Successful relationship building with other business owners is one of the surest ways to build a successful, profitable business. Getting together at network is a very common way to grow, because you have a chance to refer customers to each other and everyone benefits. The more of these business relationships you have with other people, the greater the chance you'll receive a steady flow of referrals. And as you know, referrals are the best kind of customers, for a whole host of reasons.

Most business owners don't get out of their comfort zone and meet with new people enough to see the opportunities that are available all around them. But taking the time to get out of your business and see what's happening is so important if you want to stay ahead of all your competitors. Here are three ideas you can use right now to get started.

1. Linkedin Is The Killer App For Meeting New Business Owners

LinkedIn has grown a community of over 100 million people since it burst onto the scene a few years ago. Initially it was pretty much ignored by the business community, but recent changes have made this online platform one of the best opportunities for meeting other business owners of all time. You should start to spend some time on the site each week and when you do you'll start to see opportunities everywhere. Linkedin is an amazing time saver when you want to in touch with people, especially if you approach them initially from a position of service instead of trying to sell them something.

2. Your 'Elevator Pitch' Should Be Short And Simple

An Elevator Pitch is a common way of introducing yourself to people. Trouble is most of them are way too long and self serving to be effective. You should develop a short, punchy sentence that explains what you do and who you help. This will allow the other person to see how you might be able to help each other if you work together in some way.

3. Offer To Help Instead Of Trying To Sell

When you decide to do this and start meeting with new business owners once or twice a month, it's really important that you first of all show the how much you could be of service to their business. Don't go talking about yourself and your business, but instead ask them questions about themselves what they do instead. Give them snippets of valuable info they can use improve their business right away, and they'll pretty quickly see you as someone who can help them rather than just a person who's out to push their own interests.

The Future Of Business Growth Lies In Relationships

So now it's time to spend an hour or so to create a short, compelling description of what your business does and how you help people. Use your Elevator Pitch when you meet people in person or as part of your message when you approach them on Linkedin. Business networking done in this way can be a huge win-win for everyone - you and other business owners, and most importantly, your customers. Do a marketing test and let me know the outcome. I think you'll be very happy with the result.