Joe Favorito became a consultant in demand through relationships, networking and word of mouth, building connections before he needed them. As a long-time connector, he uses a blog, newsletter, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn as free advertising to share his work and spot opportunities. Clients hire him because they know him, like him and like his work.
Last updated · Bodhih Insights team · reviewed by Siddharthan VGJ, Founder
The Oxford Dictionary defines a network as “A group of people who exchange information, contacts, and experience for professional or social purposes”. A successful consultant stands out from the other thousands of consultants in the market through relationships, networking and word-of mouth. The real essence of networking is building relationships before you need them. Below is the success story of Joe Favorito – a successful consultant.
Favorito says. “My entire career, I’ve always been a connector, bringing people together from different departments within the organization for a bigger goal. The difference now is that I’m using my experience and relationships that I’ve developed and bringing everyone that I know together for projects that I really believe in. So other than maybe getting 27 different 1099 forms in 2009, it’s not really too different for me. I guess the only difference is that when companies hire me, they’re getting Joe and not some big company name.”
Favorito maintains a blog, a newsletter, a Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn profile and more. He says that spreading yourself across those networks may seem like a burden at first. But in many ways, it’s a simplified (and free) form of advertising. By telling others in your network what you are working on, and in turn commenting and seeing what they are working on, it’s much easier to keep track of potential business opportunities.
Why has Joe been so successful? It’s because people know who he is, they like him and most importantly, they like his work.
Quick answers
Why is networking important for independent consultants?
Networking lets a consultant stand out among thousands of others through relationships and word of mouth. Sharing what you are working on across your networks, and following what contacts are doing, acts as a free form of advertising and makes it easier to track potential business opportunities.
