what’s our currency?
Another book in my “to read” pile is Keith Ferrazzi’s never eat alone, a guide to connecting with people in our social and business networks. You can read excerpts from the book here. In this article, Ferrazzi addresses a key component of networking – understanding the special values we bring to any relationship. Ferrazzi calls these values “currencies.” Our currency is our “capacity to help somebody else fulfill their mission or vision of themselves in some way.” Most of us have multiple currencies. Some are naturally stronger than others. Indeed, as Ferrazzi emphasizes, typically “our most valuable currencies are things we do that seem as natural as breathing -- natural to us, but to others, these skills are a real rarity!” To discover our currencies, Ferrazzi suggests that we consider these questions:
- “What things do you say about yourself and your interests that excite or intrigue people you meet?”
- “When did you help make someone else a success at something?”
- “Of the times you were able to give, which worked the best and which felt the best?”
- “How can you purposely incorporate those currencies into your sales and networking plans?”
