connected to industry experts and events. This way, you have a sounding board for ideas and opportunities to expand your professional networks. Strong relationships with other experts and entrepreneurs will help you unlock collaboration opportunities.
Making people come back for more and stay interested is vital to maintain a productive network. Consistent service quality across channels will do it for customers while sharing information will help you break through to professionals. Jason Humble also mentions the value of expanding your network beyond your industry. He says that you should interact with people of diverse interests to enhance business growth.
Now, more than ever, building lasting relationships in any industry is key to the success of any business. Jason Humble leads by example on how you can leverage your network and relationships to boost growth.