Professional Networking

Today, let's talk a little bit about, we'll call this professional networking. I just went to a big sales meeting I didn't have to go to, and I was surprised the amount of people that didn't go to it. For a company rolling out a new program, wanting to get very competitive in our business. And I went there with my young sales manager, and he's always astounded when we go to meetings at the amount of people I know. Which one, I've been doing this for 28 years, so you know a lot of folks. But two, I do make it a point to develop professional relationships. Talk to everybody about this. Like Riley in the baseball community. It's a very small community. Once you get up there and stick around, insurance is the same way. Probably H Vac nursing, any community like that. I'm always amazed at how people don't develop relationships that you just never know where they could take you. I mean, first, always be nice to everybody. Be kind to everybody. There's no reason to be an asshole. People will show you their true colors and you don't have to deal with them, but you need to be nice and professional with everybody. But two, I've gotten contracts and been able to do stuff just because I've been nice to somebody. I've helped them out, I've mentored them, or they just like doing business with me. When they came around with their managers and their product developers, I was polite, I was courteous. I might ask some tough questions with a smile on my face, but I developed these relationships over a period of years, and if I need a favor or they need a favor, we can come to each other. Or randomly, things come up and they're like, hey, Russ, I got one of my top contracts because the rep had worked for me when she was in high school. She'd worked her way up the ladder through different companies and had always been nice and polite. We kept our relationship going, and I was able to get a contract that I wouldn't have normally got just because she liked me. She knew I was a good guy and I did what I said I would do. So I'm always amazed at how people don't develop these relationships. So as you guys go through develop relationships with co workers, with managers, with vendors, you just never know who or what can change the game one day. And so many people don't do this. They don't reach out, they don't befriend people. I have a good buddy that changed jobs and he works for the state as a manager. Now he got kind of put on a committee for health department stuff for the state of Oklahoma with a lot of vendors. And he's like, I'm meeting people that are the vice presidents of these health companies and who really control stuff. And I'm on a board with them. I thought I wasn't going to like it. And he goes, now I'm networking with these guys. When he finishes his master's degrees, he went back to school. Later in life, always be learning. That's the key. When he finishes his master's degree, he's like, I'm going to know about 15 or 20 people who are movers and shakers in this industry I've moved into, who's always been kind of the healthcare business that I can reach out and probably get a job. And some are already talking about that. So especially if you're self employed, always be looking for people out there networking with people. I've hired people from my bank, people that were clients. I've hired vendors in the same way. So just wanted to shoot a video to remind you that you just never know. Riley got his job at Blanchard High School because his college coach that he worked for as a D2 college was a hell of a guy and he believes in giving. And when Riley wasn't going to get a job, you know, paying enough money to be a coach, Coach Cobble said, hey, I get calls all the time from high schools. Let me see what I can do. And like a day later, Roddy's got a call from an ad. Two days later he's interviewed. Hours later he's got a job offer and that's the start of his high school career. You know, you never know what it'll take you. But developing relationships, I've always tell him about that. Other coaches you meet get their contact information. Other people you meet get their contact information. Jack, in the H Vac world, you just never know. And it's not always people in your industry too. It could be, you know, I would tell Jack to make friends with plumbers and electricians for referrals. You just never know where, what, something's going to lead you. And so many people are just blinders, tunnel vision, looking at their own stuff. And don't even think about that. And I just, I wanted to remind you about the power of networking and where it can take you. That's how I got my job. A guy that I knew from Reynolds for many, many years had left before I did. He was an insurance agent as well. Although the guy that got me into Insurance. Initially interested was a farmer's agent. So was Mark. When I interviewed, they noticed that I was an RGR guy. Mark was an RGR guy. He said, oh yeah, I know Russ. So he contacted me first when I was interviewing the farmers and we'd been friends and his wife had worked with me. He married a lady we worked with, so we were kind of buddies. He gave me all the inside scoop to help me just knock it out of the park. Home run on my interview, how to take all these farmers tests, what they're looking for. He didn't have to do that, but he did. And those guys wouldn't leave me alone until I signed farmers. So again, that's just a little story of showing being nice to people who you know what it can lead to in life. So always be networking with anyone. Like I said, even vendors. The person that's a vendor for you one day might move up that ladder. They're a sales rep today, tomorrow their sales manager five years, six years, seven years later, they're vice president of operations or sales or they own the company. So you just never know where that leads. And I don't think a lot of people today think about that. That used to be kind of a common thing somewhat, you know, especially for high achievers. But I don't, I don't see that anymore with young people, with people in general. Like I said, they just stay narrowly focused on what they do. They don't think about it. And then when something happens, they're like, oh, I don't, I don't need a. I don't know anybody. I need some help and no one's going to help me out. And it's a two way street. That's one reason I go to these meetings a lot. Zach's like, why do you go to these things? I'm like, well, I learned a long time ago that my reps get points for how many of their people come, they're in a relationship basis. So if their agents don't come to these meetings and their bosses are there if it's poorly on them. So I always show up, I always meet the boss, I always shake their hand. And you just never know what can come from that. And especially later down the line. I keep seeing people just make the circle. They run small companies, run up the ladder to bigger companies and then the next thing you know, somebody I was nice to when they were first sales rep for some company I really didn't need, but I was polite and talked to them, they're in a position where they can help me out. So always be networking. Always be making friends. Be nice to everybody. Obviously, you just never know where it's going to lead you. Get contact information, stay in contact, reach out. You see someone out in a restaurant, go up and say, hi. Maybe you don't remember their name, but you can say, hey, I'm Jack Lowry. I own Lowry H Vac. I met you at this. We worked on your shop. We did some work for you, XYZ or, you know, we work for your gc. You just never know where it's going to take you. So I thought I would give you a little reminder. Always be looking out for that. Always be nice to everybody. Get their contact information. Be a person worth referring to. So be a decent human being and be a good person. And always have integrity. We talked about this. You know, your character is what you are when no one's looking. Your integrity is what you're going to think about you. So always be that kind of person. But if you go that extra mile, it's amazing what can happen in your life and business. Just setting yourself up for success, as we always talk about, and that's what I expect from you guys.