That talk with a Phoenix real estate agent changed how I network

I sat down with a guy named Dave at a coffee shop near Camelback last Tuesday. He told me he stopped going to big mixers and just calls five people a week to ask about their business. Said he gets more leads from those 15 minute chats than from 50 business cards at a luncheon. Has anyone else tried ditching the big events for smaller, focused talks?

3 comments

3 Comments

carr.brooke21d ago

Wow, I'll be honest, I was totally the opposite for years. I used to think if I wasn't at every chamber mixer or happy hour with a stack of cards I was missing out. But lately I've been trying something similar - just texting two or three people I actually like and asking what they're working on. It feels way less forced and I've gotten some solid referrals that way. That Dave guy's point about five calls being worth more than fifty cards really hit me, because it's about quality over just showing up.

piper_reed20d ago

Have you actually tried cutting back on the big events yet? I did something similar a few years ago and it was a total game changer. @carr.brooke you're right about the texting thing - it feels way more natural and people actually remember you when you're not just another face in the crowd. I keep a list of ten people I check in with every month and just rotate through them. Half the time they end up sending me a lead without me even asking. The key is to actually listen to what they say instead of jumping in with your own pitch. It sounds simple but most people forget to do it.

elizabethn5618d ago

That Dave guy is spot on. I switched to a similar method a couple years back after getting burned out on events where nobody remembers your name. Now I keep a running list of about 20 people I actually respect and rotate through them every few weeks. The trick is to keep it short and focused - ask them about a specific problem they mentioned last time or something new in their industry. It's way easier to have a real conversation about someone's supply chain headaches than to try and pitch them in a noisy room with bad coffee. Half the time they end up asking about my business anyway, but only after I've listened to them first. Biggest thing is to actually take notes after each call so you remember details for next time - people notice when you recall their kid's soccer tournament or their big project deadline.