You have probably heard by now how important it is to have social connections. Knowing the right person can land you a job that you never would have dreamed of if you tried to do things on your own.

But how exactly do we get what we want out of the people we know? As you will find out, it’s not quite what you were expecting…

What To Learn About Henry Ford

Henry Ford was one of the richest men in the world in the early 1900s. He made millions of dollars and took motor vehicles to a whole new level.

What you may not about Henry Ford is that he had very little education. In fact, it was estimated that he had the intelligence of a 6^th grader So wow could someone with a 6^th grade education become one of the riches men in the world and create such a huge car business?

It’s simple. He had connections.

If you asked him any question, he probably wouldn’t know the answer. He might not have even been able to give you a logical guess. However, what he could do was pick up the phone and know exactly who to call that had the answer. You need to have this same ability. Now, I realize that times are a little different now. You don’t need to make a phone call. You can simply type it into Google. But there are some things that Google can’t do for you And for those answers, it’s important to know who you can call and when to get the answer that you are looking for. The bigger your social circle, the more powerful you become.

Know Why Acquaintances Beat Friends

When I say you need connections, you need to understand two things:

1. why it is important
2. exactly how it is going to help you

Friendships are they key to living a happy and fulfilling life. They are also the starting point of your connections. Notice that I said they are only a starting point.

Let’s say you are trying to find a new job. Your friends, believe it or not, likely won’t be the ones that can help you directly. Why do I say this? Because your close friends live in the same world that you do. They go to the same restaurants as you. Hang out at the same bars. Go see the same movies. Basically everything they know, you already know as well.

The real way a friend can help is when they know someone that you don’t. You may mention that you need a job, and they will say, “Oh, I know this guy who is pretty high up in his company. He probably knows plenty of people that can get you an interview.”

This “guy that your friend knows” is your acquaintance. You don’t know him, but someone you know knows him. Therefore, he is part of your connections even though you don’t even know him!

He is the one that can help you. He knows the people that can really help you. And here is why he can help you more than your friend…

He isn’t inside your circle. He goes to different bars, different restaurants, and different movies. He hangs out with much different people than you. The people that you need to get in contact with. If you want a job, the first thing you should do is find out his number and get a hold of him. The point is. you never would have had the opportunity to meet this guy if you didn’t have your original friend to tell you about him. Your friend doesn’t even have to be a close friend. It could just be someone from your church. Or someone that you barely know. As long as it’s someone who is at least willing to make the call to the guy you really need.

Taking Full Advantage Of Your Connections

As you can see, connections work in very mysterious ways. But they do work in helping you get what you want. There are two basic ways to maximize what you get out of connections:

1. become friends with a wide variety of people
2. don’t be afraid to ask for help

The more people you know from different walks of life the better. Know a skateboarder, know a fisher, know a golfer, know a dancer. The more people you know from different areas, the bigger your social network. It may not seem very important right now to be friends with a skateboarder, but someday when you least expect it, it could really pay off.

And when you need something, don’t be afraid to ask for help. It may not seem like it, but most people deep down are genuinely good people. Everyone likes to help other people out if they can. If you need a job, let everyone know about it. Let your family know. Let your friends know. Talk about it with your friends at church. Talk about it with the post man! You just never know who has the right contact that you need!

Ask for help. The worst that could happen is they simply say no. And that’s not so bad is it?

Somebody you know has the connection you need. You just have to ask.

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