Gabriel Richards is the Founder and CEO of Endertech, a web development agency in Los Angeles focused on crafting Internet-enabled solutions for business. Follow him @endertech.
Recently, YEC spoke with Gabriel about his experiences networking and his advice for others aspiring to improve their own experience. His best advice is below.
Dig Deeper to Connect Further
Identify a target, then go the extra mile to get personal. These days, most established professionals are already getting flooded with incoming communications from people all over the world who are trying to make a new business connection. These are typically filtered out so easily on account of their generic content and approach.
To really grab someone’s attention, you’ve got to dig deeper. Study the person and organization you’re trying to connect with. Discover a unique insight that you think will aid your target and share it up front. If you’ve put your finger on something that’s relevant, you’re improving your chances to get a response, which is necessary to get your foot in the door.
Go Into Networking With an Open Mind
A connection I made with the owner of an IT-services firm led to a referral with the executive coaching organization Vistage. They have consequently had a major impact on how I approach my business. The key to this lasting connection was simple: friendliness and a willingness to always answer the phone.
Emanate an open and friendly vibe. Many people aren’t naturally extroverted, yet really want to come out of their shells at networking events. A smile and the boldness to approach someone openly can go a long way towards getting the ball rolling.
Go With What You Know
I prefer networking at highly-targeted industry conferences focused around the systems, technologies, techniques, and vendors that orbit what my organization is all about. For instance, my company does a lot of e-commerce software development with open-source platforms. So Imagine, the annual Magento conference in Las Vegas, is perfect for us.
Use a System That Keeps You Accountable
When it comes to networking, tools really don’t matter. Really, a spreadsheet will do. What matters is your diligence to following through with a process.
For what it’s worth, we use Insightly for our CRM. But what makes Insightly work for us isn’t so much the specific features of the tool, but rather the fact that we take the time on a weekly basis to review our follow-ups as a team. They keep us all accountable to each other.
Do Your Research
When introducing yourself to an important contact, do your homework ahead of time. That research should prepare you for relevant topics of conversation. And of course, you should already be competent in your industry and be able to speak fluently about it.
Remember: lead with value and with benefit. The contact probably won’t be too impressed if you lead with a lot about who you are and how great you and your organization are. They are far more likely to be drawn to you if your energy is focused around interest in them and their needs. Hopefully, those needs will naturally align with what you offer and you’ll be off to a beautiful start.
Have a thick skin and let embarrassing moments slide right off your back and out of memory. You’re sure to have successes and failures in your attempts to establish new relationships. So don’t let any one, sub-optimal episode get you down.
