From the course: The Ultimate Guide to Professional Networking

Real connections: Curiosity

- So many people don't know how to network even when they do find themselves in the right situations. When I first went to a networking event, I was excited to come back to the office with a pocket full of business cards. But then what, I didn't really know anything about these people, I was just a collector of cards, not a person who had taken the time to have memorable conversations. That meant the only followups I did have were the ones with the few people I'd actually made a genuine connection with. And that tells you something right there, real networking isn't about filling your pockets with business cards. Now, some people go to networking events with the sole goal of landing a deal or selling their products or services, that doesn't work either. Nobody likes to be sold to, you certainly wouldn't want someone selling you something, so don't sell them. Sales flow naturally from a real relationship, so that's your goal. Growing the number of people you find interesting who exist in your tribe without any overt agenda on your part. These are simply people you find interesting, and sales will organically flow out of that. There's a cool trick that I learned from one of my mentors, go to any event with a bunch of questions in mind, and not just random questions, but questions you'd really like to know the answers to. It's called curiosity, and it's one of the best networking tools there is. Not only will you learn a tremendous amount if you build your network with curiosity, but everyone you talk to will walk away thinking you are a person worth remembering. Being curious also saves a lot of stress because you don't need to prepare a script or an elevator pitch, no need to collect business cards, you can forget about selling, you just need to be curious and ask questions. Everyone knows that people love talking about themselves, so get them talking and pay attention. In between interactions, take notes on your phone so you can build some good contact data later. If you do happen to get a card, write a few notes on it so you remember the person and what made them tick. Here's some easy questions to get the conversation going. Ask them, "Have you been facing any challenges this year in your business?" Or, "How did you get to where you are in your career or business?" You can ask them the classic question, "What do you do?" But because this is so general, make sure you follow up their reply with some more specific questions about their role, this will help you remember them and also show them that you're genuinely interested in them, not just creating small talk. Here's a great question, ask them, "Do you have any side ventures?" This is often fun because many people have side businesses that they don't talk about unless you specifically ask. And those people are typically passionate about it, making it great conversation. Finally, here's a great open ended question to get people talking, simply ask them, "What's your story?" Be fascinated and curious wherever you go. Remember that the most fascinating person in any room is the one who asks the most questions.

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