And why networking is a waste of time

In 2010 I was a successful (mulit-award winning) television producer / director, making TV programmes for the BBC, Sky, Discovery and Nickelodeon.

Then everything changed. I became a single dad and it was no longer possible to work the hours that television demanded, while at the same time look after my two beautiful children. So I had to come up with a new plan.

I decided to use my skills as a director to help business owners make videos to promote their businesses. That way I could schedule the filming around school hours and do most of the editing from an office I had at my home.

This worked great, but I still needed people to know what I did so they could hire me!

To get my message out there I started doing network meetings, and through my 1-minute pitches and 1-2-1 meetings people got to know me, what I did and business started growing.

Problem was, I was spending as much time networking, meeting people and following up leads as I was doing the work I was getting paid for, and as time was something that was in short supply, I needed to find another way that didn't eat up so many hours.

So I asked myself "why do I go to network meetings?"

The answer was "Obliviously, to get me work, but people weren't going to hire me until they got to know me, liked what I did and trusted me".

There had to be a better way to get people to know, like and trust me.

And that's when I started making videos to share my expertise.

The videos I made raised my profile and I'm now seen as an expert in my field.

And now, instead of going to network meetings as a "member", I get invited as a guest speaker because people want to learn from me.

Imagine that. Instead of having one minute to present myself, I get 30 minutes to talk about what I do and really engage the audience. Now, instead of going to 2 network events a week I only need to go to 2 or 3 network events a year to get the same exposure - and I can't begin to tell you how much time that has saved me (and the business it has created).

Another thing that my regular videos have done, is to draw in more people who are easier to work with. You see I have a unique style and way of doing things... I like to have fun and use humour to engage... That's what comes across in my videos.

Some people are drawn to my style and others are not.

The ones that do not find my humour, character and approach suitable tend to go to someone else for their video production. The ones who like the way I communicate, well they really appreciate what I have to offer and are much easier to work with.

So if you want to save time AND draw in more of those clients who are a real joy to work with, then sharing your expertise though video is a great way to do that.

You can choose to hire a video production company to produce those videos for you, or you can work your way though The Easy-Pro Video Coaching Programme.

The choice is yours. Just whatever you do, start making those videos as it will free up more of your time AND earn you more money.