“At Last, A Simple Solution to Successful Networking”
It is next to impossible to succeed in flipping houses for profit all by your lonesome. Having a solid network of house flipping contacts is an essential component to any house flipping business.
Thus effective networking needs to be at the center of your own house flipping business plan.
The goal of networking is to establish those key relationships that will help you propel your house flipping business forward.
Yet networking is really just a fancy word for making friends.
Unfortunately we sometimes lose sight of this simple truth, and some folks never seem to "get it."
In my experience it is not unusual to encounter people at networking events who's main goal is to give their card to everyone at the event. We have all been stuck in other people's boastful conversations and may have even witnessed complete strangers arguing over something that doesn't even matter.
Approaching a networking event from the wrong angle will get you nowhere very quickly. A better idea is to approach each and every networking opportunity as if you were simply there to make a few friends.
After all, making new friends is what networking truly is. Wouldn't you agree?
The Key to House Flipping Success is Effective Networking
House flip networking suddenly becomes easier and more effective if you treat each networking opportunity as a chance to make new friends and become even friendlier with folks you have already met.
The real key to making friends is to get other people to like you. Put bluntly, getting people to like you is key to successful networking.
The question then is - how can you get other people to start liking you?
A good place to start is to remember the following when speaking with people at your next house flipping networking event:
- People like people who smile and show genuine interest
- People like their own name and will appreciate it when you remember and use it
- People like to talk about what they are interested in and appreciate it when you listen
- People like to feel important
Do you like to talk about your interests and feel important? Of course you do!
Do you enjoy being around people who smile and show genuine interest in what you have to say? Absolutely!
Are you impressed when people you have only met once or twice remember your name? You bet!
The key is to remember that other people also like to feel important and appreciated. Once you understand this, and I mean really understand this, you can start using it to your benefit.
Author Dale Carnegie is world renown for his extensive work on this very topic. In his best-selling book How to Win Friends and Influence People, Carnegie explains exactly how to get people to like you and want to be your friend.
If people don't like you, they won't want to be a part of your house flipping business. They won't work as hard on your house flip rehabs. People will be less likely to lend you money for your next house flip deal and they won't send any profitable house flip deals in your direction.
So if you have not yet read How to Win Friends and Influence People then I highly recommend you pick up a copy today. By simply reading this book you will become a better friend, and increase your odds of long term house flipping success, all at the same time.
3 Specific Techniques for Networking Success
Making friends and establishing connections that will further your house flipping business is amazingly simple and easy. Next time you find yourself at a networking event, remember to incorporate the following into your networking strategy.
- Put the focus on the other person - always
I understand that you may like talking about yourself, your family and your achievements. That's great but save it for after you have already asked about and learned about the other person, their family and their achievements.
People like talking about themselves more than they like talking about anything else. If someone wants to talk to you about themselves for 20 straight minutes then by all means let them ramble on.
They will love for you it.
- The only argument you will ever win is the argument you never start
Even if you do "win an argument" you still lose. Arguments create nothing but ill feelings for all parties involved. Therefore, never start an argument and never become involved in one.
If someone is blatantly wrong, don't point it out. Just say something like - "I will take your opinion into consideration" and leave it at that.
Not only will the other person appreciate you for allowing them to be "right," surrounding people will be impressed at your ability to handle a potentially volatile situation.
- See things from the other person's point of view
Everyone on this planet experiences life differently. Understanding this will propel you to the forefront of highly successful net-workers.
When someone is talking to you don't just listen - put yourself in their shoes and imagine yourself in their situation.
I challenge you to go even further and connect with them on an emotional level. Try to feel whatever they are feeling. This will help you remain empathetic, even in situations where in the past you may have felt uncomfortable.
Flipping houses for profit and achieving success in the house flipping business, begins and ends with establishing a positive, trustworthy and effective network of contacts. If you approach networking in the same fashion as making friends, you will realize impressive results.
Remember that money lenders, house flipping partners, contractors and real estate agents are people - who, like yourself, enjoy feeling important and appreciated.
At your next house flip networking event, focus on making other people feel important and appreciated.
Make this your #1 networking goal. It's a simple, yet incredibly powerful solution to successful networking.
See you at the top!
Mike
Mike,
I just discovered your blog yesterday and am compelled to tell you my story. I have been a house flipper at heart for several decades, I just never have had the thrill of selling one for a profit. In the ’80s I bought a darling little 1 bedroom with a dirt floor for 13K, gutted it, new open floor plan, kitchen cabinets my father made, custom textured ceilings, new roof… without any contractors. My ex got it in the divorce. In the late ’90 I bought a charming 1915 5 bedroom for 76K. Adding 1400+ sq ft over the next 5 years I felt like I owned stock in Home Depot. I built that home to live in and love the rest of my life. Well, my ex got it in the divorce. So I’ve not been so lucky in love but I know how to rehab a house pretty good. I have 10K saved to get me going, but I feel like I am standing on the bridge with the bungie tied on. I know it won’t hurt, it’s just that fear of falling. You know what I mean. I have some other great ideas about investing in real estate, but they will have to wait till I make my first million.
Hi Vivian
I would suggest you start by reaching out to your local REIA meeting and see what other investors are doing to make money. Where are you from. We have some programs that could assist you as well. In box me directly & I will see how I may be able to assist you with your start.