Networking Mistakes. 7 Colossal. You Should Avoid. How to avoid the seven biggest pitfalls when connecting with influential and successful people

Transcription

1 7 Colossal Networking Mistakes You Should Avoid How to avoid the seven biggest pitfalls when connecting with influential and successful people Mohamed Tohami Bestselling Author of The Pharaohs Code

2 This is a free report written by Mohamed Tohami. Please share it with anyone you please under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Copyright 2012 Mohamed Tohami

3 Your approach to building a connection with an influential person can make or break your networking efforts. You re probably hesitating on contacting some of the most influential people you could encounter, because you re afraid of looking foolish, unintelligent or worthless. That s why in this report I would like to share with you the worst way to build a connection! It s a true story that happened to me and I think this personal example is the best way to show you how to build a strong quality connection with an influential person using the right and most effective approach. I m not sharing this personal story to convey that I m an influential person. Of course, I wouldn t mind if you consider me one. But, look at me as someone who is sharing his personal experience to help you follow your passion, accelerate your success and make your life a story that s worth telling using the power of networking with important people. I m just using this personal example to make my message more clear and relevant to you. Do You Make These Seven Mistakes In Connecting With Influential People? I once received a LinkedIn connection request from an Egyptian who was living in the U.S. In general, I never reject any connection request even if I don t know the person. And he had an impressive profile that reflected the image of a very successful business professional. So I accepted the connection right away. Then, the next day this person, let s call him Jack, sent me this

4 Thank you for accepting my LinkedIn invite. I am going to be in Egypt during Oct I would like to take the opportunity and meet with you over coffee if your schedule permits. Looking forward to your response. Mistake #1: He didn t say a word about what he was doing and why he wanted to meet me. I don t know why he assumed that I normally accept meetings with strangers. (Note: He contacted me in September 23rd, i.e. one month before his arrival.) Here was my reply... Thanks for your invite. Let's get in touch when you arrive safely. A couple of days later, he sent me this message... Hi- thank you for your response. If possible I'd like to schedule a date and time with you prior to my arrival as my calendar will be full. How about if you treat our first meeting as a consultation hour? My schedule is full for 21 & 22, so if you have availability on 23 or 24 will be great. I can be flexible on location and time. Thank you. Mistake #2: It was turning out that it was me who wanted to meet him! He was busy. His schedule was full and I had to schedule a meeting far in advance. Another thing... consultation for what? Again, why did he assume that I do consultations with anybody, at any time and for any purpose? Did he even check whether I had consultation services or not (which I don t)? Do you think this was respectful enough? Here was my reply...

5 What is the objective of our meeting? What do you mean by a "consultation hour"? 23rd is OK with me. Anytime in the evening. Now, you may think that I m an idiot. And yes, you may be right. I lacked assertiveness in this situation. But, I was patient because his profile on LinkedIn showed a very professional person who was leading a very successful career. He replied back with this message... Great, let us confirm October 23, and as we get closer to the date, we can firm up the time and location. I will be in Maadi, so let me know what location works best for you. My goal is to spend an hour with you and utilize your executive coaching services regarding, motivation, career goals, passion, etc. I've recently started to follow you through LinkedIn and want to learn more. Do you provide executive coaching services? If yes, then please let me know your fee for an hour consultation. I want our conversation to be an open dialogue on Egypt corporate environment, how I can make an impact to support the ongoing changes and how to turn my passion into something positive for Egypt. I think we will both enjoy the conversation and dialogue. Mistake #3: This was probably the best he has sent me. But, the very small mistake he made this time was that he didn t know enough about me. If he researched me, and my services, he would have known that I didn t offer executive coaching services. But anyway, it was good that he made his goal clear, asked about whether I offer this type of service or not, and also asked about my fee.

6 I thought it was good that I was patient. He might turn to be a good potential client. However, I had to be honest with him and tell him exactly about the type of services I was offering. So, I replied to him saying... I only do life purpose coaching (45-minute session). For more details, please check: Looking forward to our meeting. And that was his VERY STRANGE reply... I briefly reviewed your site, and I have to be candid with you as I am skeptical of these services. However, I am still interested in meeting and will sign up for your 45-minute session. I look forward to a candid conversation and will keep an open mind. We will keep the 23rd and confirm time/location as we get closer. Thank you. Mistake #4: Briefly reviewed!! Skeptical!! So, why did you want to meet with me in the first place? If you don t believe in my message and my type of services, why do you want to meet with me? Moreover, you don t have to sign up for a service that you re skeptical of. Anyway, you said you re open-minded and that you ll sign up to give it a try. Let s see if this was true. I didn t reply to that and waited for him to freely sign up if he wanted. Close to the date of our scheduled meeting, he sent me this message... Hope this finds you well. I am confirming our meeting for Oct 23. Please let me know the time and location that will work best for you. Thank you.

7 Mistake #5: Hey, wait a second... you didn t sign up for my life purpose coaching session as you said you would. So, are you still skeptical or did you just ignore the deal? Well, I ve the right to be skeptical of meeting you, too. So, I replied... Thanks for the follow up. I'm still confused about the purpose of this meeting. You said in a previous that you're skeptical of the type of services I provide. And I was clear that I don't offer executive coaching services. So, how can this meeting be of benefit to both of us? What is in it for you?... and what is in it for me? Now, I m getting a little bit assertive. And here came his worst reply... Goal for me: meet interesting professional people who I am connected to via LinkedIn; learn more about what they do especially in Egypt, learn more about the business environment in Egypt and have an engaging hour conversation. For you: that is up to you. Maybe turn a skeptic into a believer? I will treat you to coffee (low value, but I never turn down a good cup of coffee and a good conversation), and I will pay you 200 pounds for your one hour of time. Your decision, so please let me know asap. I have time on Sunday either from 4-5 or 5-6. Thank you.

8 Mistake #6: There are lots of mistakes here, not only one. Let s examine them one by one. Goal for me: meet interesting professional people Suddenly, his goal totally changed. If you remember, that was not his initial intention. At the beginning he wanted to explore how to turn his passion into a service to the community. He was looking for a one -hour consultation or executive coaching. What happened?! His purpose suddenly turned into meeting interesting people! For you... that s up to you Wonderful! That s the perfect way to convince me to meet with a stranger without having any specific purpose! Maybe turn a skeptic into a believer? Why do I want to turn a skeptic into a believer? I don t want to do that. I don t push or force people to believe in my message or what I have to offer. I prefer to work with clients who are already have a need or are looking for a solution to their problem. Then here came the most humiliating part... I will treat you to coffee... and I will pay you 200 (Egyptian) pounds (~33 US Dollars) for your one hour of time. Who said that this was a fair exchange for me? Who said that this was how I charged for my services? Who sets the rules here? And if I agreed, what did he expect to get in return? Was he just looking for one hour of my time?

9 I was really puzzled and didn t believe what I was reading. You will be surprised to learn that the life purpose coaching session that I offer was worth a $197 investment or 1,200 Egyptian Pounds, not 200! your decision, let me know asap. I like the ASAP part! As if I was a skeptical person who was wasting his time!! I have time on Sunday either from 4-5 or 5-6. Well, this time he was not flexible on time anymore. He only had two slots available on Sunday from 4-5 or 5-6. So, I had better pick one soon before they were reserved for another meeting. Finally, I got really assertive and here was my last reply... Sorry, I ll have to pass your kind invite/offer. Period. Now, see how he replied back... Ok, sorry to hear that, our mutual lost opportunity. Good luck. Mistake #7: Mutual lost opportunity!! What a strange guy? Why did I lose? What would I gain in the first place? There was nothing in it for me. He was blaming me for my bad decision! I couldn t believe that a person whose profile reflected a bright successful professional connected to other people like that.

10 I feel really sorry about his approach to business networking. I think he either didn t have the knowledge, or he was just incorrectly applying what he was hearing about the importance of networking with interesting people! His approach was a disaster. I believe that if you avoid these seven colossal mistakes you will be far better at connecting with influential people. Always keep the following in mind: 1. Clearly present yourself and what you do through a gripping story. 2. Show that you re likable, trustable and valuable. 3. Be respectful & flexible. 4. Offer value first (What is in it for him/her?). 5. Research the person and show sincere appreciation for his/her work. 6. Be positive, open-minded & energetic. 7. Follow up and never ignore any previous agreements. Networking is the #1 success accelerator. If you do it right, you can achieve your goals faster that you could imagine possible. ** If you found this report useful, please share it with someone you care about. This report is an excerpt from The StoryNetworking* ecourse. If you re tired of struggling with your networking ability, then you re about to discover how you can connect with some of the most influential and successful gurus in your field, regardless of your experience, through the power of StoryNetworking. The StoryNetworking ecourse will be officially live on September 18, 2012 (You ll be notified via when it is LIVE) * StoryNetworking is the fine art of connecting with important people using the power of storytelling.

11 Here s what two of the world s top business networking gurus say about StoryNetworking: Tohami has devoted much of his life work to helping improve the lives of others and StoryNetworking is no exception. His well-thought out, encouraging compilation of networking strategies are a practical to-do list helping virtually anyone needing encouragement to achieve their desired results. The advice is timeless and the course outline is solidified with realistic expectations. Everyone looking to build and increase their networks must avail themselves of StoryNetworking! - Susan RoAne, International speaker and author of the groundbreaking bestseller How To Work a Room, The Secrets of Savvy Networking and Face to Face. StoryNetworking is the ultimate answer to the questions and mysteries surrounding social networking. A solid, well-written, in-depth guide to utilizing the world of social networking to acquire the contacts you desire and build your wealth through a strong network, this e- course is the go-to resource for remarkable social networking success. Whether you re completely baffled by social networking or you simply have a handful of questions and want to learn how to get the absolute best results from your networking efforts, StoryNetworking is your solution. - Ivan Misner, Ph.D., NY Times Bestselling Author and Founder of BNI, the world s largest business networking organization. You CAN start your networking plans and develop the connections you need to further your own personal success. Stop waiting for the proper timing and start developing the networking strategy that s going to help you accelerate your life, business or career success! The StoryNetworking ecourse will be officially live on September 18, 2012 (You ll be notified via when it is LIVE)

12 About Mohamed Tohami Mohamed Tohami helps unfulfilled corporate professionals set their heart & soul free from the prison of the paycheck and start following their passion, live freely and openly and make a significant contribution! He is known for his series of interviews with ultra-successful people about their secrets of transformation and success, having recorded over 140 interviews with the world s leading success and business gurus like Jim Cathcart, Tony Alessandra, Michael Gerber, Mark Sanborn, Leo Babauta and many more. Tohami took what he learned from these interviews and blent it with timeless success principles, first recorded by the Ancient Egyptians sages to create a proven framework for passionate living. This unique blend of the philosophies of then and now will show you how to create a lifestyle that reflects what matters most to you and resonates with your heart s desires. On May 19, 2009, his first book, The Pharaohs Code, was the #1 bestselling motivational book on Amazon.com. This book is your personal Rosetta Stone for unlocking the true meaning of your life. On his blog, Tohami shares motivational infographics, success stories and expert interviews (video) that will inspire and motivate you to follow your passion and live a life you can be proud of. He offers a unique, easy, expansive and lively motivational reading experience that you deserve. Find out more at: