There’s a new word in the business language
“NetWeaving,” a term you are likely to hear more and more, particularly
in sales and marketing, as individuals recognize its value in building
personal and strategic relationships. Power NetWeaving is the title
of a book by Robert S. Littell, owner and principal of Broker’s Resource
Center, Inc., and Donna Fisher, a nationally known authority on people
skills. MWorld interviewed Robert on his book, NetWeaving, and the
application of NetWeaving to the world of work.
MWorld: The title of your book is Power
NetWeaving. What is "NetWeaving"?
Littell: NetWeaving is a gratuitous and
somewhat altruistic form of networking that follows the "Golden Rule"
and the philosophy that helping OTHER people, not looking for anything
in return, will somehow come back to benefit you in the long-run.
The long-run benefits of NetWeaving consistently exceed those from
the more traditional "What’s In It for Me" (WIFM) networking.
MWorld: While NetWeaving may sound somewhat
like networking, it is very different, isn't it? Could you explain
how?
Littell: Traditional networking has tended
to focus. . .too much in my opinion.. .on, "How can I take advantage
of my own network of friends, clients, business associates, and centers
of influence in order to generate more business for myself?"
First let me say, there’s nothing wrong with this;
networking has been around since trade and commerce began. Nevertheless,
I felt that there was a better way to network that resulted in more
of a "win-win" situation. By helping others, the NetWeaver almost
always ends up benefiting in the long-run...and sometimes in spectacular
ways which he or she could never have imagined up front.
MWorld: Could you share with MWorld visitors
two or three skills they need to develop to become a NetWeaver?
Littell: There are two primary skill sets
at which one must become proficient in order to become a "Power NetWeaver".
The first involves learning to become a strategic matchmaker for others
— putting other people together in win-win relationships.
The second skill set, for which there are two separate
components, is learning to position yourself as a strategic resource
provider for others — either serving as the resource yourself, or
assembling a resource network made up of others who share your gratuitous
NetWeaving philosophy. In exchange for you agreeing to be part of
their resource bank, they agree to be part of yours. The strength
you offer to your customers, clients, and prospects is not only measured
by your own knowledge and skills, but by that of your entire network.
I call this skill set, "Learning to become a VIRTUAL
Sergeant Bilko", named after the old Phil Silvers TV show. Whatever
you needed, from a spare part that was no longer manufactured, to
a date with Marilyn Monroe, Bilko either could get it for you himself,
or he had the contacts, or knew somebody else who could get it done.
MWorld: What is this person you call a "NetWeaving
Pied Piper”?
Littell: At first when I began working on
the book, Power NetWeaving, I thought the main advantage of NetWeaving,
especially to persons dealing with prospects and customers, would
be in convincing these sales and marketing professionals that the
long-run benefits of NetWeaving far exceed those of traditional networking.
As further evidence of this, as I was writing the
book, it struck me that my three largest life insurance sales had
all been the result of "NetWeaving" which I had done over some extended
period of time.
Nevertheless, as I began telling more and more
people about NetWeaving, and as I began giving talks to various groups
on the topic, I found there was UNIVERSAL interest in the concept,
and more importantly, I noticed that just bringing this concept to
other person’s attention actually enhanced my own prestige and image
in their eyes. And, some of the other persons whom I'd interviewed
for the book and about which I had written true "NetWeaving" stories,
began to tell me the same thing, so I then knew you didn't have to
be the author of the book for this same phenomenon to occur.
Perhaps "Pied Piper" is not the best term since
there were some negative connotations in that nursery tale, but becoming
a vocal NetWeaving advocate — causing others to follow your example
— is really what I mean.
When you become a NetWeaving mentor to others,
without question, it will increase your own prestige and people will
relate to you differently and in a more positive fashion.
MWorld: Why is this concept so timely about
now?
Littell: With the uncertainty in the economy
and with sales off in many different sectors, one of the challenges
for all sales and marketing people is, "How do I remain a valued entity
to my customers, especially my BEST customers?" If you are in the
investment business and if your worth to your clients is too dependent
upon the current return you are earning for them, you may be in a
whole lot of trouble.
On the other hand, if you have established yourself
as a strategic matchmaker as well as a resource provider and resource
network central, you are perhaps the LAST person your clients would
want to leave.
MWorld: How can a NetWeaver help his or
her own organization achieve its strategic mission or tactics?
Littell: Most corporations put "providing
high levels of quality service to end customers" as a integral part
of their mission statement. Unfortunately, most fall short on ways
to actually accomplish this, especially at a grass roots level.
The most basic element of NetWeaving is helping
others and having the confidence to know that just like a rock thrown
into the still pond, creating ever-expanding concentric circles, so
it is with NetWeaving. The consequence of that one simple good deed,
will often have an impact far beyond the initial point of contact.
When an entire organization embraces the philosophy of NetWeaving
and then looks for ways to create strategies and tactics that will
help facilitate NetWeaving at all levels, there is a new form of energy
created. If you've ever worked on a house-building crew for Habitat
for Humanity, walked or run in a Fighting Breast Cancer event, or
worked on almost any charitable project, you know the energy field
to which I'm referring. And since NetWeaving is most successful when
practiced on a daily basis, those who most embrace the concept and
then become mentors for others within the organization will become
an invaluable asset to the company.
MWorld: This would seem a wonderful technique
to build a client base for service professionals. Has this proven
true?
Littell: I must admit that someone else
actually brought this to my attention. I had primarily been thinking
of NetWeaving in the context of sales and marketing. Then someone
who had read the book approached me about speaking on how NetWeaving
could be used in the area of CRM (Customer Relationship Management).
It was then it hit me that for customer services of all types, looking
beyond — far beyond the usual services provided — NetWeaving can
be a way that service persons at ALL levels can endear their customers
to them. This is especially true with the internet availability and
capabilities where the creativity of "linked resources" is limited
only by our lack of imagination.
MWorld: How does NetWeaving go beyond linking
people to making information accessible to a potential client or customer?
Littell: The strategic matchmaking element
of NetWeaving tends to be most often practiced externally in the field,
although there are many versions of this which can be done internally
by Customer Service Reps. And, frankly, for some people, this "matchmaking"
element of NetWeaving is something which not everyone can or will
completely master or even want to try and master. On the other hand,
EVERYONE can become a strategic resource provider.
As an example, over 20 years ago, I started sending
out a newsletter which had NOTHING to do with insurance, financial,
or estate planning which was my primary field of expertise. Instead,
it was a health and fitness newsletter which gave brief snippits of
information quoting many other health information sources. All of
the articles were only a few paragraphs long. A friend of mine wrote
the health and fitness part, and I added a cover letter in which I
would include excerpts from a motivational talk I'd heard, or book
or article I may have read.
To this day, each time this bimonthly newsletter
goes out — to clients, to prospects, and to some centers of influence,
I receive a number of unsolicited calls and notes thanking me for
sharing this information with them, and oh, by the way, referring
someone to me, or asking for information, etc.
This brings up one of the most important points
about NetWeaving. Since the book has been out, I have had a number
of persons who have said to me almost sheepishly, "You know, I think
I've done a lot of NetWeaving for others over my life, but to be perfectly
honest, I haven't seen a whole lot come back to me in the way of returned
favors."
Although I could spend an hour on this topic alone,
the brief answer is that this primarily happens because persons do
not give the other person enough opportunities to return the favor.
You must CREATE these opportunities, and this is more a function of
"keeping in touch on a favorable basis" than anything else.
This can be a newsletter — but it better be interesting
and fun. Or you can simply make sure you get together for breakfast
or lunch, or a glass of wine, on some kind of a regular basis.
MWorld: What would be the first steps I
should take to become a NetWeaver?
Littell: First, you must be honest with
yourself and see if you have the psychological makeup and right mindset
to be a NetWeaver. There are some very "driven" individuals who are
so caught up with making sales and in closing deals that even when
they TRY and NetWeave, it comes across as manipulative.
I like to use an analogy of a jigsaw puzzle. Ever
notice that when someone walks up behind someone who has been working
on a puzzle for some time, the new person often spots the location
for a couple missing pieces almost immediately. They bring a different
mindset and problem-solving approach to the table.
In one sense, all of us are "walking-talking" jigsaw
puzzles with pieces missing — either in the form of unfulfilled needs,
unsolved problems, and undeveloped or under — developed ideas and
opportunities. Some of these are at a business level, while others
are at a family or personal level. And some we recognize, while others
need to be pointed out to us.
One sign of a great NetWeaver is that he or she
gets as much, if not more satisfaction, out of helping find missing
pieces to OTHERS puzzles, as he or she gets from solving their own.
After you've established that NetWeaving is something
you would enjoy doing, the next step is to make the commitment to
establishing NetWeaving strategies and habits on a daily basis. These
skills include learning to listen better, especially to take good
notes soon after conversations, and then be able to keep track of
them for later retrieval. Soon you will find that you're expanding
your NetWeaver’s resource network; you're spending some portion of
EVERY day connecting other people — sometimes just two people whom
you have identified have hobbies in common. NetWeaving can be as simple
as introducing two people at a party; or as complex as helping people
identify problems — then following through with them from matchmaking
to resource providing to the eventual problem’s solution.
MWorld: How could I build the relationship
from that point?
Littell: NetWeaving is really all about
building relationships. The biggest single problem with traditional
networking, other than its overly inward focus, is that it tends to
generate only superficial conversations. If you're going to be of
real help to someone in helping them identify needs, solve problems,
and take advantage of opportunities, you must get below the surface
in order to understand them better.
This is somewhat of a catch-22. In today’s world
of information-overload, what each of us wants and needs is a trusted
individual or entity with whom we could share our deepest thoughts,
dreams, and goals — someone who could filter, categorize, summarize,
prioritize and then personalize this overload of information so it
would be manageable and would be suited just for us. Only a party
who EARNS this kind of trust will be permitted to hold this breadth
and depth or information and I believe that those companies who adopt
NetWeaving as a corporate strategy, will be best positioned to do
just that.
For more on the power of NetWeaving, visit www.bob-littell.com.
To purchase a copy of Power NetWeaving go to
The National Underwriter
Company. The book is also available at Amazon.com.
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