I am sure you have heard the old adage “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know”. Believe it or not there is a lot of truth to that. A lot of people’s success can be attributed to the power of networking.
In Chinese the word Guanxi literally means “relationships”. It is the first word any businessperson learns upon arriving in China and has been touted as one of the main strategies used in the booming Chinese economy. So what does Guanxi have to do with me you ask?
In order to be successful in your industry and continue to grow and develop your business it is of the utmost importance that we focus on our Guanxi talents. The “art of relationships” as some Chinese business leaders refer to it. The personal connections we develop are vital to doing business. All things being equal, people like to deal with people you know and can rely on.
Guanxi goes back thousands of years and is based on traditional values of loyalty, accountability and obligation. Over the years it has grown into connections, personal relationships and networking. It is relationships that can inform and educate you. So as you move forward stay focused on the core art of Guanxi which is skillfully building mutually beneficial relationships.
There is a tool now to help you build mutually beneficial relationships known as LinkedIn. Remember your old rolodex? Think of LinkedIn as your superconductor rolodex. From LinkedIn website: “The purpose of the site is to allow registered users to maintain a list of contact details of people they know and trust in business. The people in the list are called Connections. Users can invite anyone (whether a site user or not) to become a connection.”
The network you have developed throughout your career is one of your most valuable assets. On LinkedIn you can “Manage the information that’s publicly available about you as a professional; find and be introduced to potential clients, service providers, and subject experts who come recommended; be found for business opportunities and find potential partners and gain new insights from discussions with likeminded professionals in private group settings.”
The Groups feature is another valuable tool that LinkedIn offers. This allows users to establish new relationships by joining alumni, industry, or other professionals groups and network for business opportunities, news and feedback on ideas.
You can view my profile on LinkedIn HERE . It is free and very easy to get set up on LinkedIn. Take your power of guanxi to the next level and get “linked in” today.
The Buyline 