Blog Connect: A Deep Pool of Possibilities!

Years ago I learned a conceptual way to look at the connections that were in front of me...

Think about your leads or prospects, whether friends or potential business connections, as if they were hanging in and around a pool.

Some people are going to dive right in and jump into the deep end. I have long time friends that I saw across a room and said, "Hey! I need to have a glass of wine with you". We had that glass of wine, many more since then, and have been friends for years..

There are those that wade in slowly. It can take years to truly connect with these people. You may meet them casually, in the same circles... but, never have had the opportunity to build rapport during those meetings. They are still potential connections. The circumstances have to be just right, to have an

authentic connection that results in future contact. Everyone moves at a different pace. They may start by dipping their toe in the water, or they may wander in a little bit at a time. Just because they aren't all the way in at that point, doesn't mean that they will never make it to the middle of your pool.

There are a large number of people that are standing around the perimeter of your pool. Those are the people that you see over and over again. You may have never spoken. There are people who's paths I

cross again and again. They don't offer any kind of connection. That can be for various reasons: I may

just see them from afar, there is little to no familiarity. The person may be an introvert. Circumstances and the environment have to be just right for an introvert to engage. Maybe they are a friend of a friend, neighbor, someone in your community. There may just be a reason that our paths haven't crossed within close enough proximity to make a true connection. However, just the mere fact that there is a recognition that I have seen them before, is a simple form of connection. They can wander into any part of the pool in the future: Potential Connection. Just because they aren't in your pool already doesn't mean that they won't ever be there. Even informal familiarity gives you an in for the future.

People can always be moved from one part of the pool to the other. The trick is to keep connecting and improving the quality of those connections.

Lesson: Be authentic and charming. Always be yourself: your best self. So that when people run across you again, they not only recognize you, but feel more comfortable with you each time you have an encounter. That is a way to shift someone that is sitting on the side or wading in slowly, right into the center of your pool. Sometimes you need to show people consistency and gain their trust before they will jump in.

Lesson: It is often the people that are slow to enter your circle, that are the most loyal and long term connections. It takes time and effort to win their respect and trust. It doesn't go away easily if you are consistent in your character.

Lesson: Don't prejudge anyone that you meet. People are never who you expect them to be. Treat everyone the same and you will find great rewards. They could become a future connection.

Kimberly R Lifestyle by Design 
Designing a life with grace and ease