Have you ever met a person who just seems to know everyone? The type of person who seems to know so many people that you wonder how it’s even possible that they are so well connected?
These people are not super humans although it may sometime seem that way, they are simply people who have learned and respect the value of being well connected by providing value to many people and finding ways to connect people so they can help each other. There is a name for this type of person, they are called Super Connectors and in this post, I will share who they are, how you can become one and why it can change your life.
7 Traits of The Super Connector
- Care About People
- Clearly Know What Help They Can & Cannot Offer
- Have a Purpose That They Can Build a Community Around
- Make a Conscious Effort To Consistently Meet & Connect New People
- Focus On Always Giving & Providing Value, But Only For Those Who Deserve It
- Know How To Make Themselves Memorable & Remarkable
- Keep Their Relationships Organized and Stay In Touch
Why Become a Super Connector
You may be reading the 7 traits above and thinking “That sounds just like me!” or you might be thinking, “Wow, that sounds hard and annoying…”. Regardless of your thoughts on what it means to be a super connector, being one certainly can be a positive life changing experience not just for you but others around you. When you are someone who focuses on providing value to many people in a specific space you achieve many things such as; moving towards your purpose, building goodwill, establishing yourself as a leader in that space, creating opportunities for others and most importantly, changing peoples lives. The feeling of being the person who helped someone get that dream job, start that dream company or just pursue their dream, in general, is indescribable and a large part of why I made the conscious decision to become a super connector. When I first started my career in entrepreneurship at age 19, I had no idea I would become a super connector or even knew what that was back then. However, as I began learning more, meeting more people and growing my network I started to realize how everything in life is achieved by collective efforts among many people. It was this realization that made me realize how lucky I am to have been helped by so many people along the way, I wanted to be a person who could help others just like me who were getting started so I naturally began meeting more people and providing value by sharing sales, marketing, and business advice with them to help fuel their dreams. All ideas have to be sold and marketed and most have to become a business in order to pay the creator behind them so it felt good to empower people in that way. There are many different ways I’ve met people over the past 5 years, like the method I describe in this blog post about how I met 10,000 people in 10 months and share what I learned from the experience. However, the primary way I’ve met many people is by providing massive value to other super connectors and their networks with my expertise, connections, and support. My why is because I love people, especially those seeking to make the world a better place and there is no better way to do that than to be someone who can connect the people that can facilitate that change. Know your why and make sure it’s not all about you because if it is then you have missed the whole point about what it means to be a super connector.
How To Become a Super Connector
There are definitely practical techniques and methodologies you can use to operate as a super connector but to become one you must shift your mindset on a fundamental level. You can apply all the techniques of a super connector but at the end of the day, if you do not care about the people you are helping, they will feel it. The first step is to understand that a super connector isn’t a “networker” who aimlessly builds a Rolodex of contacts that they use to achieve their personal goals but instead realize that they are the type of person who focuses on being a value provider to a niche of people that you can grow with and help elevate. That means you must adopt the mindset of a servant leader who aims to provide value as a general philosophy you live by, not a tactic. Once you’ve adopted this mindset you then need to create the habits that lead to you building a community of people while considering the 7 traits above. You can build communities offline with weekly dinners, by attending niche events and providing specific value and you can simply meet people along your journey while thoughtfully connecting them in a way that’s beneficial to all parties involved. You can also build communities online by joining social media groups related to your purpose, relating to people on a personal level by liking their posts, commenting and messaging them and positioning yourself as a thought leader who can guide and connect people on the web. There are many more ways that I haven’t mentioned but if you want to be a Super Connector there is one great book that goes into detail called Super Connector by Scott Gerber and Ryan Paugh. It is a wonderful book and I highly recommend reading it and putting it into practice if you are serious about becoming a super connector. So what are you waiting for? Go out and connect!
Question of The Week: Do you know any super connectors? If so how would you describe them? Comment below with your thoughts!