This One Time at Band Camp...

A couple weeks ago I was watching TV, yes I still watch TV in 2023, and I saw a commercial for DoorDash. It was filled with two guys that I remember from my younger years as a teenager from the hit flick American Pie. 

I hadn’t watched the movie since it came out some 24 years ago, but it quickly became a trip down memory lane. All from seeing two actors from a movie. 

Nostalgia.

No, no, no this is not a post about American Pie, the probably too inappropriate movie to make today. Rather, this is a post about how quickly a memory in your life can be recalled. Even if it’s been decades. 

How valuable would it be if you could be memorable with your peers in business. 

Now, obviously you want people to remember you tomorrow if you just met them at a networking event. Being memorable is one of the keys to success. If you (re)meet someone 3 to 5 times and they don’t remember you each time maybe that says something about your pitch or your networking game or a plethora of other things.

Networking doesn’t have to be hard. But it is a game with a ton of strategy if you want to be successful at it. If all you do is the same thing as everyone else, say dress the same way, act the same way, ask the same questions or just hand out business cards.

What exactly do you think the result will be?

Instead, be memorable.

When I wrote Anomaly, a lot of people just read a book by its cover and thought it had to be something so obnoxious or ridiculous to get attention. What many neglect to realize (or accept) is that by just being one degree different than everyone else is enough to stand out. At Chick-fil-A they say thank you and my pleasure. At McDonald’s do they?

One of the best places to meet new people is at local business meetups.

I dig meetups. I like going to networking events where I can meet a couple people and I can learn what’s exciting about them, what they’re into, what they’re watching on Netflix and stuff like that. I think building a true relationship is what’s important. Not asking them what they do for a living. Not only do I find that rude. I just don’t think it really moves the needle. Pushing the conversation the same way with open ended questions about things that they do in their non-work time.

What’s your “go-to icebreaker question”?

I’ll be at a networking event this week and I’d love to chat with you there over what you watched on Netflix over the weekend. I’ll be at Jake Maines Networking Happy Hour, Wednesday Aug 2 5-8PM. It’s a great place to meet new individuals that can become great friends or dare I even say a client at some point down the line. I hope to see you there.