Sitting Next to Your Future Boss? Building Relationships Before You Need Them

by | Nov 13, 2013 | Sales Motiviation

By Jeff Beals

I had the privilege this fall to speak on personal branding at three universities. I normally speak to professionals, so it was a fun and enjoyable change of pace to address so many young people, “future professionals.”

At each of those universities, I asked the students to do me a favor: “Look at the persons sitting on either side of you and memorize their faces,” I said. “There is a chance that one of the two people you just saw could be your boss someday…So you better start kissing up right now!”

Most of the students were sitting next to friends, so they immediately started laughing and giving each other a hard time. The thought of working for and reporting to a college buddy was so crazy to most of them that it was always hard for me to quiet them down, regain control of the room and proceed with the presentation.

Once calm was restored, I told them that one of my closest high school friends hired me for a job 12 years ago and that I still hold that position today. Furthermore, I told the students that I have done business with several people I’ve known since college, high school and even childhood.

What does this story mean for you?

All people and all relationships matter. You never know who will deliver the right opportunity at just the right time. As my good friend Barry Carlson of MidAmerica Speakers Bureau likes to say, “Build the relationship before you need it.”

Sometimes, the person who seemingly can do nothing for you ends up being the person who changes your life.

To get ahead in business and in life, you certainly must build relationships with the “right” people, but you have to be careful. If you become too obsessed with impressing the ostensibly rich and powerful, you might miss out on the many other people who have wonderful things to offer you. After all, those who are tiny in their professions today can grow to become monsters in the future.

The supposedly non-powerful people in your life may have great influence over powerful decision makers. Administrative assistants come to mind. Oftentimes, a salesperson could be so focused on impressing the decision maker in the corner office that he or she brushes past the administrative assistant with barely an acknowledgment. A job candidate could be so focused on impressing the hiring manager in an interview that he or she does the same thing. Both are big mistakes.

As any savvy professional knows, decision makers tend to be very dependent upon their administrative assistants as well as their direct professional reports. If a staff member feels disrespected by a prospective vendor, the staff member will probably sabotage the would-be vendor’s chances of getting the business.

As an outsider, you don’t know the hidden relationships that may exist between the powerful person you want to impress and the staff members surrounding him or her. Treat all people like gold, because your success depends on it.

Even when you’re not in “sales mode” or “job-seeking mode,” it’s worth your while to take a little time for everyone. You never know who could be your boss someday. You never know who could be your client someday. You never know what person at your neighbor’s cocktail party could hook you up with your biggest client ever. Constantly build relationships now to sow the seeds of future opportunity. Any relationship has the potential to bear fruit if you simply tend to it.

Finally, when thinking about building relationships for your professional benefit, don’t forget the people right in your own backyard. Too many times we are tempted to focus solely on those who are far away from us, the hard-to-reach people who we dream of doing business with. In pursuing them, it’s easy to forget about the people already around you. They might know more and could be accomplishing more than you think.

Jeff Beals is an award-winning author, who helps professionals do more business and have a greater impact on the world through effective sales, marketing and personal branding techniques. As a professional speaker, he delivers energetic and humorous keynote speeches and workshops to audiences worldwide. You can learn more and follow his “Beals Motivation Blog” at www.JeffBeals.com.

You are welcome to forward this article (with author citation) to anyone else who might benefit from it.

Jeff Beals helps you find better prospects, close more deals and capture greater market share. He is an international award-winning author, sought-after keynote speaker, and accomplished sales consultant. He delivers compelling speeches and sales-training workshops worldwide. He has spoken in 5 countries and 41 states. A frequent media guest, Jeff has been featured in Investor’s Business Daily, USA Today, Men’s Health, Chicago Tribune and The New York Times.

To discuss booking a presentation, go to JeffBeals.com or send an email to info@jeffbeals.com.

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