It’s not who you know (why trust trumps volume)

The assumption that a big network – thousands of followers on Twitter, an enormous rolodex, a really big mailing list – directly translates into influence and performance is ridiculous.  Anybody can build a big list of names. 

The more important question is whether those people care about you.  Do they respect you?  Do they trust you?  When called upon, will they help you?  Will they buy from you?

The trick is translating that big list into an army of evangelists, a group of individuals who respect and trust you.

That’s how to measure the value of your network.  Not by sheer volume, but by trust. 

Trust drives influence, and influence enables action.