Many people have a hard time networking. They think of it as the act of meeting new people and trying to get them to do something for you, even if they don’t want to do it at all. This kind of behavior is not only unethical, but also likely to fail in achieving your goals.
Instead, building a network should be about connecting with people who you genuinely like and care about. It’s about getting to know them deeply enough so that when opportunities arise where you can help each other out—whether professionally or personally—they are more likely to feel comfortable doing so because they trust you implicitly rather than because they feel obligated to do so after one brief interaction over coffee last week.
Build a community. Find your people.
One of the best ways to build a community and get people involved in your project is by putting yourself out there. Get to know your neighbours, get to know the local community, get to know the people in the industry that you work in and get to know who’s going to be using your product or service.
Meet as many people as possible and introduce yourself when you can. You never know who might be able to help or recommend a great consultant or a future buyer for one of your projects. You could even start an informal network where you meet up once a week for coffee or lunch with some of your colleagues – this can be a great way of building relationships with other business owners, consultants, investors to share ideas and learn from one another.
Be consistent.
If you’re going to be a successful property developer, it’s important that you’re consistent in all areas of your life. This means being consistent with your communication, attitude, actions and personality. It also means being consistent with your message.
It can be hard sometimes to stick to one single message for so long – especially when there are many different messages out there for us all to hear! But if you want things like credibility and trustworthiness then consistency is key.
Make your people part of your world, and each others.
You can make yourself and your network more accessible to each other by:
- Inviting them to events you’re attending.
- Connecting with them on social media.
- Sharing your content with them.
- Asking for their feedback–and then listening to what they say! (hint: this is the most important one)
Show up and give back.
As a developer, you are part of a community. To be successful, you need to give back to that community. This can take many forms:
- Give back to your industry by speaking at events and offering educational mentorship opportunities for new developers and university students.
- Give back to your clients by providing them with discounted services or free advice on how they can improve their property portfolios.
- Give back to employees by ensuring they have the best possible working environment, including competitive salaries and benefits packages (if possible).
- Provide staff members opportunities for professional growth through training programs, conferences, and certifications.
Conclusion
One of the most important things you can do as a property developer is to build genuine connections with people. And there’s no better way to do that than by being yourself and sharing what matters most. We hope these tips have helped you on your journey so far, but we also encourage you to keep looking out for others in this community who might need some help as well.
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