Be helpful. It seems to me we worry a lot about how people see us…
“But, I’m no expert,”  I’ve heard people say.
In most cases, people want a solution more than they want to worry about who you are or are not.
It’s true of course, I might want my surgeon and my airline pilot to be the expert but for anyone else?

But what do I mean? What’s helpful?
More often than not, and this is the most important part of this note … being helpful means sharing or doing what you know with someone who doesn’t know it or can’t do it. It’s that easy.

I don’t know anything about video marketing, so I work with Mark Orr. Others need a Psychotherapist, so they reach out to Sian Barnard. Helping others by connecting others. Isn’t that simple?

While Networking, being helpful requires action and initiative.

Not so helpful?
The least useful thing you can ever say to another in your network:
“Let me know how I can help.”
Most times, we don’t know what we need or want. We may be organising a fundraiser and we hear. “Let me organise the invitations,” in contrast to another who says “What can I do?”

Here’s the trick … learn to know how you can help others.

In my own business, I lead with written ideas, but that’s another story. In my network – it’s solutions. I offer specifics for people, because I know them, know what they do. If someone says, “I’m having trouble finding a reputable valet.” I ask my Network Forum, or a reliable Accountant – I can do this.
Although when someone tells me they’re frustrated with the progress of their book, I show a few of my own potential solutions.

Be helpful. Lets listen …
Helpful people come in all forms. Some of the best and most helpful people I know are good listeners. Friends like Gareth Shackleton and Paul Tutleman often help with just a sentence.

Other times, people are helpful by just caring. That’s just as helpful.

We meet and engage our communities regularly, not just for being fed and watered, but to build our support network (that’s the key) Net-Work … of support.

More on this next time, meanwhile, ‘who can I be helpful for today?’