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I love the idea of leverage. 
In fact, it is one of the elements of network marketing that drew me to this business and has helped me find success. When you harness the power of leverage, you can obtain ultimate freedom of time and money, letting you live the lifestyle you’ve always wanted.
Leverage Defined
What exactly is leverage? It’s the idea that you can use the resources and connections you already have to accomplish bigger things. Picture a crowbar. With this relatively small and simple tool you can move large objects when you use it correctly and approach the task from the right angle.
Leverage is just like that. When you use what you have and learn to use it well, you can accomplish bigger and better things, taking your business further.
Leveraging your Contacts
When you learn how to use leverage you can get a lot of help from people you know, new connections you make and people in your own or other industries. You can learn from the pros and recruit talent that will benefit your business.
When you leverage people to help you grow your business, it becomes much better than it ever could if you were working alone. Gathering the top talent in various fields and bringing in people with different backgrounds and perspectives means your business can reach its fullest potential.
Look for Networking Opportunities
Before you can use leverage and get help from others, you need to build your network. Start reaching out to meet others in your community and industry online, at conferences, at networking events and even when you travel for work.
This step really never ends. You should always strive to build your network and meet new people, no matter where you are in your career.
Foster Mutually Beneficial Relationships
As you network and connect with others, work to build relationships that benefit both parties. In other words, don’t just get in touch when you need something. Instead, keep in touch with people, offer help, forward resources you think someone would be interested in, arrange lunch meetings and be willing to do a favor once in a while.
As you build these kinds of relationships, people will be much more willing to help when you need them. This approach also helps you learn what people can offer. While you keep in touch, you’ll learn what kinds of skills, experience and resources a person has, so you’ll know who you can contact when you need help.
Be Vocal about Your Needs
Don’t be shy about voicing your needs. If people don’t know you are looking for assistance on something, how can they help you?
You can approach your contacts individually as you learn who can help you. You can also reach out to an individual who may know someone that could help. A simple email or phone call is an easy way to do this.
If you aren’t sure who can help, you can throw a wider net by posting your needs on social media. A post asking if anyone is a graphic designer or knows one, published on your Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn account, can be all it takes to get the help you need.
When you’re vocal about your needs, people can refer you to their contacts or someone who you didn’t realize had the experience you were looking for might speak up and offer assistance.
Don’t Skip Formal Opportunities
Formal opportunities, like conferences, workshops, classes, webinars, and other events, can give you opportunities to use leverage. These situations can help you learn new skills and acquire personal development habits but they can also help you build your network and connect with other experts. Think of these as learning experiences with a networking advantage that you don’t want to miss.
Learning to harness the power of leverage is one of the best things you can do to grow your business and create that freedom lifestyle we all want. I’m a true believer in this concept and offer coaching services to help professionals learn to use leverage and build their business. Contact me if you are interested in one-on-one help.
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