February 01, 2018

Don’t Network, Make Connections with Joyce Layman


My guest on this episode of Real Relationships is Joyce Layman, a speaker, author, business coach, connector, and strategist. She is the author of two fabulous books, Just Another Leap, and Your Connecting Advantage. According to Bob Burg, she is the ‘greatest networker in the world.’ Joyce is on the show to give us her insight on how we can make connections with people rather than simply networking.  If networking hasn’t been working for you, it’s time to learn how to make connections. Listen to this episode to learn how to make real connections and quit networking so that you can develop real relationships and grow your business.



How did Joyce start her business with no brand, network, or clue?

Joyce Layman began her own business in 2008, probably the worst time in recent history to become an entrepreneur. She started with no brand, no network, and no clue. Although she had vast experience in outside sales, she found herself without a network. She quickly discovered that she needed to build her network and her brand to make her business successful. Joyce created a brand from scratch and developed the right relationships and the right processes to make her business grow. Listen to this episode to hear how you can create the right relationships and branding to help your business thrive.

What is the purpose of networking?

Oftentimes people attend networking events to strike it big and network with ‘the right’ people. But the purpose of networking is not just going to a networking event, it’s connecting and building relationships over time. Networking is really all about connecting. Once you make that connection it needs to be nurtured over time. The best results happen when you connect, not just network. When you are able to connect and build a relationship this helps individuals and businesses grow. Listen to this episode to hear how to quit networking and start building relationships.

How important is branding? 

While it is important to make connections, Joyce tells me that it is vital to ensure that your brand is set up before making these connections. When beginning to network or make connections, the first thing that a person will do when they get the business card or the invite ist to look you up. If you don’t have the proper branding in place on all the social media outlets and your website up then you have just lost your social proof. The core of her book is how building a brand is important to make connections. Listen to this episode to hear Joyce Layman’s great advice on how to position yourself properly online before making connections.

Make the ask!

What is Joyce Layman’s  most important tactic that can make the difference between being successful or not? -- Making the ask! Sometimes people won’t make the ask because they feel that they are just taking. When you have an ask to make change your mindset and shift gears to see how to add value back to that person. Never miss the opportunity to make the ask. Do the research in advance and gather enough information to make an intelligent ask. Listen to the full episode to hear how you can make an intelligent ask and add value to the people in your network.

Outline of this great episode

  • [1:22] She started her own business in 2008
  • [2:54] Why does she do what she does?
  • [4:02] Why are relationships important to her?
  • [9:16] How did she learn the skill what to do when someone reaches out
  • [13:14] What are some of the pitfalls
  • [18:47] What is her ninja trick?
  • [20:50] What is the core of her book?

Resources & Links mentioned in this episode