YOU Magazine - February 2012 - Build a Bigger NetBy David Ackert, Founder, Practice Boomers
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February 2012



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Build a Bigger Net
By David Ackert, Founder, Practice Boomers


Build a Bigger NetBy David Ackert, Founder, Practice Boomers

I smiled when I saw Frank's email pop up in my inbox. The subject line read "lunch." It had been roughly three months since he and I had seen each other, and he was building his net. Read on to learn why this is crucial to your personal and professional success.

When I first met Frank, his law practice was struggling. He had a lot of enthusiasm, but very few clients. "I have a database full of people with business potential," he had told me. "But I don't know which ones to focus on."

I suggested that he identify his Accelerators–people who had already demonstrated the capacity and willingness to help him. He made a list of seven individuals who had either referred business or made useful introductions. He agreed to visit these people every quarter so that he would stay top-of-mind.

This is also something you can do when it comes to goals you may want to achieve in your personal life, such as losing weight or going back to school. Identify people who can provide contacts, recommendations, or support for you, and ask them to help keep you accountable by emailing or meeting with you regularly.

The next time I saw Frank it was almost a year later. He had met with his Accelerators regularly, found opportunities to reciprocate their goodwill, and almost doubled his revenues from the previous year. Now he was struggling with an entirely different issue. "I spend all day putting out fires and I question if I'm making the right business decisions," he explained. "It's good to accelerate growth, but what about one's ability to manage that growth?"

His question made me realize that there is an important distinction between External and Internal Accelerators. Just as we have people in our personal and professional lives who accelerate our external circumstances, we also have mentors and advisors who feed our internal growth. They offer counsel, wisdom, and inspiration, challenging us to look more deeply at the choices we've made. They help us to become a better version of ourselves.

Most people overlook their Internal Accelerators, especially in the professional arena. They focus on the relationships that make them richer and spend very little time with those who make them smarter.

"Why do you suppose we do that–fixate on catching the next fish when we're so much better off building a bigger net?" Frank had asked me.

It was an excellent question. Neither Frank nor I had any answers, but we agreed that we would break the pattern by adding a few Internal Accelerators to our quarterly lunches.

Three months later, I received Frank's email. Apparently, I had made his list of Internal Accelerators. The funny thing is, I had planned to ask him out to lunch that day. He had made my list, too.

This year, as you think about what you want to achieve personally and professionally, think about the Accelerators in your life and make a point to be in regular contact with them. Not only can they help you build a bigger net, they can help you achieve the goals that matter most to you.

David Ackert David Ackert is a business development consultant to service professionals. He is the founder of Practice Boomers, the e-learning program for lawyers, CPAs, and other advisors. You can follow his blog at www.ackertadvisory.com.




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