After a discussion about that topic on MLPF, I began to respond with specific answers.

I am fairly certain that no one who asked “How can I help?” and then got my reply has ever actually done anything requested in those answers.

I did find the exercise fascinating and I wonder whether they simply don’t understand, don’t think they can help, or really never intended to help.

The first time I sent that message as a reply, it was done kind of tongue in cheek but I got more serious and refined the message over time.

It is very specific on how people can help … they simply don’t.

Any idea why? I can post that message if it will add to the discussion.

Lately I have been telling a lot of people the following:

“We make our own personal economy.”

I said it on camera the other day for the Channel 3 news but that part got cut out in the final version.

My point is that the economy is always as good as we make it for ourselves and for those with whom we make and have and nurture relationships.

If we ignore the rumblings in the press that there is a recession or a depression coming and we build our business and the businesses of those we have relationships with – our personal economy and theirs’ will be just fine.

Not only does this do nothing for your revenue, it does nothing for your personal brand (well, it brands you as a person who doesn’t follow-up), it does nothing to help you have a rich network (not just size, but strength of relationship), it does nothing to help you grow your network the right way.

So, in addition to creating revenue growth from nurturing these relationships, there’s a whole lot more to get out of actually nurturing relationships.

I know YOU already know this, I just wanted to clarify it for the sake of those who think “we” are just out to use our network for personal revenue growth

When I had 10,000+ business cards sitting in a box, it did no one any good.

I now have a list of 108 people who get a phone call a least once a month and e-mail a bit more frequently.

I have a guy who comes over and beats me up for an hour a week on Fridays to make sure I am actually developing relationships, making phone calls, contacting key referral partners in my network and giving them business as well as asking them who they know or have met recently that really needs to be working with my team.

Business has been growing quite well since we got the process down and began making those connections on a regular basis.

The immediately addictive factor about joining Linkedin is the incredible enhancement to the “size” of ones network reach.

So, some who may enjoy the power of their new-found networking reach may ask: “What good is reaching 5, 10, 20 Million professionals if you can communicate with only 1 at a time?”

The problem with that question is that not all 21 Million Linkedin members need to use Linked the same way.

Some of us may need it to help us get the word out about a campaign, a new product, service, site, book launch, etc.

Others of us may need it to find just one, singular person who “gets” what it is we’re trying to do.

The latter can be just as invaluable as the former – depending upon the needs of the individual Linkedin member…