A lot of people have the wrong idea about networking.
I went to a networking event once. It was one of those events for corporate folks that I wasn’t too comfortable at at the time. Not because I’m uncomfortable talking to total strangers, but because I’m uncomfortable talking in corporate-ese.
So, I’m attending this event, and in every conversation we have with someone new, the person I’m attending with finds a way to shoehorn in “Have you ever thought about using voiceover in your business???”
To me, if I were meeting someone for the first time, and they were like “Do you need a good plumber for your business? Every business needs good plumbing!” I’d be very turned off and try to escape.
(In fact, a new age-y dude at this same event STILL sends me emails to this day, despite me marking them as spam for the past three years. He still hasn’t taken the hint that I’m not joining his cult.)
Maybe it works on someone, but that person is not me.
My strategy at this event was a little different than hers. For every person I met, I asked them about their business. What they did. Who they were hoping to meet. What they needed to accomplish their goals.
The keys to great networking?
Listen. And give.
Ask a lot of questions of the other person. Figure out what their goals or pain points are. What do they NEED to solve their problems or to achieve their dreams?
Then, if you think of something that can help them, give that to them. If you don’t have anything right off the top of your head, then let them know you will keep an eye out for things that might help them.
Very little turns me off more when meeting someone new than if they’re probing to see what they can get from you. That L.A.-style networking is a load of BS.
You know what endears people to you?
Being open, interested, and genuinely willing to help them out.
As actor and entrepreneur Jona Chao said at an event I attended, “Be a go-giver.”
These past few weeks, a lot of people have been laid off, and are looking for work. People in all sorts of industries. If you looked at networking the L.A. way, you’d think “Well, these people can’t hire me. Why should I network with them?”
Same with networking with people in lower level positions. Oftentimes, snooty entertainment industry types only seek to hobnob with those who already have power, ignoring how fast someone’s status might change. That PA on set might be a top director one day. That executive assistant you were rude to might be an agent at CAA in a few years.
So, this past week, I posted on LinkedIn about being willing to talk to anyone who is looking for a job or seeking new opportunities, and that I’m willing to help however I can. So far, I’ve had a bunch of people reach out, and I’ve reached out to a few people as well to connect and to help others.
In just a week, this led to six separate phone calls and Zoom conversations.
I had a fabulous phone call with a fellow voice actor who also does sales, and got some valuable information.
Video chatted with my former acting teacher who I plan to interview for an upcoming blog series on mindset.
Chatted with a friend who runs his own film and video production company, and was able to connect him with someone he might be able to help, and someone who might be able to help him in the future.
Met with an e-learning project manager who wants to do more voiceover and pointed her toward resources to get started.
Zoomed with a London-based voice actor wanting to be connected in LA, and put him in touch with some friends who live there.
Caught up with another friend who is a sales and communication coach, and was able to introduce him to a friend of mine as a prospective client and another person as a prospective employee. (You know what’s great—I originally met him at that in-person networking event I mentioned at the beginning of this post!)
This week, I already have two more Zooms lined up, and I’m sure there will be more.
I’m excited to try to keep this up because, TBH, I’m sort of high on meeting new people and cross-pollinating the world. It feels amazing!
Here’s the thing about networking—you really can’t go into it with the mindset that you’re there to receive. You have to trust that if you give people value and help people solve their problems, and you’re open about what you do (but not forcing it on them), then eventually the good will come back around.
People are starved for connection. We have all the information we could need at our fingertips, and yet we seek answers through others.
Why? I don’t think it’s necessarily out of laziness, as some think, but rather the need to get answers from people we trust.
Form positive relationships. Cultivate trust through giving. And have faith that whatever good you put into the world will come back to you in some way.
I challenge you to find someone to help out this week who is not in your direct contacts.
Be a go-giver!
Until next week, friends!