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The Secret Ingredient You Need to Incorporate in Your Networking Strategy

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Hearing the word “networking” brings up images of elevator speeches, stiff interactions, trying to look busy on your phone, and awkward silences. After the initial introductions and “what do you do’s” you’re often feeling panicked to come up with the next intelligent open-ended question in an attempt to keep the dialogue going.

With all the stress and discomfort that networking events bring, they’re still the best way to put yourself out there and meet like minded colleagues and leads to help you grow your business or land your next job.

The tactic often recommended is to ask questions to the person you’ve just met because we all know that people usually like to talk about themselves. This maneuver can sometimes backfire though because it can lead to either the awkward “I ask, you ask” ping-pong game or the one-way “I ask, you talk” situation.

“Networking is an essential part of building wealth.” –  Armstrong Williams

What if there was a recipe to a successful networking strategy where you’ll leave a great impression on the person you’re speaking to and once you learn it you will never again fear networking events? Well, there is.

We all love stories. From a very young age we have always loved hearing them – whether the stories came from our parents, books, movies, or now through podcasts and YouTube videos. We love telling them and hearing them and never seem to be able to get enough.

Sharing stories improves rapport, it creates ease and trust, and it opens room for more conversation.  They are so powerful that big corporations are focused on telling their stories to touch people’s emotions to persuade and influence them. Using the power of your experience and the stories you’ve lived, helps you connect, inspire, and influence.  

Here’s how I incorporated stories into networking events that helped me to build a six figure tutoring company in three years:
  1. I asked a few of my tutors to ask their students’ parents this simple question, “What do I do for you as a tutor?” to help get an understanding of what parents actually thought of us. This was an eye opening question because parents didn’t just stop at ‘you help my child with math’, they went way deeper giving personal stories about how their tutor had helped their child overcome barriers they were facing in school and in their relationships. One of the tutors even said that it brought tears to her face listening to a parent’s answer.
  2. Then I incorporated these stories into the question I most get asked at networking events: ‘so what do you do?’
  3. Once you start with a story, you open up ways for the conversation to go deeper and become more meaningful. Many times the person you are speaking with will start telling you their own story and the conversation will roll from there.
  4. Usually by this time so much has been said that you no longer have to scramble for the next topic to talk or ask questions about. The conversation will flow naturally.

“We are, as a species, addicted to a story. Even when the body goes to sleep, the mind stays up all night, telling itself stories.” – John Gottschall

Even though this method of networking will only give you the opportunity to speak with a few people at an event, it has more value than collecting stacks of business cards that are essentially worthless.

I can’t count the number of times I’ve run into people who have opened with, “Oh, I remember you. You’re the homework coach who helps kids and takes stress away from their parents”.

The impact of taking the time to consider what stories others what to hear and what they want to learn from you is worth the time invested. It allows new people you meet to get to know who you are and what you value.

Try sharing your story. You will be remembered and better still, won’t have to dread networking events.

What are some tips you would give to help when networking with others? Leave your thoughts below!

Image courtesy of Twenty20.com

Mehrnaz Bassiri is the founder and director of MyGradeBooster Tutoring Services. In 2014 she was the recipient of the Youth Entrepreneur Award sponsored by Futurpreneur Canada. Mehrnaz graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Master of Science. She is passionate about education and its impact on our society.

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Success Advice

Mastering Self-Management for Success: Lessons From Peter F. Drucker

With careers no longer following a straight, predictable path, self-awareness and adaptability are essential for success.

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In today’s dynamic professional world, self-management has become increasingly important. With careers no longer following a straight, predictable path, self-awareness and adaptability are essential for success. (more…)

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How to Ignite the Spark Within for Future Success

All of us come to this world with our own reserve of magic unfortunately, not everyone can unleash it

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What is it that makes some people great leaders while others remain followers? What magic do they have that others don’t? What special blessing gives them the power to bring significant change?  (more…)

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How Your Beliefs Can Supercharge or Sabotage Your Success

Your life is dictated by beliefs and biases that drive your thinking, behaviors, and decisions

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Your Beliefs Can Supercharge or Sabotage Your Success (1)
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Pause for a moment and ponder two pandemic-era beliefs: First, closing schools will control the spread of a serious virus. Second, the consequences of such school closures—particularly social interruption and the prevention of immunity—are worse than becoming sick with the virus. (more…)

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How to Break the Cycles of Mediocrity and Manifest Your Greatness

There is no greatness without becoming and there is no becoming with authenticity

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In just a few weeks, we will be wrapping up 2023. Can you believe it? This year has been absolutely incredible for me.

I have seen amazing doors opened, new relationships formed and I am seeing dreams realized in my life. While this seems like the hallmarks of a great year, this has also been the most challenging year of my life. With all of the change happening in my life, I have been forced out of my comfort zone and challenged to grow in every area of my life.

I can truly say that I have made the most of my moments this year and I have used everything as a catalyst for maximizing my greatest potential.

As a revolutionary leader, I have the pleasure of consulting and advising leaders around the world to fulfill purpose, realize their greatest potential and make an impact.

I want to share some insights with you that will help you to break cycles of mediocrity and manifest your greatness

Everything legal must come through the matrix

I am sure that some of you are wondering why I am using the term matrix. However, what you have to understand is that I am trying to make a highly complex spiritual principle practical to understand.

Regardless of your spiritual beliefs, every life has an origin and I believe that origin is divine and begins with eternity. You are birthed from eternity and into time to fulfill a unique purpose and assignment in your lifetime and generation.

The matrix is simply the portal or vehicle that brings something out of the invisible realm and into tangible form. The problem with much of the teaching today is that it excludes the matrix. We are told to believe that success is instantaneous and overnight.

Nobody talks about how a dream progresses through stages beginning with visualization and ultimately culminating in manifestation. Without a matrix or portal then everything that you attempt to birth and build will be illegal.

The matrix not only makes you legal but it gives you the authority and power to function as the greatest expression of who you were created to be. 

Every matrix has an incubation process

While many people admire and respect me today, I remember a time when nobody knew who I was or the significance of my message. How did I get to where I am today? I got here through an incubation process.

In other words, everything that has been destined for your life is incubating and awaiting a set time of manifestation. The problem is that most people live their entire lives idle and never initiate the incubation process.

What do I meany by that? Most people are living reckless and very few people are living intentionally. I am amazed at the number of people I have conversations with that have no vision, goals or strategies for their lives. They show great promise and they have undeniable potential.

However, without development they will die with their dreams still in them.

Everything that has been destined for your life must be incubated and converted to become realities born to time. 

“Visualize this thing that you want, see it, feel it, believe in it. Make your mental blueprint and begin to build.” – Robert Collier

You must give expression to that which is not yet born to time

When you think about a matrix or a prophetic incubation process, you have to understand that potential is often unrealized and untapped. In other words, your potential is in raw form and your potential cannot serve you as long as it is untapped.

The thing that makes me valuable is that I have the ability to convert potential into power. I have done it in my own life and I have empowered leaders around the world to do the same. How do you convert potential into power?

First, it is important to note that you have to perceive potential. If you cannot perceive your potential then you can never cultivate your potential. In addition, you must take the time to cultivate your potential. We often get excited about our capabilities; however, we never expand our capacity in order to realize our greatest potential.

In other words, the strength of your potential is only discovered through your willingness to stretch. The more we are challenged the more we are empowered to expand our capacity for greatness. Most of all, you must begin to express your potential. The expression of potential is different for every person.

For example, the expression of my potential is best demonstrated through the thoughts, ideas, products, services, books, etc.

For another person the expression of potential may look like a screenplay, artwork, sports, scientific discoveries, medical breakthroughs, etc.

Regardless of the form of expression, I know that you will live empty and unfulfilled until you make the decision to express your potential. The expression of your potential gives voice to your dreams, life to your vision, significance to your moments and activates your true power.

You must manifest your greatness

As a revolutionary thinker and leader, my work has impacted people around the world. I am grateful that my life is a source of empowerment to so many people. However, before anyone could ever benefit from my life, I had to make a non-negotiable decision to become who I was born to be.

I wish I could tell you that this journey is easy and that you will get there overnight. However, in a world that celebrates us for doing we are often criticized for being. As a result, I wasted a lot of time trying to be who other people wanted me to be instead of being who I was born to be.

There is no greatness without becoming and there is no becoming with authenticity. It is through our bravery to be vulnerable that we ultimately manifest our greatness. We do not bless the world by being a duplicate. We bless the world when we honor our difference. When you honor your difference you honor your potential.

Ultimately, your difference is how you manifest your greatness.

When you present anything but your authentic self to the world, you are playing small and you are robbing the world of your significance. Manifesting your greatness requires you to master your gifts.

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