I don’t want to come off as a hot shot, but I got connections. No, you’re not going to see me hanging with Jennifer Anniston and Payton Manning sitting around the VIP section of the hottest clubs in LA. I do however have connections to achieve the things I want to in life. In the past couple of years while walking around campus, numerous people have asked me how I know so many people. They base this on the fact that my walk to class or hanging out at the rec involves many what’s up and hellos. It’s not that I just hang out with a large group of friends, it’s that no matter where I go I am trying to meet people. This has also helped me in a business sense. Many of my business connections are often impressed that I know so many others in the business community and want to use my connecting abilities to help their company. While my friends scramble to find after college jobs, I have already been offered by 5 different companies without even filling out a resume. I know someone who has turned in over 75 resumes and can’t even get an interview. Some of these companies are not even great jobs, like coffee shops that pay minimum wage, and he has a college degree. While I enjoy the opportunities these companies have offered me, I know that what I love doing is running my own business, which is what I intend to keep on doing.
If or going to work for someone else or not, the majority of us have a goal to make money and enjoy life. Neither of these things is possible without connections. The richest people I know, know everyone. They hang out with professional athletes, politicians, and other great business men. How do they do it? Why are some people capable of knowing everyone and others just sit around wishing they were even asked to hang out? Follow these simple steps I have learned in my life.
1. Connect with someone more important. The key to having connections is to have connections with someone with power. They have access to a lot of things you can enjoy. They have advice they can offer and help they can lend. It can be intimidating talking to an idol, but you have to look at everyone like they are on your playing level. If someone in a position higher than yours senses your lack of confidence they are not going to find you interesting enough to associate with.
2. Talk to people. Sometimes I have met people just by overhearing their conversation and saying something. I have met some of my best friends that way. Just don’t be afraid to talk, the worst that happens is they don’t like you. You don’t know them any way so your life won’t change in the slightest.
3. Don’t be afraid to ask for business cards and numbers. For most people the best idea is to ask for a business card. The reason being, it has email. Email is less intimidating that talking to someone on the phone. If they don’t have a card ask them for their email. Then shoot them one within the next couple of days, just saying it was nice to meet you and something you talked about. For non business related people get a number, send a text or call and try to find something in common that you could do together. Just ask them if they want to play touch football or go to a baseball game. The event should be public though. Private events like movies with someone you barely know can get kind of awkward if there is nothing to talk about. In public setting there are all kinds of characters and things happening to keep the conversation going.
4. Be nice. Most people enjoy meeting new people but don’t really know how. As long as you are friendly and genuinely care about what they have to say you will get along great with most people. However if this person is someone you are idolizing and want to use to advance your career or lifestyle, they will easily be able to tell that you don’t care about them and that you just want to talk about what they got. Try to avoid talking about things they might have that you are interested in. An example of these is talking to an athlete. Some people become infatuated with an athlete’s abilities and when they talk to them it shows. They just want to talk about that game winning catch they made or the fact that they watched them back when they were at the university of who knows where. The athlete sees this as idolization and get the impression you only like them for their athletic abilities, not because you actually have something in common. I’m not saying it’s not ok to complement them on something they do well, just don’t dwell on it.
Here is a great reference from a top level author, entrepreneur and fitness expert Nate Green.
Nate is in his early 20’s and is highly sought after in his many professional fields.
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