“If I had to name the single characteristic shared by all truly successful people I’ve met over a lifetime, I’d say it is the ability to create and nurture a network of contacts.”– Harvey Mackay, founder, Mackay Envelope Corporation

Successful business professionals build and nurture their Network of Contacts. The average person sees networking as simply attending business and social events, passing out and picking up business cards. Professional are not only collecting business cards, but also handpicking exactly who they want to network with based on who can help them the most. Successful business professionals know the most valuable assets they have are their personal and professional networks.

The difference in strategy is profound; the average person sees this as a distasteful operational strategy of using people to climb the ladder of success. A professional sees it as a symbiotic, synergistic relationship of give and take. Friends do favors, grant privileges and create opportunities for friends. It’s the emotional nature of man to want to help people who have helped them.