Growing Your Connections

You've made that outstanding business connection at some event.  You have a witty exchange of conversation and ideas.  Perhaps the Ripple Connection Questions helped you discover a few Connection Points along the way.  You're excited.  They are excited.

Now what?

This is the moment of truth for a lot of people.  You are at the precipice of taking that decidedly important next step that will forever cement you, and the experience of meeting you, in your new contact's mind.  Don't be like most and let the momentum of the connection slowly fade into the abysmal darkness of nothing.  If you are reading this BLOG I doubt you would do that!  Right?

Here's the thing, a new relationship is very much like your every day house plant.  It's green and fresh and full of growth and opportunity when you first discover it.  However just like that plant that you bring home from the store, if you don't take the time to give it the proper care and feeding your new connection will turn brown, wither and die in no time flat.

You see most people miss the point of a new connection and just how fragile that new connection is in the beginning.  It takes focus.  It takes time.  It takes not letting the momentum of that first encounter stop.  That first encounter is liken to cultivating the fertile soil in which the new seeds of a potential relationship can be planted, take hold and hopefully grow into something amazing.

But it won't grow all by itself.  You have to help it.  You have to make it easy to grow.  You have to be the constant gardner by providing relevance, consistency and timely follow up!  You have to be willing to take that next step to make sure that conditions are optimal for growing this new connection into something more than just a sprout of one time opportunity. No doubt it will take effort but what in life doesn't?  Sure it will take time but it will be time that will be well worth it.  Undoubtedly it takes a little bit of risk but picking up the phone or inviting your new connection to lunch "to pick up the conversation with where we last left it." Your assertive effort will be appreciated and recognized as unique and refreshing and will undoubtedly reinforce why your connection liked meeting you to begin with.

If the connection was worth  making in the first place then why not take the time to see if it could possibly grow it into something more?  You just may discover that it is the relationship you were most needing right here, right now.  Ever thought of that?

Grab your hoe and shovel and get to work.  Your garden of connection and opportunity awaits.

Ripple On!!!