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Tag: connections

3 tips to make your meeting count

Tip #1: If you’re looking to connect meaningfully, place the other before you.

Most successful people are busy people. They’ve carved time out of their day to meet with you. Time is a resource neither party can redeem after you’ve parted ways. Be considerate.

After every meeting, thank each and every person for their contribution and time. A follow up thank you builds rapport and communicates respect, paving the way towards a meaningful connection. Your thank you also provides an opportunity to make sure your intent and needs have been clearly communicated.

Tip #2: People cannot help you if they don’t know how.

“I’m looking for a job” will quickly place you into a forgotten drawer of miscellaneous. However, confidently stating, “I’m looking to support locally owned restaurants with sustainable missions” positions you in a specific category, making your ask an easy recall. Guess who will be first in mind when any kind of opportunity in the health, wellness, hospitality, sustainable industries pops up? Be specific and know what you want. People generally want to see you succeed and will help if they know how.

Tip #3: Jazzy Jane from Toledo is sitting by the cheese dip.

Effective networking and memorable impressions go hand in hand. It’s like learning names. Create a colorful story when you first meet someone, and you’ll have an easier time asking them to pass the salad bowl.

What characteristics separate you from the crowd? Practice telling your unique narrative to a friend. If you aren’t comfortable making your remarkable presence known, chances are high that you won’t during your meeting, either.

20 questions to ask as you enter a new year

They work best if you’re honest:

  1. Am I holding onto any beliefs that aren’t serving me?
  2. What do I want to learn this year?
  3. Have I set any long-term goals?
  4. Are my daily decisions setting me up for success?
  5. Do my present priorities accurately reflect my innermost dreams and desires?
  6. Is my work fulfilling my creative desires?
  7. Am I creating time to pursue outside interests?
  8. Do I regularly allow myself to dream?
  9. Is there a specific topic I can learn more about that will help advance my career?
  10. Have I surrounded myself with people who can help me achieve my goals (and encourage me to get there)?
  11. Are my personal relationships fulfilling?
  12. How do I want to be introduced when meeting strangers?
  13. Do I take an active interest in my health?
  14. How can I regularly create a supportive, positive environment for myself?
  15. What lessons have I learned from past failures and mistakes?
  16. What decisions have I made that that support my belief in my own aptitude?
  17. Do I believe that I have art/work/products that will benefit the world?
  18. Am I becoming more of the person I hope to be?
  19. What is preventing me from change?
  20. How can I start today?

9 reasons to network (the practice of meeting people)

The term networking sends shivers up my spine. I cringe when I think of networking events where people pass out business cards like Halloween candy and anxiously look around the room to see who’s there. Conversations seem forced, and I end up answering the same routine questions throughout the evening. Network sounds anything but personal, human, warm, or meaningful to me.

So let’s call a spade a spade. Networking is really the practice of meeting people. As with any practice, you get better at it the more you do it. Some people have a natural talent for it; others require a bit more effort.

When I first started organizing dinners, I often faced a common question:

“Why should I attend a dinner with strangers when I barely have time to see my friends / colleagues / spouse / Aunt Betty?”

For those of you who don’t have the luxury of pondering the benefits of human interaction, I’m happy to provide a few reasons why meeting new people is good for you, your business, and your future.

1. Variety. The spice of life. By placing yourself in new situations, you’re able to meet different kinds of people, expand your circle, and broaden your knowledge of yourself and the world around you.

2. Business. Networking can yield a higher probability of referral-based business. If your sink is broken, would you rather hire a friend’s friend or a random name out of a search directory? Establishing personal relationships with those who can recommend your services is invaluable.

3. Opportunities. New gigs, client leads, partnerships, mentors, job opportunities. The options available to you are yours for the taking.  Obviously, you’ll want to make sure you strategically choose which routes to pursue based upon your own needs and values; it’s just a matter of saying “Yes, please.”

4. Connections. Let’s be honest: it really is who you know. If a position opens or a consultant is needed, the names that go into the hat are ones that can be vouched for. You don’t need me to tell you how many success stories have started with “I know a guy…”

5. Self-growth and development. It takes guts to put yourself in new situations and strike up conversations. It’s easy to be around the same people and talk about the same things. Be different. You never know what you’ll learn. If you’re willing to put yourself out there, you may find yourself with a group of people who can hold you accountable as you reach your goals.

6. Friends. Companionship, someone to show you new places, tell you about the latest fundraiser. No man is an island. I’m of the belief that our needs change throughout our life span, and different people can answer different needs at different times. For that reason, you can never have too many friends.

7. Communication. Introductions force you to analyze and succinctly communicate who you are and what you do. Meeting strangers can help you polish your image and get clear about what you want and the things you enjoy. Not sure? Notice the types of people you’re drawn to. The conversations you most enjoy can tell you a lot about yourself if you’re willing to look.

8. Encouragement. Most people want you to succeed. Sometimes, it’s easier to present struggles to people who are “less invested” in your world. Add more folks to cheer in your corner. Strangers can yield surprisingly positive results.

9. Excitement. If you’ve been to a really good party, you know. It’s fun, and you want more. If you haven’t found yourself in this kind of situation, look for it.

Practice meeting people when and where you can.

“The more you practice, the more you can, the more you want to, the more you enjoy it, the less it tires you.” —Robert A. Heinlein

Celebrate Tuesday

Many folks believe they need a special occasion in order to organize a gathering. A birthday, a wedding, a holiday, a housewarming. What if you didn’t wait for a reason to bring people together? Tonight sounds like a perfectly great night to introduce some friends in your circle who may not know each other.

Sound stressful? Focus on creating meaning with the people in your life and let the rest work itself out.

14 tips to make your next conference worthwhile

  1. Ask if you can help.
  2. Better yet, email in advance and offer your services.
  3. Do your homework. Learn about the speaker, the attendees, the presentation.
  4. Don’t sit next to someone you know.
  5. Ask a question — everyone will know who you are.
  6. Ask only one question. Don’t be THAT guy.
  7. They are business cards, not playing cards. Distribute sparingly.
  8. Take advantage of the breaks. Chat with fellow attendees. Ask why they’re there.
  9. Organize a dinner and pass out invites during lunch.
  10. Hang out by the food table. Eat last.
  11. Don’t hound the speaker. Send an email three days later with something you learned.
  12. Stay an extra night after the conference ends. Set up coffee dates. Plan a sightseeing tour.
  13. Embrace the unexpected. Don’t over-schedule. Impulse and serendipity are good things.
  14. Graciousness and appreciation cannot be overstated.

Don’t cheat yourself

Throughout my work, I’ve looked for ways to help professionals find their edge.

I enjoy creating opportunities for people to connect, and I like disrupting things. I carefully consider the talents, skills, and work of individuals to see how strangers might enter a room and leave as friends. I ask questions with the intent of changing the way someone considers another, helping people talk about challenges they might be afraid to admit. I like watching industries share ideas in ways they hadn’t before imagined. I call it curated networking, and no two experiences are alike.

The point is, I’m looking to change people’s lives through relationships.

We’ve somehow arrived at the juncture where we avoid connection.

We guard carefully against who we allow into our circles. We avoid eye contact walking down the street. We limit the time we devote to leisurely interact with others. Some even argue our ability to make new friends after a certain age. We fear strangers and write them off for having no value to our busy lives. We’ll connect — if it’s easy and convenient and there’s an easy out.

However you do it, refuse to be complacent.

You can find a connected, outside observer who has a fresh perspective and can introduce you to personalities you might not otherwise meet. You can set goals to meet fellow travelers and instigators who will push you to find that next level. You can promise yourself that you’ll place yourself in new situations, demanding more out of your life and others than what the people around you expect of themselves.

Find people who can challenge you, make you uncomfortable, surprise you, inspire you.

Find others who share your same belief in greater work, greater conversation, deeper meaning. Put yourself in situations to remind yourself of the power of serendipity. There are people out there waiting to meet you. Don’t cheat them by holding yourself back.

Don’t cheat yourself.