In L.A., it’s common to hear the phrase, “it’s not what you know, but who you know. ” And for the most part this is true. You can be the smartest person in the room, but if no one knows who you are, they won’t know how smart (valuable) you are. And that’s the real game behind (profession) relationships: being valued and find others of value.
This isn’t all about transactions, what you can do for them and what they can do for you. It is about building respect and trust, so that when the relationship becomes transactional, it doesn’t feel awkward or like the request/favor is being asked out of the blue.
Relationship building starts with networking. The dreaded networking conundrum. We all know we should be networking, we just don’t enjoy it. Maybe we were never taught how to meet strangers. Maybe we’re too concerned with selling ourselves in hopes for those leads and gain clients. Or maybe we’re too shy to make the introduction. Whatever it is, we can make it as simple as sun (that sounds kind of nice).
Aim to meet only 2-3 people. If you meet more people, great. But 2-3 people allows you to really connect and have a real conversation.
Talk about anything BUT business. The weather, the commute, a game or show you watched last night, maybe an award show, a national event. Don’t start with business. Then let the conversation naturally draw towards what each of you do for living or what project you’re working on.
The most important of all, FOLLOW UP, FOLLOW UP, FOLLOW UP. Go home and send an email. Makes plans to meet up. “It’s a pandemic, everything’s being done virtually.” Fine. You can incorporate all these tips using Zoom, trust me.
But don’t let these valuable people you’re meeting go to waste. Organize them…