How To Build An Amazing Network w/ John Ruhlin #TheOnePercent

John “Genie” Ruhlin makes his money through Giftology, a company he started 19 years ago by accident! It has now grown online courses, investment and consulting branches.

 

Did you ever receive a gift so thoughtful you still think about it? John talks us through the importance of giving in building relationships as well as how to give comfortably, but more than is reasonable!

 

Key takeaways

[3:05] John has started taking equity in companies to help them turn around. Why do people trust him to do that? He attributes his success in these ventures to surrounding himself with people who are smarter than him, starting with his partner (who people sometimes believe is a figment of his imagination).

 

Ryan has met Rod, so he can vouch for John’s sanity in that regard.

 

Convergent expertise [5:40] Having a complementary skill set in your partner is key and while Rod brought operational skills and strategy, John provided marketing skills and relationships.

 

Looking for a Rod [7:20] Ryan sends a message to the Universe: he’s looking for his very own “Rod”.

 

Dig your well before you’re thirsty [9:01] 3 years before ever meeting him — out of the blue and without any expectations — John sent Ryan a Cleveland Indians memorabilia box in the mail: just because he liked what Ryan was doing in the world.

 

The warm circle [13:50] Who are they and how do you identify them? — start with the people who are paying you, clients past and present, referral partners, influencers, vendors, mentors, advisors… Check for everyone who has believed in you — you may be surprised how many that is — and show them you value their contribution to your relationship.

 

John shares a cool resource for the Cap.com tribe:  referralswithnoasking.com

 

There are no metrics for random acts of kindness [19:05] Human beings are wired for reciprocity, so trying to quantify relationships for a measurable ROI is bound to feel awkward and fail. Give with no strings attached.

 

Connecting for opportunity [25:04] If you are resetting in your life or pursuing something new, make a list of 10 people in your warm circle and send them a hand written thank you card for how they impacted your life, book a time with them to catch up on THEM, what they currently want, do and need.

 

John advocates going a step further and shocking them with kindness! He shares a few stories of how he did just that and how the relationships he was building actually evolved.

 

Promo products are NOT gifts [31:46] Gifts are recipient oriented, not brand oriented. Giftology will never put your logo on a gift and neither should you.

 

There is a sweet spot for comfortable and thoughtful gift in terms of market value, and that tends to hover around the price of a nice meal — 200 to 1200 dollar range — so not a trinket and not a Rolex. The gift should be a tangible reminder of the relationship.

 

Gifting is not an afterthought [37:11] so much so that some of your marketing budget should be diverted… not to 20 000 people but to the 200 that matter most.

 

The Indians await! [42:04] Ryan wraps up the conversation by asking John what he recommends people shift in the way they think about relationships.

 

Thanks for listening!