Greg's Right FIT #557–This week: Networking, Big numbers, Spider webs

Quick notes to help you find new business in less time with less effort. . . sometime next week.

In this issue: 

• Thoughts about Networking
• Being Human
• Random Stuff
• Back In The Day

Thoughts about Networking

• If you are networking, prepare for success. Before you arrive, identify prospects, give yourself some goals, ask open ended questions, be a good listener, introduce people to each other, follow up, and track results. 
• Networking for referrals is a good concept. As you do it, keep the flow of dollars between referrer and referral in mind. Peer-to-peer is best because there is no flow of dollars, just respect. The next best group are referrals from givers of funds to recipients of funds. The most challenging group of referrals are from recipients of funds to their givers. Before you call them, see if you can find a peer referral instead. I wish it were different, but it's not.
• The best place to network is where your current business contacts hang out. Birds of a feather, flock together and your next referral is hanging out with your current customers. Attend an event with them and ask for introductions.
• Transition from social calls to business calls with language like this: "Would you be open to a time next week, away from this, where I tell you about what my firm is doing and you tell me a little about what your firm is working on? I feel like there might be a fit." Be ready for a yes, a no, or a maybe so.

Being Human – Big numbers

“. . .the most recent common ancestor of everyone alive today on Earth lived only around 3,400 years ago. . .”
― Adam Rutherford, "A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived"

In the late 1990's the CEO/founder of the company I worked for was rumored to be worth $500,000,000. It meant nothing to me at the time. The number was too big for my little brain. He had houses all over. Big houses. He had exotic cars. He hobnobbed with the President of the USA. (and yet he still found time to call me a f'n idiot. . .the man really had it all!) It seemed like a lot.

At that time I got to know a wealthy person who didn't yell at me. They were only worth a rumored $50MM, which still meant nothing to me. I got invited to their house, visited one of their vacation homes, and saw the effects of their generosity first hand. Late one night, at one of their parties, I remember thinking, "if this is what $50MM gets you, what is that jerk doing with ten times as much?"

Humans are bad with big numbers and I represent that fact. One time I was in California visiting with a client. They were in the midst of a terrible drought. Farm fields were burning up. In my state the farmers had the opposite situation. Their fields were flooding from torrential rains. My client said, "it's too bad we can't move some of that water over here." Big numbers seem easy. They're not. Big concepts seem easy too. Also not.

When confronted with big numbers, big problems, or big concepts, consider setting them aside for a minute. Convert the number into a person. Consider an individual affected by the problem. Apply the concept to your next door neighbor. It's been said a human won't step over a crying child, but they'll reduce a number in a spreadsheet by ten percent. I believe it. Try not to get lost in big numbers.

Random Stuff

This is spider web season. Each morning I try to avoid them as I walk around the yard, but it's futile. Each evening I do the same but end up walking through sticky webbing. If the backyard neighbors are watching, I walk like Frankenstein because I'd rather have web on my hand than my face.

This came up on a walk with my lovely bride. She said she doesn't like the stickiness but she isn't afraid of spiders. This was after I walked through a web and well, freaked out, jumping all over and trying to get out of it. I said it was a reasonable human response, especially considering the movie Arachnaphobia.

"I never watched that," she said. "Why would you put things like that in your head?"

"You missed a good one," I said, and shook my willies out, thinking 'There's no way a spider's on me. It can't be stuck in my hair and finding its way down my shirt. Not happening.' I continue wipe swat myself as we make our way down the street.

How did she not see that movie?

Back in the Day

What I was thinking about last year, five years ago, and ten years ago.

• Last Year: Right FIT #506 – A story about the pressure release tactic in real life by one of my favorite bands, Grandaddy. At the time I wrote that I was very excited to visit Chicago and see their 25th anniversary of the Sophtware Slump album show. The week before I was set to leave something came up. I tried to sell the tickets, tried to give the tickets away, and even tried to have them left at the door. Nothing. Still kind of a pisser.
• Five Years Ago: Right FIT #297 – The story of my paint stripper tool. This was five years ago and I think I tried the same thing 10 years before that. My friend Dean reminds me that it's easier to hire a pro. They'll do it fast, do it right, and I won't notice every little mistake. I ask what the fun in that is, but know he's right. It's a sickness.
• Ten Years Ago: Right FIT #35 – Cute story cued by the late great Wilson the ABC. He used to follow those garden snakes around and pop up like a cat when they struck at him. Made me laugh every time. Not sure if we still have any snakes around. They were good for business. I think they must have eaten spiders because I ran into fewer webs back then. Maybe. Could be nostalgia.