Business Networking 101
Being an wanna-be-professional entrepreneur, I’ve attempted my share of networking over the years and learned quite a few pointers along the way. Obviously, you’re not here because you want to learn all the mistakes I made along the way — you want tips, tricks and hacks! (You lazy bastards!)
First, there are two things you need to realize:
- No one cares about your or your business.
- Everyone cares about themselves or their own business.
See a trend here? (Say it with me: “Yes”) So how do we get past all this and really get their attention?
- Be curious. Everyone loves to talk about themselves. Ask questions about them, their business and anything else that will keep them talking. Don’t forget to interject a few bits about yourself either but let them be the star.
- Be genuine. People have a funny way of figuring out when you don’t really care. Pay attention, look them in the eye, nod your head… you get the idea.
Throughout the conversation, you want to learn all you can about the other person — their motivations, their desires and/or their goals. The ultimate purpose is so you can tailor a response to show your value to their organization.
For example, when Johnny tells you that he sells widgets that make dogs glow in the dark and you want to get in on that action (whether it be as an employee or some sort of business partnership), you better be able to tell Johnny how you’re gonna make those dogs fluorescent pink with flashing neon ears! He doesn’t care what you’ve done in the past, he wants to know how you’re gonna make him some cash. Get it?
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