Fostering Trust For Referral-Ready Relationships: John Marchiony's Journey

John Marchiony is an incredibly personable guy and is our Alliance Ambassador of Charles River, MA.

He’s got a calm, cool, and collected demeanor that always makes you feel at ease chatting with him. 

John has been on Alignable for over three years. Like some members, he joined, tried it out, and didn't really see all of the benefits right away. 

He was looking for a way to grow his business and networked the same way all of us used to – transactionally. Consequently, he didn't really realize the full value of what Alignable relationships had to offer. 

But about 18 months ago, a major shift occurred, as he started his consultancy for nonprofits, Fair To All Partners. 

He was searching for a new way to reach both his clients and potential partners for nonprofits. And that's when he got serious about Alignable. 

Investing In Relationship-Building Activities

He started putting more time into the platform and grew his network. He created his own CRM spreadsheet to track when the last time he checked in with his contacts was. 

He started attending Smart Connect℠ virtual events, where you can meet up to 8 new peers in one hour, chatting one-on-one for seven minutes at a time. 

About a year ago, he got an invitation to bring the amazing network he had built online to an in-person venue in his local community, just west of Boston.

Knowing that he can turn most interactions, especially those on Alignable, into something of value,  John applied and was accepted. 

From Zero To 400...And Counting

For just over a year, he has consistently been hosting in-person events. 

His group on Alignable has grown from zero members to over 400 now -- and that number is sure to increase, as well. 

That ability John has to turn nearly every interaction into something of value is a major factor that has fueled his success as an Alliance Ambassador on Alignable -- and is sure to keep his Alliance growing in 2024 and beyond.

Whether that value is a simple lesson, a new friend, or a client down the line, it's all important to him. 

That is a quality that sets him apart from a lot of other people, especially the way he goes about it. He’s got an incredibly warm presence. In every conversation you have with him, you can tell that he wants to be there. 

This is how he has such a strong network. 

Instilling Trust Into His Interactions Early

He focuses his energy on getting to the "trust" part of the popular networking slogan at Alignable: "know, like, and trust," as quickly as possible. 

(Once you "know, like, and trust" a connection on Alignable, you can refer and recommend them to others -- opening the door for them to do the same for you. And as that cycle continues to replicate, your network has the potential to grow exponentially).  

Perhaps this is why he fits in so well as an Alignable's Alliance Ambassador -- someone who brings the networking possibilities of our platform to  local communities. 

Getting to this trust aspect requires vulnerability from both sides and John has become masterful in helping others feel at ease, while also focused on getting acquainted. 

In his Smart Connect℠ events, John's icebreaker questions are straightforward and purposeful. They include: “What would be a game-changing referral for you?” and “What didn't work well in 2023 that you won't be doing in 2024?” 

Creating The Right Atmosphere To Inspire Trust

He sets the expectation by example that everyone at his meetings -- whether virtual or in-person -- should be there to be honest and supportive. Trust is nurtured in that type of atmosphere.

John has become a bit of a pioneer with his networking techniques and is happy to share them openly with others, if it will help them to drive more success at Alignable. 

He's distilled his effective networking method into a very easy, one-two punch process.  First, “a great networker is always curious.” Second, “a great networker takes action.” Though some networking encounters end in empty promises, John's process tries to avoid those. 

He's special because he asks questions that can lead to knowing, liking, and trusting someone -- sooner rather than later. And he continues to follow up with key connections for years. 

After every interaction, and especially if someone gives him a referral, he's frequently expressing his gratitude and letting people know how things are going. 

All of his actions reinforce relationships, which form the foundation of a strong network on Alignable. 

John Is Named December's Alliance Ambassador

For all of these reasons, and many more, John has been selected as December's Alignable Alliance Ambassador Of The Month. 

Please reach out to him and congratulate him, while also adding him as one of your connections. 

And feel free to ask him any type of networking advice, as well, since he has truly mastered that process here on Alignable. 

Finally, do you want to enhance your own networking by joining your local Alliance or even becoming an Ambassador yourself? Explore your options and see if they're right for you. 

Thanks for reading!