Latest / Networking Unleashed: Building Profitable Connections / Networking Unleashed: S1E80 An Interview with Meike Bettscheider and Michael A Forman, Public Speaker

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Networking Unleashed: S1E80 An Interview with Meike Bettscheider and Michael A Forman, Public Speaker · Networking Unleashed: Building Profitable Connections

0:14
Welcome to Networking Unleashed, Building Profitable
0:18
Connections, the podcast where we dive deep into
0:21
the art of building lasting, impactful relationships
0:25
that drive success. I'm your host, Michael Foreman,
0:29
and today we're joined by a remarkable guest
0:32
who has turned networking into an essential tool
0:35
for reinventing her business, not once, but twice
0:40
on two different continents. Our guest believes
0:44
that the most powerful long -term relationships
0:46
are forged not through the typical pitch, but
0:50
by paying attention to the small, often overlooked
0:53
clues that others miss. She's a master at transforming
0:57
cold leads into life -changing partnerships,
1:00
and her story proves that true networking isn't
1:04
just about growing your business, it's about
1:06
growing your connections, no matter where in
1:09
the world you are. So whether you're a seasoned
1:11
entrepreneur, or just starting out, get ready
1:14
for an inspiring conversation on how to network
1:17
in unexpected ways, build meaningful relationships,
1:21
and create the partnerships that will transform
1:24
your business. I would like to bring on to the
1:27
podcast today, Micah, Mikey, Micah, Micah, I
1:31
think that's it. And I'm not going to attempt
1:33
her last name, I'll let her introduce herself.
1:36
And I want Micah to give us a little bit about
1:38
your background. Thank you very much for your
1:41
kind introduction, Michael, and having me on
1:44
your great podcast with an amazing topic, which
1:47
is very close to my heart. Yeah, I'm Michael
1:51
Bettscheider, a German by birth, have lived,
1:54
worked and studied all over the world. And I'm
1:58
living now in Athens, Greece, which I very much
2:01
appreciate and like to be here. I'm an executive
2:05
coach and I help people teams organizations leaders
2:11
to face crisis and not to survive them but really
2:17
strive through them and yeah i'm a big fan of
2:21
real relationships because that's what gets us
2:26
into a sustainable and deep connected future
2:29
which we nowadays from my perspective need It's
2:34
so true on so many levels. And I, too, am very
2:39
passionate about talking about networking communication.
2:42
So this ought to be a fun podcast. OK, so let's
2:47
start delve right into the questions. You've
2:50
mentioned that powerful relationships are built.
2:53
by being of service, not by pitching. Can you
2:57
share a specific example where this approach
3:00
made a difference in you building a meaningful
3:02
connection? Absolutely, Michael. I've always
3:07
found that when you come from a place of service,
3:10
a real authentic service, people feel it and
3:15
they remember it as well. Because when I personally
3:19
moved countries and had to start over and over
3:22
again, I didn't lead with my pitch, my professional
3:26
pitch or what I want. I asked, what do you need
3:31
to my counterpart? And one specific moment stand
3:35
out when I offered help to someone who was, I
3:40
had the feeling struggling to articulate their
3:42
business story. They didn't talk about what I
3:46
do. I just helped that person to find her own
3:49
clarity. And that conversation turned into a
3:54
collaboration, then into a long -term client
3:57
and even referrals. So my takeaway is really
4:03
that people trust generosity over self -promotion.
4:07
Of course, it has to be authentic. Absolutely.
4:10
In the networking circles, I'll call it circles,
4:14
that's... true networking, and that's going at
4:18
it with a servant's heart. And it's looking to
4:21
give before you receive. Because as many people
4:25
know, that if you give, it should, what goes
4:28
around comes around. And once you go with the
4:31
mindset of giving, you will receive much more.
4:36
So I truly believe what you said. Networking
4:39
often involves paying attention to small cues
4:42
that others miss. What are some subtle cues that
4:47
helped you identify potential long -term partnerships?
4:52
That's a great question. And that also brings
4:55
it back to authenticity and long -term relationship
4:58
to really, yeah. get into a conversation with
5:03
someone, to form a relationship and network.
5:06
And this is where my face reading of psychophysiognomy
5:11
is the scientific term method I use in coaching
5:14
plays a big role in how I personally connect.
5:19
Because most people focus on... what's being
5:22
said or they have their own pitch in their mind
5:26
but our faces hold years of information and i
5:30
don't mean mimics or gestures really the qualities
5:34
in our faces we were born with and i often notice
5:39
signs of natural creativity or emotional resilience
5:43
or even expressing one's voice and these specific
5:52
states of time they're deeply rooted in personality
5:56
structures or traits and when i see for example
6:02
someone with the strong analytical zones which
6:05
i can see in the forehead and an underdeveloped
6:09
jawline i personally know immediately i need
6:12
to invite them gently into an ownership and action
6:17
And those subtle physical cues have helped me
6:21
tremendously connect with people in a way that
6:26
builds real resonance from the start. It's something
6:30
different. Yeah, it's different. But listen,
6:34
this works for you because you've trained either
6:37
yourself or by going to courses or whatever have
6:41
you, this going into it. reading the faces of
6:45
the people, because people can't hide the face
6:48
unless they're trained in that, but they can't
6:52
hide it. So they can say what they want to say,
6:54
but you'll see exactly what they want to do.
6:57
So yes, that's very good. And not many people
7:00
have that talent. So, you know, that's probably
7:03
very good for you. You've successfully restarted
7:07
your business twice on two different continents.
7:12
What are some key networking strategies that
7:15
helped you turn cold leads into valuable relationships
7:18
over such a challenging context? Yeah, rebuilding
7:25
networks from scratch twice or even more was
7:30
definitely humbling. And it is humbling, which
7:33
is always good, I believe, for all of us. But
7:37
it also taught me personally. and presence speak
7:43
definitely louder than at least my experience.
7:48
I always focused on listening first and active
7:51
listening, contributing to conversations and
7:56
being reliable, also a big one. And one of the
8:01
things that helped me personally most recently
8:05
was designing something for the community instead
8:09
of to the community. What I mean is that it's
8:14
how my immersive retreats, which I'm offering
8:18
to startups and organizations, was born. And
8:22
I offer that to US, Canadian and UK startup teams
8:27
or organizations who are craving realignment
8:31
and fresh thinking and very inspiring and off
8:36
-grid setting in Greece and beautiful islands.
8:41
came a powerful entry point for a new relationship
8:45
because it's all about an invitation and not
8:49
a sales tactic. Absolutely. And you hit on so
8:53
many points that I would talk about an hour with
8:57
you about. But let me just take just a few pieces.
9:01
The first one is active listening. And that term
9:05
is used, but I don't think anybody truly believes
9:09
it. So if you are listening to the person whom
9:13
you're speaking with, and you don't want to think
9:16
about the next thing that you want to say, you
9:18
want to think about what they are saying, and
9:21
you respond to what they're saying by repeating
9:24
part of it and giving an answer. So it doesn't
9:29
seem like it's all premeditated or conjured up.
9:32
So you're actively listening to them. And that
9:36
is a big part of networking, especially when
9:40
you're looking to volunteer your services. You're
9:44
looking to give everything that they want. And
9:48
it goes a long way. So I just wanted to bring
9:51
that out, that active listening was a substantial
9:55
part of the networking itself. Thank you, Mike,
9:58
for pointing that out. Totally agree. Okay, because
10:03
it's so true. It's so true. And such as yourself,
10:07
if you are a true networker, if you are truly
10:11
out there to network, you're not just out there
10:14
to fill your pockets, but you're out there trying
10:18
to help somebody. And if you, that's why I always
10:22
say that if you're looking to network and you're
10:24
really not sure where, look to volunteer, right?
10:28
Because when you volunteer, you're doing something
10:30
for somebody. Don't go into it saying, oh, this
10:34
is what I do. That will come up eventually. But
10:38
if you're there just to help out and give, that's
10:40
a big part of networking itself. Yeah, I agree.
10:44
Can you recall a time when a relationship you
10:47
built came from an unexpected moment? And how
10:51
did that connection evolve to something more
10:54
significant? Yes, I do. I love the unexpected
10:58
moments because this is when it comes to being
11:01
on service and being just curious about people.
11:04
So then active listening and all these things
11:07
are coming just mutually to one. And there was
11:11
one specific encounter I made when I was just
11:16
walking on a Greek island to do some scouting
11:19
for a future upcoming retreat. and it was just
11:23
a small walking trail and i met a woman we chatted
11:27
casually then we shared a meal she came from
11:30
the us where i also lived before so i said we
11:33
just chatted and i didn't think much of it actually
11:37
and a year later she reached out just recently
11:41
because she had remembered that were her words
11:45
how grounded she felt in that conversation and
11:49
now she ended up sending her leadership team
11:51
to one of my retreats and that chance meeting
11:56
turned really into a real related partnership
12:00
and it reminded me how important it is to just
12:05
be open and curious because you never know what
12:10
what Yes, seed your planting, right? That's true.
12:15
And authenticity is almost everybody uses it.
12:19
You have to be your authentic self. But if you
12:22
are yourself, when you have that chance meeting
12:25
with somebody. Just be yourself, be inquisitive.
12:29
And you don't talk business. You can say what
12:33
you do because they'll probably ask, but you
12:35
don't push that. And you're more inquisitive
12:38
about the other person. And that leads into a
12:41
bigger conversation. And then you leave very
12:43
nicely. You're just leaving. Okay, listen, I'll
12:46
see you around. And you never know. And a year
12:49
later, when she called you, it was probably on
12:53
her mind. before then, but you just, you being
12:58
yourself, you just gave, just give and give,
13:01
and eventually it will come back. And this is
13:03
a perfect situation where it came back. And it's
13:07
very good. I have a very good feeling about that.
13:12
Having worked on two continents, how does networking
13:16
differ across cultures? And how do you adjust
13:20
your approach in different environments? I actually
13:23
love that because that comes back to being on
13:26
service, to be curious. And it's very real. There
13:32
are differences and one has to be aware of that.
13:37
When I just recall two differences, even it's
13:41
in Europe, but totally different is in Switzerland
13:44
and Germany. Structure, timing and credibility
13:47
are key. For example, people want to see the
13:52
plan. In Greece, on the other hand, relationships
13:56
move more fluidly. It's about energy and presence.
14:02
That builds through shared time, actually. I
14:07
have to be more patient, definitely to adjust
14:10
my rhythm. In some places, I show the proof first.
14:15
In others, I share my story and just let the
14:18
relationship grow more organically. Yes. And,
14:24
you know, the difference, well, I come from New
14:26
York, okay, living in Georgia. And the difference
14:29
is just between New York and Georgia is a world
14:32
apart. Because in New York, it's business. How
14:36
can I help you? Okay, great. You have 15 minutes.
14:38
Go. And in Georgia, in an hour and a half, you're
14:42
finally getting around to doing business. So
14:45
it's very different. Plus the speed in which
14:47
you do it. It's very different. That's something
14:50
that I had to adjust to because when I came down
14:55
here and I go to do business, I turned off a
14:58
lot of people. And I just said, okay, so let
15:02
me readjust. Let me do what I have to do. You
15:05
do it. But I was very interested to hear the
15:08
difference within Europe, just within Europe
15:10
itself, that you would have those differences.
15:14
Absolutely. In your experience, what are essential
15:20
elements that make a business relationship not
15:24
only thrive, but last for years? I think that's
15:30
very important to think about and be aware of.
15:34
From my perspective, from my experience, it's
15:36
clearly consistency, integrity, and also shared
15:42
growth. What I mean with that is the most sustainable
15:47
long -term relationships I've had in business
15:51
are with people who evolve and who allow me to
15:56
evolve too. Because we don't hold each other
16:00
to past roles, but we furthermore stay in sync
16:04
through open and honest communication. And it
16:09
also helps to celebrate the wins together and
16:12
hold space when one of us is navigating something
16:17
tough. And I'm still evolving together with great
16:21
relationships from my time at Chicago Booth or
16:24
INSEAD in France as well with clients all over
16:28
the continent. So that's my experience. I would
16:34
love to hear yours. It's really the same way.
16:41
It's those relationships that you're building.
16:44
Now, I don't just build relationships. Ever since
16:49
the pandemic, okay, the days of building your
16:52
customer base really is gone. It's building the
16:56
relationships. Now, I used to be in a mortgage
16:59
industry. I used to go to those networking events
17:02
and come home with a shoebox filled with business
17:04
cards and say, look how good I did. When, and
17:08
honestly, I didn't do well at all. What I teach
17:11
the people that I coach, I say, look, if you
17:15
go to a three or four hour event, come back with
17:17
about 15 or 20 business cards, because I know
17:21
that you've had the talk, the relationship building
17:25
to everything else, and then the follow -up,
17:27
right? So that follow -up will say how long you're
17:33
going to keep that relationship. And how well
17:36
you do it. And that's a whole different conversation.
17:39
But the relationships that you nurture and you
17:45
keep, whether it's through LinkedIn or somewhere
17:47
else, that's a soft touch. But when you keep
17:51
those relationships, you never know where they're
17:53
going to wind up. So that's also very good. Okay.
17:58
So what have you been? What? Sorry, what has
18:05
been the biggest challenges you faced while building
18:08
relationships, especially in unfamiliar markets
18:12
or industries? And how did you overcome them?
18:16
Yeah, so being you in a culture or even industry
18:21
can definitely feel like a wall or felt very
18:25
often for me like a wall running with full motivation
18:28
right into a wall. And the biggest challenge
18:33
was that people didn't quite know what to make
18:36
of my combination of business and intuitive methods,
18:42
intercontinental background. Instead of explaining,
18:49
I offered small, impactful experiences, free
18:54
sessions, informal chats, shared insights, a
18:58
little bit of storytelling, real stories. And
19:02
letting people experience yourself came much
19:09
more powerful along for me than trying to convince
19:13
them. That made it. You were being yourself.
19:17
You're being yourself and giving part of yourself
19:21
in your stories. So that in itself is building
19:26
your authenticity. And I want to get into one
19:29
other factor, but that's part of the next question.
19:32
So I'll wait before I bring that into it. Trust
19:36
is essential with any relationship. How do you
19:40
establish and nurture trust when building connections?
19:44
especially in the early stages of a partnership?
19:48
Yes, I think trust is essential and built in
19:53
small, consistent moments. There we have the
19:56
consistency again, which is very important for
19:59
sustainable long -term relationships. For me
20:02
personally, that means showing up when I say
20:05
I will, being real about what I can do, and sometimes
20:12
being willing. This isn't the right fit. It definitely
20:19
deepens when there's space for both people to
20:23
show up fully and not just the polished version.
20:28
Back to authenticity. Back to authenticity. Be
20:32
real. And it sounds easy showing up when you
20:37
say you're going to show up. doing what you say
20:41
you're going to do. That's really, it should
20:43
be relatively easy. But the trust factor is the
20:47
crucial factor. Know you, like you, trust you,
20:51
then they'll do business with you. And I say
20:54
this to everybody. Everybody knows you. Oh, yeah.
20:57
Oh, that's Michael. Trust you. Know you, like
21:01
you. Now, that may limit the amount of people,
21:05
right? Because not everybody's going to like
21:07
you. no matter who you are, right? So know you
21:11
and like you, but trust is a crucial factor.
21:13
If they don't trust you, they'll never do business
21:17
with you. And all of your giving, having your
21:21
servant's heart, giving before receiving, that
21:24
all builds your trust factor or their trust factor.
21:28
And the more they trust you, the easier it is
21:31
for them to talk with you, to speak with you.
21:34
I totally agree. 100%. Yeah. Okay. So what do
21:40
you think is the key factor in turning a cold
21:43
lead into a life -changing long -term relationship?
21:48
It's more about timing, sharing values or something
21:51
else. It's a great question, Michael. For me,
21:55
it starts with alignment, alignment of values.
22:00
vision and rhythm. But the turning point is when
22:04
someone feels seen and safe with you. So trust
22:08
comes back in, seen, active listening, looking.
22:12
That's when conversations shift from transactional,
22:16
if you want to call it, to transformational.
22:20
And for example, I've had startup founders attend
22:24
my retreats with one goal in mind and leave with
22:28
clarity on something entirely different. And
22:31
because the setting, there's no noise, there's
22:35
a disconnection from what they all every day
22:38
have in their mind. And that's the real power,
22:42
shared experience. Because that, from my perspective,
22:47
deepens trust faster than... Any pitch ever could.
22:51
No, it's true. It's true. You get rid of all
22:54
the noise, get rid of everything else and let
22:57
their initial thoughts come out because they
23:01
may be different than what they went to you to
23:04
talk about and say, oh, I never thought about
23:06
that. Think about that because there are so many
23:09
different ways that somebody can take a business,
23:12
but to get them, they have to grow personally
23:15
before they can grow their business or anything
23:17
else. So I'm listening to you. I'm listening
23:21
to everything you're telling me. I'm listening
23:23
to you move from continent to continent and different
23:27
countries. What was your biggest mistake and
23:33
how did you overcome it? My biggest mistake was
23:38
I learned through to try to pitch my ideas, try
23:45
to prove myself in advance instead of what i've
23:51
learned it's okay to just and feel it and listen
23:58
first all the things i've told you before these
24:02
were it was a learning process so i didn't do
24:07
that from the gecko and so i think to really
24:10
step quicker forward was definitely a mistake.
24:17
So leaning back, observing, listening first,
24:21
that's what I definitely learned out of it. It
24:24
sounds like you went to the school of hard knocks.
24:27
You learned what not to do, you had to change
24:30
it, and you now do what you're supposed to do.
24:33
And that's true, because I went to a graduate
24:36
of the very same school. I learned what not to
24:39
do, so I don't do that, and I learned what to
24:42
do. I'm saying hello to a fellow graduate. Okay,
24:48
so let's bring this podcast full circle. For
24:52
someone starting their business and looking to
24:54
leverage networking for growth, what would you
24:59
say was the most important thing that they should
25:02
keep in mind when forming a new connection? Clearly,
25:08
especially after your last question, Clearly
25:13
be a human first. That's it. Forget the pitch
25:17
deck at the beginning. Lead with your curiosity.
25:20
I think that's very important. Like children,
25:23
they're curious. Listen like it matters because
25:27
it really does matter. And as you earlier said,
25:31
follow up with warmth. That's all I can say.
25:37
That's very good. I could talk to you for another
25:40
two hours because we're talking on the same level.
25:44
We talk about the same things in the same way.
25:47
And it's very refreshing to hear somebody else
25:50
talk about all this in the way that you are talking
25:54
about it. But if somebody wanted to get hold
25:57
of you, either to be coached, to be anything,
26:01
or just to say hi, how would they get hold of
26:03
you? They can reach me via my website, www .compass
26:09
-setting .com, via email, via Instagram, also
26:15
about Compass Setting or LinkedIn, my name. Very
26:19
good. Very good. I got to tell you, this was
26:22
a lovely podcast. I'm so glad that you made it
26:25
on and I hope to talk to you in the near future.
26:28
Thank you so much for having me. It was such
26:31
a pleasure. Thank you, Michael. Well, hold on,
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folks. Don't go anywhere. Let's hear from our
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connections for you. You can contact Henry at
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561 -427 -4888. A huge thank you to our guests
27:33
for sharing such insights today. And of course,
27:37
a big shout out to you, our amazing listeners,
27:40
for tuning in and spending your time with us.
27:43
If you're interested in my digital courses, being
27:46
coached or having me come and talk to your company,
27:49
just go to Michael and fill out the request form.
27:53
Remember, networking isn't about being perfect.
27:56
It's about being present. So take what you've
28:00
learned today, get out there and make some meaningful
28:02
connections. If you've enjoyed this episode,
28:06
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28:11
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