Drunk Networking…
By on Nov 8, 2008 in Blogging
So I have a funny story to tell.
I’ll call it the “drunk networking story”
I really do believe that this is an important lesson that a lot of people can learn from…
I was on facebook the other night, networking meeting new people and chatting… normal facebook stuff.
I get a chat from a guy asking me if I’m in the ad business.
I was kind of confused by his question, so I said yeah sort of.
He then said what do you mean.
and I said well… what do you mean by the ad business?
Kind of weird conversation so far right?
It get’s even stranger…
He proceeds to tell me how he works for this ad agency and it’s the largest one in the coutnry.
He then tells me his race and other weird facts.
I was confused.
I didn’t know how to respond.
I basically said… oh ok the whole time.
I’m a nice guy ya know!
as we near the end of the conversation he tells me he’s been drinking.
Hmm? i thought.
What a good way to make a good first impression.
The story of the drunk networker… LOL that could be my next best-selling book!
I have seen a lot of this “drunk networking”
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yt7td96u7dA]
You may not be drunk but do you come across as a drunk person would?
throwing out random facts, debt free company, solid company, better than them… etc. I think you get the picture.
Marketing your business without building the relationship at all.
Can I ask you a question?
when is the last time that worked?
when is the last time your sales pitch worked?
Learn to build the relationship and give value upfront first.
that value could be education, resources, people etc.
You’d be suprised at how many people message me information about their business etc.
Let’s get something straight.
YOU DON’T BUILD A BUSINESS BY SPAMMING!
You build a relationship by marketing!
What’s the difference?
One is “HEY GO CHECK THIS OUT, PEOPLE are quitting their jobs in a week! you’ll be a millionaire by next week!”
and the other is… Hey, thanks for the friendship… I like your website or blog and i like what your doing.
I see that your starting to learn more in this area… I made a group over here, or i have a newsletter or I have a blog about that here… I am sure you’ll find something useful there that should help you out in some way or another…
That second one, that’s how you go about it.
Give them value.
Show value, How can I help you?
Everyone’s favorite radio station is WIFM…
that’s…
W- What’s
I- In it
F- For
M- Me
be the person to give value and you’ll see that your business will grow by building those relationships.
It’s the future of marketing… I’ll call it relationship marketing.
It’s one thing that Gary Vaynerchuk over at http://winelibrarytv.com does very well.
He educates and has had personal contact with thousands of his blog readers…
When’s the last time you’ve done that?
Remember to build a relationship and deliver value before you try to sell anything.
also remember that anytime you deliver WAY more value than the other person…
they’ll owe you… and that’s usually a good thing!
It’s better to be owed than to owe!
Have an awesome day… the spartans just beat purdue 21 to 7~
David King,
15 Comment(s)
By Ali on Nov 8, 2008 | Reply
This is priceless, David. One of the best I’ve seen.
I hope more folks read this post as people need to get that marketing as well as selling, is all about building relationships, and many good solid friendships along the way.
Best,
Ali R. Rodriguez
By Lionel on Nov 8, 2008 | Reply
Very good points about overcoming me-centrism and reaching over to the other person’s perspective!
By kingdavidb on Nov 8, 2008 | Reply
thanks for the feedback so much! I appreciate it!
and thanks for sharing it!
David,
By Marc Marseille on Nov 9, 2008 | Reply
You hit it on the head David…And oh yeah …great video. Learning how to market to these social groups is mandatory to success. It took me few months to figure it out, but now I am doing much better. Thanks for the great post!
By kingdavidb on Nov 9, 2008 | Reply
Thanks for commenting I’m glad you liked it!
By Carol Deckert on Nov 9, 2008 | Reply
David,
Thank you SO much for this article. I’m a Networking Coach and am always telling my clients the very same things. Build those relationships first – tell, don’t sell but it falls on deaf ears nine times out of ten.
I don’t understand why this theory is so difficult. Helping others, what can I do for you, how can I help you, are such easy statements to remember and great conversation starters.
The “drunk” story hits the nail on the head. Pay attention to what you are saying and doing – your reputation is on the line – it doesn’t take much for a bad reputation to get out to the public and it’s much harder to repair a reputation than it is to make a great first impression and continue to do so throughout the relationship.
Thanks again for this post. Feel free to stop by my blog, which is all about netweaving and networking whenever you feel like it! The doors are always open and I love to meet new people.
Happy Netweaving,
Carol Deckert
Networking Coach
RUNLancaster.com
http://www.runlancaster.com/blog
By kingdavidb on Nov 9, 2008 | Reply
Wow I thank you so much for the feedback!
I really appreciate it… i hope that it doesn’t fall on deaf ears nine times out of ten for too much longer!
Have an awesome day!
By Kevin Phoenix on Nov 11, 2008 | Reply
People don’t care how much you know… they want to know how much you care.
By Paul Leadbetter on Nov 16, 2008 | Reply
Hi David,
all bloggers and the like have a few vinos while working late at night.
Great article and the title would be great for a book, you should go for it. The poor chump you have to feel for him, maybe his traffic picked up and he could not handle the pace of marketing for real. When we first start out we all think, this will be easy, its hard work plain and simple, but if you have the passion and drive, it becomes life.
Paul Leadbetter
By Julia R. Hull on Dec 7, 2008 | Reply
Wonderful article!! It is all about the relationships! By building relationships first….we lay down a foundation on ROCK!!! Not Sand!!
I appreciate you!!
Julia R. Hull
By Anonymous on Dec 7, 2008 | Reply
yes it would definitely be a great title! thanks for the comments!
By Southerndelite on Jun 30, 2009 | Reply
I enjoyed reading this one and you may like to meet @pawmarks on twitter/also on FB. You and he sound like your on the same page. I managed a restaurant for 9 yrs…the person who most impressed me was the CEO who always asked “What can I do for you?” and actually meant it! He was a firm believer in that people and solid relationships form great companies.
By Chris Hughes on Jul 18, 2009 | Reply
haha I love this David… as a College aged Entrepreneur I see things like this all the time, but in a different context…
Guy walks up to a girl and starts talking to her about how he’s got this great job and how he makes all this money, has a nice car, watch and all that jazz… (just like spamming his “opportunity” on her) trying to impress her
as everyone knows, he fails…girl gets a little bored with him always talking about himself..
Then, you see someone who goes up and just is casual “hey, whats up” and LISTENS/connects with the girl. Instantly you can see that she likes this guy more and is more than eager to learn more about him because he is listening to her and NETWORKING, not just spamming.
I mean it is a form of “Drunk Networking” but…
Even using an approach like this is beneficial in business, as a CEO asking “What can I do for you?” to Southerndelite knows, this is a great way to have respect for someone and actually ENJOY giving business to that person because they have a relationship.
Keep up all the great posts bro,
Chris Hughes
By Internetbusinessking on Jul 18, 2009 | Reply
that’s true… funny and true!
talking about yourself doesn’t take you that far…
Start caring about your readers and followers and be helpful and you will see much more growth!
Thanks for the feedback Chris!
By joyarogers on Jul 18, 2009 | Reply
That’s a Great Article! & I shall practice what you preach = ) Keep up the Good work David!
joyarogers´s last blog ..joyarogers: reading "Channeling Our Inner Celebrity Through Twitter and Social Media" by @briansolis http://is.gd/1CLYf