As I’ve alluded to again and again, if I had to pinpoint the #1 reason I failed in the music business, it would be my aversion to networking. So I always like to pass along info to help anyone out there like me. And here’s the latest, an all encompassing post from Guy Kawasaki – a venture capitalist and businessman extraordinaire.
There are 9 steps, but I’ll pick two to speak to here:
4. Unveil your passions. Only talking about business is
boring. Good schmoozers unveil their passions after they get to know
you. Great schmoozers lead off with their passions. Your passions make
you an interesting person–you’ll stick out because you’re the only
person not talking about 802.11 chipsets at the wireless conference.
Personally, my passions are children, Macintosh, Breitling watches,
digital photography, and hockey if you ever meet me. (#5 is related too)
I’ll never forget a lecture given at North Texas State by an alumni who made his living as a recording session musician in L.A. He said that he and his fellow musicians NEVER talked about music. Being a great player was a given, but what got you work was being an interesting person. No one is interested in working with a robot, they want to work with friends, or people who they could see being their friends.
6. Follow up. Over the course of my career, I’ve given
away thousands of business cards. At one point, I thought I was nuts
because if all those people called or emailed me, I’d never get
anything done. Funny thing: hardly anyone ever follows up. Frankly, I
don’t know why people bother asking for a business card if they’re not
going to follow up. Great schmoozers follow up within twenty-four
hours–just a short email will do: “Nice to meet you. I hope we can do
something together. Hope your blog is doing well. I loved your
Breitling watch. I have two tickets to the Stanley Cup Finals if you
want to attend.” Include at least one thing to show the recipient that
she isn’t getting a canned email. (and #7)
This is an extension of my post, What’s Your Promise PLUS?, except away from music. Following up is a simple, yet rarely done, step that ensures you stand out in the crowd. And if you stand out, it’s likely you’ll be on someone’s mind when they need your services.
Now, get out there and meet some folks!
