Latest / Networking Unleashed: Building Profitable Connections / Networking Unleashed: An Interview with Dana Alfirevic and Michael A Forman, Professional Speaker

Transcript

Networking Unleashed: An Interview with Dana Alfirevic and Michael A Forman, Professional Speaker · Networking Unleashed: Building Profitable Connections

0:15
Welcome to Networking Unleashed, Building Profitable
0:18
Connections, the show where conversations stop
0:22
being polite and start creating opportunity.
0:25
I'm Michael Foreman, and today we're tackling
0:28
one of the biggest reasons people leave business
0:31
on the table. They have a network, but they're
0:34
not using it well. My guest today helps professionals
0:39
make small changes in how they communicate that
0:43
lead to more referrals, stronger partnerships,
0:46
and better opportunities without working harder
0:49
or talking louder. We're diving into how to explain
0:54
what to do so people actually remember it, how
0:59
modern networking really works, and how relationships
1:02
turn into long -term growth when you approach
1:05
them with clarity and intention. If you've ever
1:09
said, I know great people, I just don't know
1:13
how to get enough for my network. This episode
1:17
is for you. So let's jump in. I would like to
1:20
introduce to all my listeners, Dana. Dana is
1:24
a great networker from North Carolina, I believe,
1:28
and she has her own group out there, but I don't
1:32
want to really bastardize her background. So
1:35
I'm going to give you over to Dana. Dana, welcome
1:38
to the podcast and tell us a little bit about
1:41
yourself. Thank you so much, Michael, for having
1:45
me on the show. I'm really excited to be here.
1:49
So a little bit about myself. I founded the group
1:54
Charlotte Networking Knowledge in 2024. We're
1:59
a local group for business owners here in the
2:03
Charlotte area. I also am a networking and client
2:09
visibility and acquisition expert for businesses.
2:13
So I help you gain more referrals and double
2:17
your sphere of influence and get more clients
2:19
through networking. And my strategy is not just
2:23
networking. It's leveraging your current network,
2:28
finding those strategic partnerships, and also
2:33
posting organically on social media and connecting
2:36
with your network that way, in addition to hosting
2:41
your own events and speaking engagements. That
2:45
sounds great. That sounds great. It sounds right
2:48
along the lines of what I do for a living. So
2:51
that's why I couldn't wait to get this podcast
2:54
started. Okay. I have a series of questions that
2:57
I'm going to ask you and just give me your answers
3:00
and just let's see where it takes us. Most people
3:04
have a network. They just don't use it well.
3:07
Where do you see professionals leaving the biggest
3:10
opportunities on the table? So I think a lot
3:18
of people aren't asking their network for support,
3:24
advice or help. And I think. This is important
3:29
because you want to have a network where people
3:35
support you. I believe in having a network where
3:39
people will actually help you. Now, not saying
3:43
that someone you meet at a networking event for
3:45
the first time, they don't owe you anything.
3:48
But if you have a professional relationship with
3:52
someone, you've been going to the same events
3:54
for years. but you've never reached out for advice
4:00
or help, how can they help you if they don't
4:04
know what you need? Also, another mistake is
4:09
not having a one -to -one with folks in your
4:13
network because you might consistently see them
4:16
at a networking event, but it can be busy and
4:21
distracting and you might not be able to... remember
4:25
exactly what they do and they probably don't
4:28
remember exactly what you do so it's really key
4:32
to have a one -to -one with everyone in your
4:34
network at least once a year even more often
4:39
if possible so you stay relevant to them and
4:42
they know exactly what you need and you'll be
4:46
top of mind for referrals they can't refer you
4:48
if they don't understand what you do Who you're
4:54
looking for and who you help. That's great advice.
4:59
What would you say to somebody who has a huge
5:03
following? Let's say I have 10 ,000 connections
5:07
on LinkedIn. How many people should I keep in
5:11
that close sphere of influence to have those
5:16
one -on -ones or keep them in top of mind to
5:20
network together? So I think there's some different
5:26
levels to the type of relationship you have.
5:30
But I do agree that 10 ,000 followers or 10 ,000
5:36
people in your network, that's too many to realistically
5:40
be close to you. Because I've had one -on -ones
5:45
and they go nowhere. So it's important to really...
5:50
to strategize your time. So you have one -on
5:54
-ones with folks who are in a similar industry
5:58
or an adjacent industry where there's synergy
6:01
and their clients are similar to your clients
6:05
as well. So you guys are working with the same
6:07
clients. So I think it's important to narrow
6:11
down how many people you're actually close with.
6:16
Because followers don't mean anything. These
6:18
could be like, robots online or something but
6:21
or just folks you've never met in person I know
6:24
a lot of people will follow me on LinkedIn or
6:27
send me a request and I'm like who is this but
6:30
I think it's really important to have at least
6:34
10 people where you're seeing them consistently
6:37
like once a quarter and in person is definitely
6:41
the best way so I'd say have 10 people in your
6:46
network you say you see once a quarter And kind
6:50
of go from there if you want to call other people
6:53
and try to add. But it's really important to
6:56
nurture your current relationships because trust
7:00
takes time. And you can't get a referral from
7:06
someone who doesn't trust you. So it's a process.
7:10
So I would say focus on your current connections.
7:12
Try to nurture them. You have time for other
7:17
connections, add them. But you want to make sure
7:20
you're giving adequate time to each connection.
7:24
There is a mantra in networking. If they know
7:28
you, if they like you, if they trust you, then
7:31
they'll do business with you. And to know me
7:34
or to know you, that's a wide circle. Right.
7:38
But to like you, that narrows it down a little
7:41
bit because everybody doesn't like you. You know,
7:44
you have to just face facts, but know you like
7:47
you trust you. That's the important part, because
7:51
if they don't trust you, they'll never do business
7:54
with you. So you always have to keep that in
7:57
mind. So you talk about small shifts in communication,
8:01
creating big results. What's one simple change
8:06
that immediately increases referrals and introductions?
8:11
So I would say when you're meeting someone for
8:17
the first time at a networking event, when you
8:21
say, when they say, oh, what do you do? You explain
8:25
it. But you want to have a catchy phrase, something
8:29
like, you know, if you're a financial advisor,
8:32
you don't want to just say. I'm a financial advisor
8:35
because that's boring and there's a million of
8:40
you. And that's not to be rude or negative, but
8:43
there's billions of people in the world. So realistically,
8:46
there's millions of people doing exactly what
8:48
you do. So you need to make your value proposition
8:53
very clear, like what separates you from your
8:58
competition. Also, who you work with as well.
9:03
So that's really important because like you can
9:05
have a financial advisor for businesses or retirees
9:10
or young families. Like what exactly do you offer?
9:14
So being specific about who you work with is
9:18
going to be key to getting more referrals because
9:21
they might say, oh, I actually know a retiree.
9:25
But if you just say. I'm a financial advisor.
9:29
People will say, OK, what does that mean? Especially
9:32
folks who aren't in your industry and don't understand
9:37
the jargon, your industry jargon. That's very
9:39
important to say who exactly you serve and make
9:44
it clear for anyone to understand what exactly
9:47
that is you do. Very good. Very good. And so
9:52
when somebody asks me. What I do, and I do a
9:55
plethora of things, I just very quickly say,
9:59
I'm a networking strategist. And they say, what
10:03
does that mean? I help you increase your money,
10:07
increase your profit margin in less time, narrowing
10:13
in what you do, what you say, and everything
10:15
else. And that usually leads into other conversations,
10:18
but I give them just enough so they ask me questions.
10:23
And I think that's what your whole goal is to
10:25
have the other person ask you those questions
10:28
so you can delve a little bit deeper into it.
10:32
Yes. And I will add to that point. I think that's
10:37
really so true. And one mistake I see is when
10:42
people, someone asks you, oh, what do you do?
10:48
And then you respond. And then immediately after
10:51
you tell them what you do, you say, what about
10:55
you? They were trying to figure out what exactly
10:58
you do, but now the focus is back on you and
11:01
you got to think of what to say. So it's hard
11:03
to have a conversation about what you do if you
11:07
turn it immediately back to them. Now, I think
11:11
it's important to learn about them. their business
11:17
and that way you're gonna build rapport and trust
11:21
and yeah get them to like you but you can't put
11:26
all the focus on them the focus needs to be on
11:30
you as well for a little bit and your business
11:33
as well so I think some people in networking
11:37
they say oh you have to make the focus all about
11:40
them no that's not true I don't believe that
11:43
personally it has to be about you as well. Okay.
11:48
Why do so many capable people struggle to explain
11:53
what they do? And how does that confusion cost
11:58
them business? So I think they don't adequately
12:06
explain what they do because for the most part,
12:11
they're not looking at it. From a third party.
12:17
So if I say I'm a networking coach, I know what
12:20
that is. But someone who's like new to networking,
12:23
they might think, oh, what exactly does that
12:26
mean? I get it. You're your coach. But like,
12:28
how exactly do you coach people? How exactly
12:31
do you advise them? So it's really important
12:35
to think about like how someone who's not in
12:40
your industry. how they would respond and understand.
12:44
So typically your referrals and your network
12:48
are going to come from people not in the same
12:51
industry as you, because that could be competition,
12:55
but there is like collaboration, but really your
12:58
referrals are going to. be from people outside
13:01
your industry so it's really important when you're
13:04
practicing your elevator pitch you could ask
13:06
someone outside your industry to you know what
13:10
they think and make sure that what you offer
13:14
is crystal clear to them. Because that's why
13:17
I think there's so many benefits of a networking
13:20
coach. Because I have clients who are bookkeepers,
13:23
financial advisors, business lenders. And it's
13:27
hard because they're in there. They think, oh,
13:29
I know what that is. I do it every day. I don't
13:31
need to explain this. But sometimes you need
13:33
to even simplify what you do. So everyone has
13:37
a crystal clear understanding. That is true.
13:41
And really the most important person to understand
13:44
what you do is you, right? You have to, people
13:49
can't exactly explain what they do in its entirety
13:54
because they're like a shotgun shell. They're
13:57
all over the place. When I coach my students,
14:01
I always have them, first we figure out their
14:05
30 second elevator pitch, right? I have them
14:09
lock that down. Then I have them take the 30
14:13
seconds down to 10 seconds. They say, it took
14:17
me so long to do 30 seconds. You expect me to
14:20
do 10? Yes, do 10. And as soon as we get that
14:24
hammer down to 10 seconds, I say, okay, now throw
14:28
it out. Now, what do you mean? Because now you
14:33
know exactly what you're going to say. So let's
14:37
work on that. And we work on that. So, you know,
14:40
you don't sound robotic. You don't sound like
14:43
this is a canned response. You're being yourself,
14:47
authentic self. Authenticity is thrown around
14:50
like a very common buzzword. But it's so true
14:54
that your authentic self has to come through
14:57
because if the person doesn't believe you, then
15:01
nothing's going to work. Yeah, that's so true.
15:08
Being authentic. I'm a big believer in being
15:11
your true self at networking events. Yes. When
15:16
someone says, I don't get referrals, what's usually
15:22
missing from the way that they communicate with
15:25
their network? So typically, there could be a
15:31
few reasons why you don't get referrals. So I
15:36
think the main... reason is have you been reaching
15:40
out to your current clients and letting them
15:45
know about I have some additional openings this
15:50
quarter if you have anyone else who would want
15:53
to prove your networking skills I would love
15:55
to help out so just I think letting people know
15:59
that you have some availability is key and also
16:05
serving your current clients very well, doing
16:09
such a good job that they're going to want to
16:14
tell you and tell you're going to want to tell
16:16
other people about your services naturally so
16:19
it's really important you want to go above and
16:22
beyond for your current clients because they're
16:24
going to be your best referral source in my opinion
16:28
because they know your work and they've experienced
16:30
your work and also letting them know just asking
16:34
them if they have anyone else who would be interested
16:38
and it's not a pushy thing but you could there's
16:42
nothing wrong with asking I think a lot of people
16:45
don't ask for referrals so I'm a big believer
16:50
in you don't get what you don't ask for so you
16:54
need to ask for what you want if you want more
16:57
referrals ask for it and also in your network
17:01
are you having these one -on -ones multiple one
17:06
-on -ones with the same person are you making
17:09
introductions for them are you referring them
17:13
business I think another way to get referrals
17:16
is to refer other people business because natural
17:21
and it's not supposed to be so transactional
17:24
but really I do think you can't be asking your
17:27
network for referrals like what are you going
17:30
to do for them you need to do stuff to help them
17:33
as well it needs to be a mutually beneficial
17:35
relationship and it's not like tit for tat in
17:39
that nature but you should be consistently going
17:43
out of your way to help your network grow their
17:47
business by offering introductions giving them
17:51
advice or support where needed and also just
17:55
asking them hey i have this new coaching program
18:00
I'm rolling out this quarter. I have a few slots
18:02
left. Wanted to see if you know of anyone who
18:06
might be interested in joining and just go from
18:10
there. I think it's really important to have
18:13
those relationships and also that your network
18:16
needs to understand what you do exactly and who
18:20
you're looking to connect with as well. And one
18:25
last thing I'll add is trying to find your strategic.
18:28
referral partners so folks who work with the
18:32
same type of clients it's good to partner with
18:34
them so it's a natural referral source yes um
18:40
in this area i'm known as a connector i'm actually
18:44
referred to as a super connector because i make
18:47
sure yeah i love to make sure that i put two
18:50
people together one that needs each other's services
18:53
and i step away I don't look for anything for
18:57
myself. I put the two of them together and say,
19:00
go ahead. But I know in the back of my head that
19:04
each one of them said, oh, you know something?
19:06
Michael referred me to this person. I better
19:10
give something back to Michael. So if I think
19:14
about that without even thinking anything is
19:16
going to come back to me, if I just connect two
19:19
people, I know it's really going to come back
19:21
to me. So that's a good way of doing it. Absolutely.
19:26
Yeah. And I think, yeah, it's important to get
19:29
that good karma flowing in the universe. And
19:33
I think eventually if you're going out of your
19:37
way to help your network and make introductions,
19:40
it's going to come back around one way or another.
19:44
I think it's important to have a few, like at
19:46
least 10 people you see consistently. And what
19:51
you had said before about referrals, about asking
19:54
for referrals, you're never, once in a while,
19:58
somebody will feel magnanimous and they're going
20:00
to refer you. But if you haven't asked for your
20:04
referrals, then you're really leaving a lot of
20:07
money on the table. And so I do that in my coaching
20:12
class. I coach them on asking for referrals,
20:16
but I too. ask for referrals. When the class
20:20
is over, when I realize that that's when they're
20:23
the happiest, I ask for the referrals because
20:27
they're more likely to give it to you. If I wait
20:30
two days a week afterwards, the peak has gone
20:34
and they're not, oh yeah, that's Michael. Okay.
20:37
But I always ask before it's over because that's
20:41
when they're, it's like when you buy a car. You're
20:44
always so happy. Oh, yeah. You start to see that
20:46
same car all over the place because you're in
20:49
the mind for it. So the same thing, you're going
20:53
to be in the mind to hire a coach. Okay. What
20:58
does it sound like when someone finally gets
21:01
clear about their message and how does their
21:04
network respond differently? So I would say it
21:10
sounds like. You're getting people to engage
21:17
with what you say for your elevator pitch. If
21:20
you say, I'm a financial advisor, a lot of people
21:25
aren't like engaging with that. Like it doesn't
21:28
give them much to work with. So I think a good
21:31
measurement is to see what kind of engagement
21:34
are you getting back after you deliver your elevator
21:38
pitch? Are they asking? open -ended follow -up
21:42
questions about what you do. Like you mentioned,
21:46
you're a networking coach and people are like,
21:49
tell me more. Are people asking to the listeners?
21:52
Are people asking you? Are they saying, tell
21:56
me more when you deliver your elevator pitch?
21:58
Are they saying, is it kind of basic things like,
22:01
oh, what kind of company or what company do you
22:04
work for? That's not an open ended question.
22:06
That's a closed ended question. But really, if
22:09
they're showing interest by asking open ended
22:13
questions after you deliver your elevator pitch,
22:17
I would say that's a good sign that your elevator
22:21
pitch is very clear. And it's intriguing to them.
22:26
It's very intriguing and it's very interesting.
22:29
And when you begin to network properly, I should
22:34
add, because if you don't do it properly, you're
22:36
never going to enjoy it, but you're really going
22:38
to have fun. You're going to enjoy networking,
22:41
enjoy going out and meeting with people because
22:45
you're networking properly, right? In modern
22:50
networking. Attention is short and trust takes
22:54
time. How do you build relationships that last
22:58
beyond the first meeting? So you got to have
23:04
your one -to -ones and this is so key. You need
23:10
to be having your one -to -ones if they seem
23:12
like a good connection for you. Now, you don't
23:15
need to have a one -on -one with everyone you
23:18
meet at a networking event. I think people need
23:20
to use their own judgment and see who would be
23:23
a beneficial connection for them. But you have
23:26
to have those one -to -ones and continuously
23:29
have those one -to -ones like once a quarter
23:32
with solid folks in your network. It's so important
23:38
to get involved in, I'd say, two networking groups.
23:44
And you'll see the same people consistently over
23:48
and over again. And that's a good way to build
23:51
trust because by seeing them over and over again,
23:56
they're going to like you more. They're going
23:59
to know you more. And then naturally, they're
24:01
going to trust you more. Even if you don't think
24:03
you have things in common with them, you're like,
24:06
Oh, hey, Joe. Hey, Dana. You'll recognize their
24:11
face and there'll be a familiar face to you and
24:14
naturally you'll talk to them more. Also, another
24:18
modern networking strategy is to add them online
24:23
as well. So you want to connect with everyone
24:27
you meet. on LinkedIn and Facebook and Instagram
24:32
if you have a professional Facebook and Instagram
24:34
because that way they will see your posts in
24:39
their feed as well and it's another way for you
24:42
to stay relevant and top of mind and I think
24:45
folks need to be the one you have to be the one
24:48
to add them on LinkedIn and Facebook on Instagram
24:52
because I'm sure as Michael a lot of people don't
24:56
follow up. That's true. And half of my workshops
25:00
is follow up, right? The follow up is, I would
25:05
say the follow up is more important than actually
25:08
meeting the person. Because it's the way that
25:11
you follow up is how much business you're going
25:14
to get from them. And if you don't follow up
25:16
properly, then you probably won't get their business
25:19
at all. You have AI. Nowadays, you have different
25:24
ways that you can promote yourselves on social
25:27
media. I'm different. I use a program called
25:31
Opus Clips and all my podcasts and things like
25:35
that. I post on LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook,
25:41
and Instagram four times a day. Wow. Four times
25:46
a day. And you know how long that takes me to
25:49
do it? Less than five minutes. Less than five
25:52
minutes. That's what Opus Clips does, right?
25:56
So it's amazing because it takes your podcast,
25:59
it clips it up into different pieces, and you
26:02
get to post it whenever you want. And you see
26:04
what social media platforms you want to post
26:07
it on. I happen to subscribe to those. Oh, I
26:13
also subscribe to X, Twitter, right? So when
26:17
I post one item. it automatically goes out to
26:22
Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
26:27
Right? So if I do it four times, four different
26:30
clips, I could do all that in less than five
26:33
minutes. So I'm using this program to do what
26:39
normally would have taken me a half an hour or
26:43
45 minutes. So I get to do other things. So it's
26:47
just on how you structure it, but it's very important
26:51
because nowadays all the networking you do can't
26:56
just be face -to -face. It's in social media
26:59
as well. And also because folks are busy, they
27:01
don't have time to meet with you once a month.
27:04
I think that's a little unrealistic, especially
27:06
in like Atlanta or Charlotte traffic. Yeah. Yeah.
27:11
Forget about Atlanta traffic. It's no good. Okay.
27:16
What habits turn casual contacts into real partners
27:22
over time? So I really think getting to know
27:30
them and trying to offer value to your contacts.
27:37
It's so important because no one wants to be
27:40
sold. Don't sell them anything. focus on providing
27:47
value and eventually they're going to provide
27:52
value back in some way or a partnership but it's
27:54
really important to think about what you can
27:57
do for them either today or in the future keep
28:01
an eye out for their ideal client and if you
28:05
could refer them definitely try to refer them
28:08
make introductions and really yeah Focus on providing
28:14
value to them. And I think that is going to help
28:19
people turn just a phone number into a real,
28:24
genuine relationship. It's like a friendship.
28:28
There's dating apps and also like they have Bumble
28:31
BFF. I've met some women on Bumble BFF. Like
28:34
I get their number. I've met up with some. But
28:37
like you're not going to have a good friendship
28:40
if you meet the person once. You need to see
28:42
them consistently and be there for them in multiple
28:46
ways. And the same thing for any type of relationship.
28:49
So be there for them. Congratulate them. And
28:53
reach out if you hear a post on LinkedIn where
28:57
they're doing they had an achievement give them
29:00
a call or text them also invite them to networking
29:04
events you're attending so it's not like a one
29:07
-to -one but you can still see them i learned
29:11
a line which i usually say in all my workshops
29:15
and my coaching and everything else people love
29:21
to buy but they hate to be sold to so if you
29:25
think of a car dealership Do you want that salesman
29:29
to come up to you and say, hey, how do you like
29:32
this? Oh, this is a Chevy Tahoe. It does this.
29:35
It does that. It's great. Let me show you this.
29:36
Let me show you this. Okay. And it's all over
29:39
you and trying to show you and sell you and everything.
29:41
Or do you want the salesman to come up to you
29:44
and say, hi, I'm Michael. If you need any help,
29:47
I'm right over here. It's a different mindset,
29:51
but this is America. People love to buy things.
29:55
They just hate to be sold to. So if you keep
29:59
that in the back of your mind, you'll go a lot
30:01
further. Absolutely. Where do professionals unknowingly
30:07
make networking harder than it needs to be? So
30:13
folks make it harder by just thinking, oh, I
30:17
got to attend all of the events, every event,
30:20
happy hours, breakfast meetups. lunches afternoon
30:24
events and also they're just driving everywhere
30:29
across the city like for folks in major metro
30:33
areas that's unrealistic to attend all the events
30:37
so it's really best to get involved in one to
30:43
two groups and be very active in those groups
30:45
so stop trying to go to all of the events because
30:49
also I think a lot of people make a mistake of
30:55
just going to the free events and, oh, I'll go
30:58
to the free events. I'll go to all of the free
31:00
events. But that attracts folks who may not be
31:03
as serious to building their professional network
31:07
as those who are willing to invest their hard
31:10
-earned money in a membership -based group. So
31:14
free events are fine, but if you find consistently
31:17
you don't see the same people. over and over
31:20
again and people can be flaky, you might want
31:23
to consider a paid membership group because some
31:27
of my events, I've hosted free events and a lot
31:31
of folks just don't come back. And it's just
31:34
because they're just like doing all of these
31:37
events and they don't have any buy -in or commitment.
31:39
So I really think you should invest your time
31:42
into groups where Other folks are just as invested
31:47
with their time and their money to build their
31:50
professional relationships. Absolutely. I couldn't
31:54
agree with you more. I couldn't agree with you
31:56
more. Think about the most successful connectors.
32:01
What do they do in conversations that others
32:04
don't even notice? I think in their head, they're...
32:09
a matchmaker they're trying to their mind is
32:12
churning you're like oh yeah I do this and I'm
32:14
like oh I actually know someone like their mind
32:17
is churning with people they already can connect
32:20
you to even if you haven't even said who you
32:23
want to connect with I'm like that I'm like a
32:25
matchmaker for networking I love to connect people
32:28
to other folks who might they might benefit from
32:31
professionally so a key word for a super connector
32:35
is let me connect you with x or I can introduce
32:38
you to X or would you like me to introduce you
32:42
to X? It's very important to offer an introduction.
32:47
I often say, would you like me to introduce you
32:52
to this person through an email? And I'll go
32:57
online and I'll put everybody's email address.
33:00
And I'll say, Dana, this is Michael. Michael,
33:03
this is Dana. Dana, this is a networking expert.
33:05
And Michael, I believe you need her expertise.
33:09
You guys take over from here. And I let you converse.
33:14
So I've introduced you. I've given you each other's
33:18
contact information without me even trying to
33:21
promote it. And I am able to step away. I'm usually
33:26
about 80 % successful in having people take my
33:32
lead because if I invited them, that usually
33:35
means that I vetted them and they're pretty good
33:38
at what they do. So that's one thing. Okay, let's
33:42
bring this full circle. If someone wants their
33:46
network to truly work for them this year, what
33:50
belief do they need to let go of first? They
33:56
need to let go of the belief that these people
34:01
should be referring me clients immediately. And
34:05
also adopt the belief that people you meet at
34:09
networking events, they don't owe you anything.
34:12
They don't owe you clients. They don't owe you.
34:15
They don't need to be your client and they don't
34:18
owe you any referrals. Stop like thinking of
34:21
it so transactional. Think about. developing
34:26
relationships instead of getting business. Because
34:28
I know, and I was there too, like when I was
34:31
younger, I was like, oh, I was an office leasing
34:33
agent. I was like, hey, do you guys want to renew
34:35
or relocate to our office? And it's, I mean,
34:38
I did close deals that way, but I really got
34:42
the most deals by, you know, being consistent
34:45
with my follow -up and talking to the same people
34:48
over and over again. So really, Focus on providing
34:51
value to them and don't force anyone to a meeting.
34:59
We talked about no one wants to get sold. Don't
35:03
force a meeting. We can ask if they want to set
35:06
up a meeting once, but if they don't want to,
35:10
just drop it. Don't force anything. And I'd also
35:14
say adopt the mindset of focus on. relationships
35:20
that bring you happiness and mutual benefits.
35:26
Nina, I have to tell you, this was an enlightening
35:30
podcast. I love hearing about how other people
35:33
network, especially someone with your background.
35:37
You've created a networking environment and you're
35:40
passing it on. And I love that. If one of my
35:44
listeners was listening and they wanted to get
35:46
a hold of you, how would they do it? Thank you.
35:51
So if anyone wants to reach me, you can follow
35:56
me on LinkedIn and send me a message there. Dana
36:00
Alfirovic, my name is in the screen here. Also,
36:04
you can send me a message on our Facebook or
36:09
Instagram, which is Charlotte Networking Knowledge.
36:13
And you can also visit my website, which is Networking
36:18
Knowledge and That's the difference. If anyone
36:25
has any follow -up questions or just wants to
36:28
talk about networking or needs some support and
36:31
encouragement, feel free to reach out. I'd love
36:34
to talk. That's the difference clear communication
36:39
makes. Not louder, not busier, just clearer.
36:44
If something you heard today shifted the way
36:47
you think about your network, don't wait. Use
36:50
it in your very next conversation. Say what you
36:53
do with confidence. Ask better questions. Watch
36:56
how quickly doors start opening. If this episode
37:00
gave you value, share it with someone who's building
37:03
their future one relationship at a time. And
37:07
make sure you follow Networking Unleashed, building
37:10
profitable connections so you never miss a conversation
37:13
that helps you turn connection into momentum.
37:17
Michael Foreman. And remember, your network already
37:20
has what you need. The only question is, are
37:24
you communicating it clearly enough for it to
37:27
help you? Dana, thank you again for coming on
37:30
the podcast. And I will speak with you soon.
37:34
Thank you so much again. And thank you, everyone,
37:36
for listening. Well, hold on, folks. Don't go
37:44
anywhere. Let's hear from our sponsors. David
37:47
Neal, co -founder, Revved Up Kids. Revved Up
37:50
Kids is on a mission to protect children and
37:53
teens from sexual abuse, exploitation, and trafficking.
37:57
They provide prevention training programs for
38:01
children, teens, and adults. To learn more, go
38:04
to revvedupkids .org. Henry Kaplan, Century 21.
38:09
When it comes to making the biggest financial
38:11
decision of your life, leave it in the hands
38:14
of a proven professional, Henry Kaplan. Henry
38:18
is a global real estate agent with Century 21,
38:21
celebrating his 41st year in business. No matter
38:25
where you're moving, Henry has the right connections
38:28
for you. You can contact Henry at 561 -427 -4888.
38:35
A huge thank you to our guests for sharing such
38:39
insights today. And of course, a big shout out
38:42
to you, our amazing listeners, for tuning in
38:45
and spending your time with us. If you're interested
38:48
in my digital courses, being coached or having
38:52
me come and talk to your company, just go to
38:55
Michael and fill out the request form. Remember,
38:58
networking isn't about being perfect. It's about
39:02
being present. So take what you've learned today,
39:05
get out there and make some meaningful connections.
39:08
If you've enjoyed this episode, please don't
39:11
forget to subscribe. Leave us a review and share
39:14
it with someone who could use a little networking
39:17
inspiration. Let's keep the conversation going.
39:20
You can find me on Apple, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube,
39:24
or my website, foreman .com slash podcasts.