Your Reputation Arrives Before You Do

While I was in Anchorage, Alaska, I had the opportunity to attend a campaign event and spend time in conversations with a former governor, current government officials, and other leaders about something much bigger than business: how Alaska can continue moving forward and becoming better for the people who call it home.

I enjoy conversations like that.

Different backgrounds. Different experiences. Different responsibilities. But everyone in the room has something they can contribute.

At one point that evening, I found myself thinking about how I ended up in rooms like this in the first place.

Marketing has taken me around the world. It has introduced me to government officials, ambassadors, business leaders, ministry leaders, entertainers and some incredibly influential people.

But the older I get, the more I realize:

Getting into the room isn't the accomplishment. Becoming someone people want to invite back is.

That's a lesson every business owner should understand.

Your Reputation Is Working When You're Not

Most people think marketing is what you say about yourself.

Your advertisements.

Website.

Social media.

Press.

Branding.

After more than a decade in this industry, I think some of the most powerful marketing happens when you're nowhere around.

It's what somebody says after you leave.

“Call Corey.”

“I know somebody who can help.”

“You should meet this person.”

That's reputation.

And reputation travels considerably further than an advertisement ever will.

I've had opportunities come from conversations that happened in rooms I wasn't even standing in.

That's why I've learned to treat every relationship differently.

You never really know where it leads.

Stop Networking Up

Here's something I think young entrepreneurs get completely wrong.

They walk into a room and immediately identify the most important person.

Then they spend the evening trying to get close to them.

I understand the instinct.

But I think it's backwards.

Don't network up. Network across.

Talk to people.

The assistant matters.

The person checking you in matters.

The young entrepreneur nobody knows yet matters.

The staff member standing quietly beside the important person matters.

The person who can't do anything for you today matters.

Some of the strongest relationships you'll build in business begin before either person has anything the other one needs.

That's what makes them real.

If your relationships are based entirely on what someone can do for you, people eventually feel it.

Don't Ask, “What Can This Room Do for Me?”

Being around government officials in Anchorage reminded me of another principle.

When you enter an important room, don't immediately start calculating what you can extract from it.

Ask:

What can I contribute to this conversation?

That question changes how you carry yourself.

Maybe you know marketing.

Maybe finance.

Real estate.

Technology.

Fundraising.

Operations.

Construction.

Healthcare.

Whatever your expertise is, become genuinely useful.

You don't need to be the smartest person in the room.

You don't need the biggest company.

You certainly don't need to tell everyone what you've accomplished.

Bring something valuable to the table.

People remember useful people.

Build a Reputation Before You Need It

Reputation is a strange asset because you can't manufacture it overnight.

You build it in small deposits.

Doing what you said you would do.

Answering when something goes wrong.

Paying people when you said you'd pay them.

Making an introduction without expecting something in return.

Keeping a conversation confidential.

Admitting when you don't know something.

Showing up prepared.

Treating people with the same respect whether they're running the organization or setting up the chairs.

None of these things look particularly impressive on social media.

But compounded over ten years?

They become incredibly powerful.

Reputation is compound interest on behavior.

And just like financial compound interest, the earlier you start, the more valuable it can become.

Your Brand Has Two Audiences

This is something I think business owners should write down.

You have the people you're marketing to.

And you have the people who are watching how you operate.

Those aren't always the same people.

A customer may never hire you.

But they may introduce you to someone who will.

An employee may eventually leave your company.

But five years later, they may recommend you for an opportunity.

Someone you helped when there was absolutely nothing in it for you may eventually sit in a position capable of changing your life.

You cannot predict those things.

So stop trying.

Operate in a way that creates advocates everywhere you go.

That's a much better long-term strategy.

Marketing Changed My Definition of Success

When I started in marketing, naturally, I thought a lot about results.

Clients.

Campaigns.

Revenue.

Growth.

Those things still matter.

But marketing ended up giving me something I didn't fully anticipate.

Access to people.

I've been able to travel around the world and sit across from people whose lives, responsibilities and experiences are completely different from mine.

Government officials.

Ambassadors.

Entrepreneurs.

Leaders.

People who have built extraordinary things.

And one thing I've noticed is that the people I respect most rarely spend the entire conversation talking about themselves.

They ask questions.

They're curious.

They listen.

They understand that every person knows something they don't.

That's something I've tried to take with me.

Because access is useless if you don't have the humility to learn once the door opens.

Here's the Framework I Would Give a Young Entrepreneur

If you're trying to build a business and a reputation at the same time, focus on four things:

Be good enough to recommend.

Your networking cannot outrun mediocre work forever.

Be easy to trust.

Do what you say. Communicate when circumstances change. Own mistakes quickly.

Be useful before you're important.

Solve problems. Connect people. Bring ideas. Help without constantly keeping score.

Protect your name.

There will be deals that make money but cost reputation. They're usually more expensive than they appear.

If you consistently do those four things, something interesting begins happening.

Your network starts growing without you constantly “networking.”

Eventually, Your Name Starts Traveling Without You

That's the goal.

Not fame.

Not walking into a room and having everybody recognize you.

Something much more valuable:

Trust traveling ahead of you.

Someone makes the introduction.

Someone takes the meeting because they trust the person who recommended you.

Someone invites you into a conversation because they believe you can contribute.

And suddenly you're sitting in Anchorage discussing the future of Alaska with people responsible for helping shape it.

You don't need to announce that you belong there.

The relationship already did.

Build Something Bigger Than a Contact List

I left that campaign event thinking about Alaska, but also thinking about the younger version of myself.

I couldn't have predicted all the places marketing would take me.

I couldn't have predicted all the people I'd eventually meet.

And that's exactly the point.

You don't know where good work will take you.

So don't build relationships only for today's opportunity.

Don't treat people according to their title.

Don't become obsessed with getting into important rooms.

Become the kind of person who adds something when you're invited into one.

Build your skills.

Keep your word.

Help people.

Ask good questions.

Stay curious.

Protect your reputation when nobody is watching.

And give it time.

Because eventually you'll discover one of the most powerful forms of marketing there is:

A good name in a room you haven't entered yet.

That's something no advertising budget can buy.

Writing from Anchorage, Alaska.

— Corey Flores
Founder, Flores Marketing Firm