Latest / The IDEA SANDWICH Podcast / The Networking Habit That Pays Off Years Later
Transcript
- Ara Topouzian: To make a great sandwich, you need great ingredients. And the same goes for your work and yourself, the way you layer them, balance them, and maybe even toast them a little. That's what makes something memorable. I'm Ara Topouzian and this is the idea sandwich, where we mix the right layers of creativity, business, and life to make something worth biting into. Because sometimes one good idea can change the way you see everything else. And today's idea is this the best time to build a network is when you don't need one. Everybody wants a great network, but almost everybody hates networking. That's like saying, I hate exercising, but I'd really like the muscles. It doesn't quite work that way. And I think part of the problem is that we've turned networking into an activity or a chore. You go to a networking event. You put on a name tag and you grab a drink. And then you wander around the room full of strangers, pretending that standing next to the cheese tray feels completely natural. And then comes the classic opening line. So what do you do? And we're off. Business cards, LinkedIn requests, QR codes. By the end of the night, you've met 17 people whose names you likely forget before you find your car. So that's not networking. That's simply collecting humans. A network isn't measured by how many people you know. It's measured by how many actual relationships you've built. We've all heard this before. It's quality, not quantity. And that's a big difference. Here's when people suddenly become incredible networkers when they need something. They need a job. They're looking for clients. They need an introduction, raising money, they want to get on a board. Suddenly they're reaching out to people they haven't spoken to since the Carter administration. Hey, hope you're doing great. It's been way too long. Yes, yes, it has. And we both know why you're emailing me. Now there's absolutely nothing wrong with people asking for help. That's one of the reasons relationships matter. But if the only time people are hearing from you is when you need something, that's not really a relationship. That's an ATM. And eventually people notice. When I say strategic networking, I'm not talking about sitting at home with a spreadsheet ranking everyone you know based on their usefulness. Well, let's see. Bob knows three CEOs. Okay, well, we'll keep Bob. Linda's very nice. Yeah, limited connections. Let's just delete Linda. That's not strategic networking. That's slightly disturbing. Strategic networking is simply being intentional about relationships. Who are the people you want to know better? Who are the people doing interesting things? Who can you learn from? And who can you help? Who should know each other? And probably the most important question what can you do for people when you don't need anything from them? Because that's when the real network gets built. One of the best ways to build a strong network is incredibly simple. Be useful. Make an introduction. Send someone an article you think they'd find interesting. Recommend somebody for an opportunity. Invite someone to something. Congratulate them when something good happens. Check in occasionally. And here's an extremely advanced networking technique. Actually listen to people. Crazy, right? If somebody tells you. They're looking for a marketing person. And three weeks later, you meet a great marketing person, connect them. Not because you're keeping score, not because you're thinking, excellent, Linda now owes me one. You do it because you can help. And over time, something interesting happens. People start remembering you, not as the person who gave them a business card, but as someone who connects dots, someone who follows through, someone who helps. In someone they trust. That's a true network. We also need to stop confusing connections with relationships. Does this sound like we're talking about LinkedIn? You can have 5,000 LinkedIn connections and still not have anyone you feel comfortable calling when you actually need something. LinkedIn has made this especially funny. You accept. Nine seconds later. Thanks for connecting, Ara! I'd like to schedule 30 minutes to show you how our revolutionary platform can transform your organization. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Whoa, we just met. At least buy me a cup of coffee before transforming my organization. A LinkedIn connection isn't a relationship, it's simply an introduction. What happens after that is what matters. The best networkers. I know, don't really seem like they're networking. They're curious. They remember people. They stay in touch. They make connections. They make introductions. They help people without immediately expecting something in return. And they've been doing it for years. So when they eventually do need something, they don't suddenly have to start networking. The network is already there. That's the part people miss. You build the relationship before you need the relationship. Because relationships have a funny way of compounding. You help someone today. Three years from now, that person introduces you to someone else. That person becomes a friend. Five years later, that friend calls you about an opportunity you never knew existed. you couldn't have planned any of it. but you created the conditions for it to happen. That's strategic networking. It's intentional without being transactional. And please don't only network up. There's one other networking habit that drives me nuts. The person who walks into the room and immediately starts calculating who the most important person is. You've probably talked to this person. They're standing right in front of you. They're nodding. They're smiling. absolutely. That's fascinating. But their eyes are looking over your shoulder because a CEO just walked in the room. They're tracking that CEO like a Labrador watching a tennis ball. Don't do that. Talk to everybody. The intern today could be running the company tomorrow. The young entrepreneur. Nobody knows today could build the next huge company. The person who can't do anything for you right now could become one of the most important relationships in your life. And even if none of those things happen, they're still a person worth knowing. Because strategic networking isn't about figuring out who's important, it's about building genuine relationships with interesting people. So here's today's sandwich. Stop thinking about networking as something you do when you need something. Build relationships when you don't. Make introductions, stay curious, be useful, follow up, help people, remember what people tell you. And every once in a while, send someone a message that doesn't end with, anyway, I was wondering if you could do me a favor. Because the best network isn't necessarily the big one, it's the one built on trust. And if you wait until you desperately need a network to start building one, you're already too late. That's today's idea sandwich. Now go meet somebody. Just stay away from the cheese tray.