How do you get more people interested in you?
It’s not by standing up and giving a prepared speech, that’s for sure.
Or by launching into a laundry list of your strengths.
Or by talking in grand terms of everything you could possibly accomplish.
Nope.
Yet so many people have been led to believe that if they can just find the right combination of words,
And the right crowd,
Then the first time they share their 30-second Elevator Pitch,
Orders will fly in.
So, when that doesn’t happen,
There’s a lot of disappointment.
And the futile search continues for a new crowd and new words.
I will admit that I once gave the perfect pitch to the perfect crowd.
I got six leads that turned into paying work at an event with 23 people.
But here’s the thing.
I had been to that event many times before.
And I already had relationships with many of the people in the room.
That’s the key.
You have to develop your perfect crowd.
The group of people that know and trust you.
That know and trust you well enough to introduce you to their best friends.
So the first step in developing that crowd,
Isn’t to blurt out “Do you want to buy my product” when you meet someone.
It’s to
1. Say Hi
Originality is overrated.
Just walk up to someone who’s standing alone and say hi.
As uncomfortable as that may seem to you,
Think of what a relief it is for you when someone else makes the effort to approach you.
There’s no special skill there.
Just walk up and say hi.
Then…
2. Ask a Question
No, not “What do you do”
I mean for someone who’s learned exactly what to say
It will work just fine.
But most people are even more uncomfortable answering “What do you do”
Then they are standing alone at a networking event.
So take this approach instead:
Shake their hand, look around the room, shrug, and say
“So, do you come to a lot of these kinds of events”
It’s a great icebreaker.
It puts you in the same boat as them.
And it starts great conversations.
Really.
3. Now Ask Another Question
Still not about their business, though.
A good one is
“What’s the best thing that’s happened to you this week”
Now, you can’t just walk up to someone and blurt this one out.
You want to look for an opportunity to work it into the conversation.
Now, you’re chatting pleasantly with someone,
And they are likely to turn the conversation back to you.
If they don’t…
Reach out your right hand,
Shake their hand,
And tell them it’s been great chatting with them,
And you’re going to continue networking.
Then go say “Hi” to someone else…