Based in Salt Lake City, Utah in the USA, Rob Ferre is a DJ, MC, Host, Speaker & also the owner of market-leading mobile DJ company Life of the Party Entertainment. A natural-born entertainer, Rob loves music and dancing, but he has also developed a passion & expertise for the business side of the DJ industry. 4 Strategies T o Improve Your Networking 1) Avoiding relationship arrogance is a concept I learned while in a corporate networking group whose methodology was based on a book called ‘The City of Influence’ .
Relationship arrogance is present when we prioritise a relationship based on a forecasted return on investment; when we are only open to networking with those who we perceive to have the most to offer us! I have been guilty of this in the past, and I may have overlooked someone’s value based on my own agenda or biases. On the other hand, when I open myself up to any new relationships, not just the ones I have an agenda for pursuing, I am often able to gain unexpected friendships and relationships that prove to be mutually beneficial.
You don’t really know someone, or what they can offer, until you get to know them. I once overlooked a DJ at a networking event because I was looking to connect with the ‘high profile’ DJs in the room. I was looking for the DJs wearing the suits, those with successful businesses and who were well known in the industry. When I approached one of these ‘high profile’ DJs at a networking event, he quickly introduced me to the guy I had passed over because of his rather unassuming t-shirt and jeans.
At first I was thinking, "he has nothing to offer me” , but boy was I wrong! Once we struck up a conversation I knew he had years of experience on me and a plethora of ideas. He shared some of them with me that I still use to this day in my performances. We are still friends and share regular phone calls and often collaborate.
Take the time to go beyond what is on the surface and broaden your networking pool by avoiding relationship arrogance. 2) Be Interested not interesting is a concept I learned from a fellow speaker and mentor of mine, Ty Bennett. Have you ever been in a conversation with someone who made the entire dialogue all about them? I Imagine you have encountered those people before.
How did they make you feel? Did you feel as an equal in the conversation? This has happened to me, and left me feeling unvalued and as if I didn’t get the chance to really connect. For that reason, to avoid anyone feeling that way about me, I always make it a point to focus on asking questions instead of talking about myself.
I am always genuinely interested in people’s backgrounds and experiences, which gives me a window into who they are. By being interested in others, most likely the tables will turn and they will also want to get to know you. Through these conversations you will find common ground and they will give you ways to relate. I have always been impressed with my friend Bill Hermann for his abilities to connect with people simply by being interested in what they are doing.
His genuine interest in me and my business paved the way for me to take his workshop. Never in our conversations did I feel sold to, but I felt like he genuinely wanted to get to know me. Take the time to be interested in others and your reward will be a mutually beneficial conversation. 3) Know someone not everyone is a strategy I often employ at events.
All the potential new connections and people you could meet can be overwhelming. There was a time in my life when I tried to hand out as many business cards as possible. This is not an effective strategy. I wasn’t memorable at all, I just gave them my card and went on to the next person.
I have since learned to slow down and start having more deep and authentic conversations. Once I dug deeper, beyond the surface, I learned many things about those I was networking with. If I can have a deeper, more meaningful conversation with two or three people at an event, the impact is tremendous. I was at a recent wedding professional’s networking event and I took the time to have more of a deep dive conversation with friends I was acquainted with but didn’t really know.
Through those conversations we set up another time to meet and this lead to events we are now collaborating on. Find those two or three people you really want to connect with at an event, and make sure those connections happen. Which brings me to my next strategy. 4) Do your homework.
I often find out who will be attending conferences and events ahead of time, so I can plan who to try to connect with. I sometimes reach out to people in advance online to introduce myself or set up a time when we can meet at the event. I have had others do this to me and I am always grateful that they do. Some of my favourite people and friends have come from those pre-planned meetings to go for lunch or dinner to connect.
Having that one-on-one time planned makes all the difference. Find out if someone you really want to connect with is on the attendee list or is going to the conference. Reach out to them and say “I’d love to buy you a drink or take you to dinner” . Never say “I’d love to pick your brain” , because it infers a very one sided-conversation.
Instead say, “I’d love to connect, learn more about what you do and exchange ideas” . Make it a mutually beneficial meeting and make sure you reach out in advance. Finally, here’s a quick bonus tip that will help you sort through all the connections you may make. When you take someone’s business card, make a written note on it.
I sometimes write how I met that person or ideas for a follow up conversation on something we may have talked about, but whatever it is will help me to remember the meeting. I also like to make sure we are connected on Facebook or LinkedIn. If we are already connected, I send them a personal message thanking them for meeting with me and also setting up another time to continue the conversation after the event. Hopefully, with these strategies and tips, you will be able to walk away from the Pro Mobile Conference, or your next networking event, with more meaningful connections and deeper relationships.
Go out and create a culture of connections and collaborations at the next educational event you attend!
