“How did you hear about me?”
“I’m not totally sure! I’ve been on your list for a while and I’m not sure how I got there.”
While that’s not the answer you want to hear when you want crystal-clear attribution in your sales management system…
…it indicates something else. Something better.
They probably heard about you from multiple places and people.
Which means you’re moving beyond individual relationships as you become solidified in networks.
The Adoption Threshold
My brilliant colleague N. Chloé Nwangwu introduced me to the concept of Adoption Threshold for ideas.
The adoption threshold [for a behavior] means the number of people in their close-knit network who they need to see adopting a specific behavior in order for them to adopt that behavior as well.
But, this doesn’t just apply to ideas. The adoption threshold applies to networks and people.
You start showing up in networks, building relationships and being helpful. Over time, people you don’t personally know still know about you or at least recognize your name.
Then, you start expanding to adjacent networks. Again, your name keeps popping up.
You get seen at conferences. You digitally bump into people on LinkedIn, or in shared communities. Names are familiar.
And this builds trust. Because awareness of you starts to cross the adoption threshold — people have seen your name a number of times, in a number of places, from people they trust.
“I feel like I see you everywhere!”
When you’re looking for a recommendation, and you call 4 friends, and a few of them recommend the same person? AND you’ve seen that person’s name before?
You’re more likely to buy.
Networks compound when networking, by itself, doesn’t.
Networks are a structure, not a spread
“Networking” might just be random conversations across a broad swath of individuals.
But networks have a structure. There’s connectivity, there’s movement. There are conveners, leaders, close-in members, weak-tie associates. And there are brokers — people who connect one network to another. When you’re present in networks, it’s easier to get known, get hired, and get referred.
Being a part of networks doesn't require joining a community with an online platform, though those platforms can make network building more efficient when they exist. Networks are simply a structure of how people are connected to each other in a meaningful way.
Not all networks that matter for your business are networks that hire you.
Some communities and networks I’m in have sent me multiple clients. But others are where I learn, find people that I hire, or make friends. Those network connections still advocate for my work when they can.
You don't have to be in formal organizations to be a part of a network. I’ve worked with sustainability, education, and therapy professionals without being in any formal industry spaces at all — because I showed up in their social or professional networks with generosity, and my name became familiar.
Of course, you have to do networking to find networks.
You have to have conversations. You have to talk to people, observe who knows who, and show up where they show up.
But you’re really looking for the underlying structure that connects individuals to each other: how they learn, pass intel, and decide who to spotlight.
Unlock the networks? That unlocks more than just conversations.
That unlocks revenue.
Networks are one layer in the Relational Sales System.
Get the full system in the live workshop I’m teaching May 6 at 12-1:30 ET.
Inside, you’ll learn:
- How to identify which networks actually move revenue for your specific business (vs. the ones that are just good company)
- How to invest in and utilize networks for revenue growth, not just Slack chats
- What to track so you can tell whether your relational work is compounding or just filling your calendar
Can’t make it? Register and get the recording. $30—free for Deeper Foundations Members (so if you join the Membership, you get the event AND an entire month of programming!). Members, you can register in Circle.