The Better Way to Network
Make networking more about people than networking.
The big to-do among the young entrepreneurs usually has to do with networking and building connections. The typical way to approach this is to schmooze with people and to make your pitch to the right person that can help you out. I think this is a mistake.
My dad, who is an expert negotiator / schmoozer / networker in my opinion, has a new approach to it. He doesn’t ever make a pitch to new people he is meeting. In the initial meetings and interactions with people he doesn’t ever talk about what the person can do for him. That comes later.
He starts off every new relationship as building friendships. Turn every new person into one more person that he can call to just go out and enjoy lunch with. When it comes time that he wants to get something he needs from others it ends up being a friend calling for help instead of a colleague / stranger pitching a new idea.
For example, my dad was looking to do some improvements to our living room for the theater effect for our new Plasma TV. How did he find out what he need and get it all lined up? Called a contact he made several years ago, and hasn’t spoken with her in 2 years, and asked for her input. She came over for dinner, checked out the living room, let us know what we want, and hooked us up with it all for free. That’s right. Hasn’t talked to her in two years and we still got everything for free.
He’s got to be doing something right with networking.