October 24, 2016
Interview with Larry Mohl, author of the book Networking Is Dead: Making Connections That Matter
Mike Carruthers:
If you’re good at networking you go to a lot of events and you get a lot of business cards.
David Horsager:
And it’s almost the idea that I might get lucky and at that next function meet that 1 person who’s going to help me change my life – just doesn’t happen right?
Larry Mohl, author of the book Networking Is Dead, says a smaller network of say 10 people who you really connect with is usually much more effective.
The idea of going are you going to spread yourself like peanut butter a mile wide and an inch deep or are you going to try to go deep with a smaller group of people. And that’s why the people you pick are so important.
So how do you connect with those people in the first place?
One of the most powerful ways is to have an introduction to somebody else. And the tools that are available in terms of LinkedIn and Facebook and all these other tools make the finding who’s out there and what they’re doing much more accessible than it’s ever been in the past. So it’s very possible that you may know somebody who knows somebody who knows that person.
But if that’s not possible Larry says you can approach people directly.
But the difference is it’s not just about here’s who I am and here’s what I want it’s about is there some way that I can help you. Because we really believe in the idea of giving first and just make an offer. A very simple offer is the best way to start to see if somebody’s interested in exchanging with you.
