The #1 Skill for the 21st Century (Part 2 of 3) By Darren Hardy

The #1 Skill for the 21st Century (Part 2 of 3)

By Darren Hardy

Since in Part 1 we challenged you to start networking toward your Big Kahuna prospective relationship, let me share some key ideas in doing so.

The most important idea I can give you is: Give first.

As you can imagine I am contacted dozen of times throughout every day by someone who wants something—an endorsement for a book, to get an article in SUCCESS, solicitation for business investment, board advisement, request for mentoring, etc.

99.9% of the time the communication is solely fixed on their agenda, what they need and what they want from me.

As Jim Rohn said, “Don’t come with your need, come with your seed.” Every once in a while someone will come to me with their seed—a seed of unsolicited assistance, a seed of a good idea, a seed of a great connection, a seed of some promotional support, with no (initial) ROI expectation.

I’ll give you an example. I was on Larry Benet’s target list (come to learn later). When we first met he didn’t pitch me on what he wanted from me. He asked what I was working on and then he found a way to assist in a variety of unsolicited ways. To this day, regularly, he is introducing people, ideas or resources to me that he thinks might be valuable… and many of them are. And all these ovations are unsolicited; he is proactively and intentionally going out of his way to be valuable.

Now, I will tell you what this has caused—a great gratitude and a great psychic debt. I don’t like imbalanced relationships so I go out of my way to try and be of value back to him… and if he asks, which is rarely, for a favor, I am eager to comply so I can pay some debt back.

What this is really is the law of reciprocation in action. If you do for others, they are psychically compelled to want to do for you. I’m not saying reciprocation is always one-to-one or that you give to get and that you play the tit-for-tat game… not at all. What I am saying is by you giving first, and giving often, and giving all around you, unsolicited, you will be amazed at how the world will open up to you in ways that is hard to even explain.

Here is the metaphor I use to explain my practice and philosophy about this. While this might be a little obtuse, it is how I imagine it. Relationships are like bank accounts and when you give and do for others, you are making deposits into those accounts. Your goal is to go around making deposits in as many bank accounts as possible, and I will say, particularly in the accounts that have high yields of return—these are your important, or Big Kahuna accounts.

What happens is you end up building up a great wealth of relationship equity, and then without solicitation you will yield great returns in ways you cannot imagine. So, the first rule of networking is… Give first, give often and keep giving… build up accounts to epic proportions.

Today, pick 5 people you are going to make deposits with this week. Find out what they are working on that you might help with. Who do you know that would be valuable for them to be introduced to? What resources, books, programs or seminars are you are aware of that might be useful to them? What ideas, thoughts or even words of encouragement can you offer them that would be helpful? Etc. There are many forms of relationship currency you can use to make deposits. Start today.

Share the ideas and ways you will make deposits into your selected relationship accounts in the comments below. Your idea might inspire someone else. Let’s give BIG this week!

Article Taken From: http://blog.success.com/experts/darren-hardy/skill-part-2/