Keeping a blawg active while keeping a firm active is a lot tougher than I imagined. But I love to write about what I learn as a marketer; So posting must continue. HAH!
I was at a VC event this morning, passing cards, meeting new people, and creating new relationships for my firm and it occurred to me that, in many years, I have never gone to an event focused on only talking to people I did not know. Instead I have gone to hundreds of events and first looked for people that DID know. I have treated events as a path to new relationships in the same way I have treated my rolodex.
When I know that someone in my firm needs to get connected I look at my rolodex for people I can call to create a 'warm' introduction. I use people I know to get to people I do not. I do the same thing at networking events. I walk into a room and look for people I know before I wonder about who I do not.
How this works for me is that I look for at least one teammate before getting to the business of meeting someone new. By treating every networking event like my personal rolodex I have been able to meet dozens... hundreds of new connections, many that became viable clients and referral resources.
My advise for you; Hang out with who you know and meet the people that know them. Relationships that start with someone in common have a much better chance of success. And on the inverse, someone that you know will be an introduction that your friend (teammate) needs.
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