People who know me know that I am a scanner, synthesizer and sharer of ideas. Mark Goren picked up on a post by Doug Walker about why people forward stuff they read. They have some great thoughts on the subject.
I believe that in sales and consulting, in particular, your brand is closely tied to your ideas. Forwarding great ideas demonstrates that you don't always have to be the source, and that you are open to new ideas. Here are six more reasons I forward stuff:
- Give a gift. Knowing the receiver, you know they will simply love it.
- Create change. Sometimes a new idea is just the thing that will inspire someone to get started.
- Ring their ears. People love to know you are thinking about them, especially when it is a surprise.
- Connect the dots. Sometimes you find that special post that elegently ties together three prior converstations.
- Feel the edge. People love to explore new frontiers. Sometimes a random idea affirms a hunch or encourages curiosity.
- Clarify. When I find someone who distills an idea I have been fumbling with, I eagerly share and reference their work.
Now it's your turn. Why do you forward stuff? What memorable stories resulted from forwarding an email or an idea? Please share.
