This morning I’ve been having conversations about part of our programing called Access Partners and wanted to come out and be very very clear about what our definition of an Access Partner is.

Let me first tell you the story of how this came to be.  As I was networking my business, I met some wonderful folks along the way who are now my Access Partners, but in the beginning, I just called them uber brilliant at marketing, networking, conversation, relationship building, all the stuff that makes a business snap, crackle and pop with success.

I also met some folks who had been in the business building game a long time and I really felt sorry for them, they didn’t seem to understand how to have conversation, how to show up and not “sell to the room”…some of these folks even thought they were clever by hiding it under other self serving questions, but no one was fooled.

Even I, when I began my business, had no concept of “don’t sell to the room”.  I was so excited about doing my life’s dream, I just wanted everyone to know what I did….and I didn’t get alot of referrals or connections and was totally puzzled…

I looked around at those I saw doing an authentic job of connecting, marketing, and just having fun in business.  Then I looked back and thought about how I had accomplished so much that required relationship building in my former corporate career, and why was it such a toughie when it came to relationship building and marketing my own business….

I didn’t have people walking around talking about me and promoting me like they did when I was in corporate and people certainly didn’t talk about me like the power networkers I saw in the business world.

The coconut dropped from the tree one night and hit me square on the head and I realized that I wasn’t even showing up for my business the way I showed up at Microsoft or the CPA firm I worked with.    For those organizations, I showed up as the “get her done” lady…I would work and do what it took, including draw in and inspire others to “crazy levels of performance”  < in a great way, of course> by the relationships I built.  What set me apart from the others is I truly cared about the future of the people around me and helped connect people with projects, other people and opportunities to further “what mattered to them the most” whether it was business or personal.   What resulted when I was in corporate environments was I could get stuff done that others couldn’t and people trusted me to have their best interest at heart.

The entire reason I started my business was BECAUSE I was committed to people’s future. but how I showed up as a business owner was….”how do I get clients”…”can you help me get clients”…”let’s talk about me getting clients”, “ok, let’s talk about you for 5 minutes”, “then let’s talk about how you can send me clients”…how obnoxious I was… it’s easy to laugh at myself now, but the struggle and pain I experienced as a new business owner was real and I see it still every day…

As nice as people thought I was, I wasn’t showing up truly caring about the people I was talking to, I was on a quest for clients……..not sure why I believed  back then, the only people I could help were clients?  but I did….and IT SHOWED…in my revenue numbers, in my friendships, everywhere…

I had to REMEMBER what makes people like me in the first place is I truly truly care about people’s happiness and will go to the mat to help them…that is what made me valueable in corporate, that is what makes my company profitable and valueable in the business world and simply makes my heart sing…

So I brainstormed with some of those very people I saw “getting it done”.  Jennifer Luney,  Jeff Klein , to name a few.  These folks were talking about relationship building in thier meetings, education, and speaking gigs. 

I wanted to take the relationship building a step further and create a method and process that anyone can apply to their life whether they are a small business owner, a corporate manager, and leader of a non profit….anyone who wants to build a community of people who trust you, respect you and talk about you to others in a positive and enriching manner.    I kept thinking over and over that it’s so superficial to just have people in your life as referral partners, I craved more….I wanted partners who were committed to the success of my life…I wanted people to open my emails because they KNOW an introduction from me matters for more than just a sale that day…it could mean 500 sales in 2 months…it could mean the best friend of their entire life….

Access Partners was designed to help people Expand and Reinvent the way they are connecting in Business, allowing people to be “people” rather than just walking sales machines…..

It turns your Connections into Walking Billboards, not only for your business or career or non-profit agency, but for your LIFE!!

Access Partners is someone who services your same market in a totally different way who shares a deep know like trust relationship with you.  

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If you select properly, you only need a few of these Access Partners and you can cut down your Marketing efforts by 50% and amp up your Product/Service Development efforts or go for world domination!   Selecting the RIGHT PARTNER, AT THE RIGHT TIME, IN THE RIGHT ORDER can be the difference between success and failure.

Your thoughts? 

Happiness Chick