| “Craig, I love getting your print newsletter each month,” my friend Dustin said. “More businesses should be sending these out.” My newsletter is known as a 4-page “self mailer.” It costs $1.40 to send it to each person, and I have 1,000 people on my mailing list, including my top clients, closest colleagues, and industry influencers I want to impress. “Your content is better than most of the paid subscriptions I have!” added my friend Dave. “And I love reading it in the bathroom,” Charlie said. (You knew that one was coming. But it’s true. One of the best things about a print newsletter is how convenient it is to read anywhere.) The letter I send features my latest productivity secrets, motivational rants, and damaging admissions about where I need to make big changes in my life. My top clients love it when the print newsletter arrives in their mailbox each month. They post pictures of it on social media. Some of them brag about how it’s more valuable than the other $50-per-month newsletters they receive. And for others, it’s often the ONLY good thing that shows up in the mail at all. (Don’t worry... as an ETR reader you get digital access to this newsletter, too. Here’s a link to the latest issue.) Now you might be thinking, "1,000 people? Big deal." That’s not much of a list in an age when some of my 18-year-old coaching clients (and yes, I have some teenage clients making 7-figures online) have 30,000 Instagram followers. But I learned long ago that it’s far more important to have quality over quantity in your network. Every single person on my newsletter list is an influencer in their industry—CEOs, million-dollar real estate brokers, high-profile coaches, trend-setting fitness gurus, and sought-after finance experts, among many others. There are even two billionaires who get my letter. How did I build up a list of so many big names (averaging roughly 50 a year over the course of my 20-year career)? It’s all thanks to the “superstar network formula” that I’m going to share with you right now. And if it allowed a formerly introverted, broke, and socially anxious farm boy like me to connect with some of the biggest minds in business, just imagine what it can do for you. Here are my 3 “super connector” steps for adding 50 superstars to your network every year: 1. Go and give value Too many entrepreneurs make the mistake of asking for help the moment they make a new contact. Big no-no. Instead of starting a relationship with an ask, give value. Offer something that your new contact can use to grow their business or brand. This requires research. Do not go to someone and ask, “How can I help?” Influencers are busy. They don’t need another job of figuring out how you can help. That’s your responsibility. Before I go to someone, I read their book, review their LinkedIn profile, watch their YouTube videos, listen to podcast interviews with them, or talk to our mutual friends. Eventually, I find a unique “in” to start the conversation. Also consider attending events in your industry on a regular basis. For an introvert like me, this was a huge hurdle. But “face time” with the people you want to meet is the best way to spark a fruitful relationship. It’s much easier to connect in person, and frankly it’s also harder for most people to say no to a request made face-to-face, while it’s easy to ignore one sent via email. I also recommend networking dinners. This is my new favorite connection method. Invite two colleagues you know to dinner. Ask them to bring an interesting guest you don’t know. (But keep the dinner to no more than six people; it loses intimacy in bigger numbers.) Be prepared with detailed introductions and conversation items to get the discussion going early in the evening to help people feel comfortable. This is a game-changer and can help you build your network fast. You’ll leave with at least two new friends and they will want to introduce you to others. It’s a great way to get the connection snowball rolling. Read on at earlytorise.com: How to build your network by 50 superstars every year...
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