Becoming a People Person
Are you a shy person? If you are you need to learn to get over it, otherwise you won’t succeed in business. I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. As a business person you have to develop the habit of always looking to build your network. I read somewhere that every person in the world is only six people away from knowing everybody else, I’m not sure how true that is, but it’s something to ponder.
Most people know at least 100 people, so your direct network of friends and acquaintances would be at least 100. But now imagine that each of your 100 friends knows another 100, suddenly your network has grown to 10,000. You can imagine how fast this can grow, and how useful networking can be for your business.
Becoming an instant networker can be a difficult habit to develop, especially if you’re shy or not used to talking to complete strangers. But once you get used to it, it becomes as easy as riding a bike. Here’s a list of helpful suggestions that might get you on your way:
- Make an attempt to notice people.
- Don’t just stand in the queue, be active with somebody around you.
- Don’t be afraid to make eye contact with people, you might have to force it at first but it’s a good way to connect with people.
- Always have business cards handy, ALWAYS, you will look very unprofessional otherwise.
- The best accessory for any business person is a smile, don’t be afraid to share yours with the world.
- Look for common ground. For example, if you are standing in queue for a long time and there is someone else there with you, you might mention something about how annoying it is to stand in long queues.
- There are 4 things that can easily start a conversation, those 4 things abbreviate to F.O.R.M. Family, occupation, recreation, and money.
- Ask lots of questions. People are never interested in you, they are interested in themselves, and they will be your instant friend if you show interest in them as well.
Today I was standing in a queue waiting to pay my cell phone account and there was a guy there also that looked like a very successful person. This guy was maybe in his thirties, he was wearing a suit, had a nice laptop with him, and was on his fancy phone, he gave me the impression that he was a very busy and important dude. I looked like a bum, I had a pair of shorts, a dirty T-shirt, and a pair of slippers that were ready for the garbage. I was certainly not in the networking mode, I didn’t even have any business cards. But I started talking to him anyway, we spoke about his business, my business, his family, and the rugby. By the time I left he was more than happy to give me his details and take mine. He is an important person in his firm, and you can bet that I will be following up on him.
Networking is an asset, cultivate it and you will see tremendous results.
Simon
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