* New Member Special: Get a 1 Year Membership for only $85 (a $35 savings!). This special membership will automatically renew at $10/mo after your first year. More great reasons to join ...
What do you do?
posted on August 21, 2005
Are you as tired of this line as I am? I'm tired of hearing it, I'm tired of asking it. I think it's time, as a networking community, that we try and move beyond this overused question.
I asked my friend, Steve Harper, to post his insights about this very topic on his blog: The Ripple Effect. He was kind enough to oblige and wrote: "Dippy Do & Networking TOO - COME ON ORIGINALITY....WHERE HAVE YOU GONE?" Thank you Steve for taking the time to do this for me.

Steve is also the auther of the book The Ripple Effect which is available to NetworkInAustin.com members at a discount on our book list. I highly recommend Steve's book. It'll give you some good insights into the relationship aspect of networking, and will show you that what comes around goes around even in business.
So... What do you do?
The real problem with this line is that it does nothing to move us in the direction of a personal connection with the person we've just met. Really all it does is opens the door for a canned and over used elevator speech. Yuck!
What we're really trying to do is to open the door into this persons world. Who are they? Why are they here? What is the meaning of life? Getting to something personal is what you're really trying to uncover. This is easier to do if you do as Steve suggests and don't take yourself or networking so seriously.
Now I'm not suggesting that you avoid the topic of business completely. It's still important and that's probably why you're there at a networking event in the first place. What I'm suggesting is that you move beyond and outside of business to learn something REAL about your new friend. You don't need to be pushy and overzealous. Just let the conversation develop naturally. I think you'll find that you're able to develop better rapport and more trust by taking this approach. Keep this up and more business won't be far behind.
Happy networking!
Scott Ingram
NetworkInAustin.com
I asked my friend, Steve Harper, to post his insights about this very topic on his blog: The Ripple Effect. He was kind enough to oblige and wrote: "Dippy Do & Networking TOO - COME ON ORIGINALITY....WHERE HAVE YOU GONE?" Thank you Steve for taking the time to do this for me.

Steve is also the auther of the book The Ripple Effect which is available to NetworkInAustin.com members at a discount on our book list. I highly recommend Steve's book. It'll give you some good insights into the relationship aspect of networking, and will show you that what comes around goes around even in business.
So... What do you do?
The real problem with this line is that it does nothing to move us in the direction of a personal connection with the person we've just met. Really all it does is opens the door for a canned and over used elevator speech. Yuck!
What we're really trying to do is to open the door into this persons world. Who are they? Why are they here? What is the meaning of life? Getting to something personal is what you're really trying to uncover. This is easier to do if you do as Steve suggests and don't take yourself or networking so seriously.
Now I'm not suggesting that you avoid the topic of business completely. It's still important and that's probably why you're there at a networking event in the first place. What I'm suggesting is that you move beyond and outside of business to learn something REAL about your new friend. You don't need to be pushy and overzealous. Just let the conversation develop naturally. I think you'll find that you're able to develop better rapport and more trust by taking this approach. Keep this up and more business won't be far behind.
Happy networking!
Scott Ingram
NetworkInAustin.com
Author: Scott Ingram
Categories: Austin, Business Book Authors, Business Networking, Networking Tips, Scott Ingram
Categories
- Uncategorized (1)
- Austin (93)
- Business Advice (103)
- Business Blogging (30)
- Business Book Authors (12)
- Business Books (3)
- Business Cards (1)
- Business Networking (195)
- Career Networking (10)
- Competition (7)
- Facebook (3)
- Guest Blogger (4)
- Guest Post (1)
- Job Networking (13)
- LinkedIn (9)
- NetworkInAustin.com (20)
- Networking Events (50)
- Networking Tips (165)
- Online Networking (9)
- Personal (41)
- Scott Ingram (249)
- Social Networking (8)
- Twitter (7)
- Why Join Network In Austin? (11)
Archives
- March 2010 (1)
- February 2010 (4)
- January 2010 (17)
- December 2009 (2)
- November 2009 (4)
- October 2009 (7)
- September 2009 (5)
- August 2009 (6)
- July 2009 (3)
- June 2009 (7)
- May 2009 (4)
- April 2009 (5)
- March 2009 (4)
- February 2009 (2)
- January 2009 (8)
- December 2008 (1)
- November 2008 (4)
- October 2008 (8)
- September 2008 (4)
- August 2008 (2)
- July 2008 (3)
- June 2008 (4)
- May 2008 (2)
- April 2008 (2)
- March 2008 (4)
- February 2008 (1)
- September 2007 (3)
- August 2007 (1)
- July 2007 (3)
- June 2007 (4)
- March 2007 (4)
- February 2007 (6)
- January 2007 (10)
- December 2006 (2)
- November 2006 (8)
- October 2006 (4)
- September 2006 (1)
- August 2006 (5)
- July 2006 (6)
- June 2006 (3)
- May 2006 (6)
- April 2006 (8)
- March 2006 (9)
- February 2006 (4)
- January 2006 (8)
- December 2005 (7)
- November 2005 (11)
- October 2005 (9)
- September 2005 (8)
- August 2005 (14)
- July 2005 (11)
- June 2005 (5)
The Weekly Referral
This form needs Javascript to display, which your browser doesn't support. Sign up here instead