SalesHQ

“Okay Keith,” Cindy said. “So I go to a networking event and I begin talking with someone. What do I talk about? I never know what to talk about at these functions.” I asked Cindy, “When you go out with your friends do you have trouble finding things to discuss?” Cindy replied with an absolute “No.” When I asked her what some of the typical topics of conversation were, she said, “Family, work, kids, school, travel, weather, leisure, current events, hobbies, sports, shopping, and movies.” I then asked her, “So, why would it be any different to discuss these things when meeting new people?” “Because they are strangers!” Cindy declared.

I then shared with her the one belief I had that made networking so much fun, “Strangers are simply friends that are waiting to be met.” At one point, all of your friends were strangers too! So, when does a stranger become a friend? Aside from liking the person’s initial disposition, it’s when you have enough mutual interests. It’s when you find that their life often parallels yours with the same challenges, joys, and experiences you are going through or have gone through. Most of all, it’s when you realize that you enjoy being around them because they make you feel good. They enrich your life and add value to your existence. If this is true, then it really doesn’t matter where or how you meet them. Just think about the friends you have now. Where did you meet them, at the “Friend Shop?” After all, it is often easier to develop a friendship than it is to develop a client. (Less pressure to perform or to generate a measurable result.)