Consultant’s Pyramid, Part 5: Begin a New Relationship

(Part 5 in the Consultant’s Pyramid series—a short blog series on keeping the project pipeline full).

Working to add new people to your professional contacts is tough, especially when you have no existing network to build from. Today’s installment is not about selling; you will rarely be successful in selling to a complete stranger. Instead, the goal of today’s installment is to expand your network. When you expand your network, and then serve those relationships, potential customers will crawl out of the woodwork.

How to Make New Contacts

Meet people in whatever way you are most comfortable. However, don’t limit yourself to typical “business” crowds! Some of my best connections have come from truly unexpected places. Meeting people is a topic that has been flogged to death in books and online sources, so I discuss it only superfically. If you need a refresher course, start with Google or your local library. However, whatever you do, don’t procrastinate; start today. Here are just a few random examples to get you thinking in the right direction:

• Get to know the people who share your hobbies.
• Crash an opening night gala for a theater or art show (if you are a fan of the arts).
• Attend local Chamber of Commerce or open business luncheons.
• Join trade shows and conferences as an attendee; you don’t need to be an exhibitor or presenter.
• Converse with strangers in your daily life: shopping, social events, your place of worship, etc.
• On-line communities have some limited potential as well, provided you are still making direct one-on-one contact with another individual.

What Counts as a New Relationship?

The main criteria to consider is whether you have actually made a meaningful connection with someone you did not previously know. At minimum, you will have had a brief conversation with this person, and you will have remembered or surreptitiously written down any pertinent details, so that if you meet again, you will not be starting over. You do not necessarily need to exchange contact details, occupations, or even names. (If it is appropriate to do so, absolutely exchange these details. Emphasis on “appropriate”! Spamming is significantly more annoying in person than it is electronically.) Even if you have only the briefest of conversations with someone, make an effort to remember something about that person or the conversation you shared. Next time, you will already have something in common.

For consultants, meeting new people needs to become an automatic habit, and you will need to do it constantly. Realistically, many of these relationships are not going to go anywhere—but some of them will. Be ready!

Success Measure for Beginning a New Relationship: You met someone new today. You will be able to later identify and recall at least one memorable detail about this person.

Next, we will look at the final tier of the Consultant’s Pyramid: improving yourself. I will also wrap up this series with some closing thoughts. You may subscribe to my RSS feed here.