Give me you card!

Funny story. I went to a networking conference for developers once and had a very inspiring moment with this guy I met. He was casual, no big shot with cufflinks or fancy shoes. but you know - a cool guy - calm and relaxed. It was nice to see a man like him in action, cause I myself felt close to leaving marks in my carefully chosen undergarments every time I had to speak to anyone. He had this kind of attitude like “I don’t need you - you need me” but not in an arrogant kind of way. More like actually interested in helping you and not like afraid of how you felt about him.

Nevertheless, there was this woman who obviously was important. Like a representative from a bigger firm, and since she was attending this nerd-party of a conference, she clearly was there to find qualified people. Obviously a person of interest for yours truly, but I didn’t really man up at any point to reach out. Then - this guy - just walks up to her and started asking about what she did and where she is working and all. As she replied he was like “Ohh yeah.. You use like this kind of system right?” and “I met him once yeah.. Awesome guy..” blah blah… A really know-it-all (Can you sense a mild level jealousy?).

No but seriously. He was really interested in her business, and asked about how things were going and if they ever considered doing things differently and so on.. In between he got a chance to tell her about his abilities, but mostly he was just eager to see if he could answer any questions she may have at that time. Just during a conversation. Shortly after he shook her hand and thanked her for her time, and just as he was about to leave she tapped his shoulder and asked if she could get his card.

I had a slight Eureka moment and walked towards the guy and nearly yelled out “Give me your card!”. Not my proudest moment, but it gave me a chance to talk to him, and I really thank him today for that.

He really taught me a big lesson, and I will forever remember this. It is like the Holy Grail of Networking.

• Don’t go there to meet people - Go there so people can meet you.
• Don’t give them your business card until they ask for it - Engage with them and let them understand that they really actually want your card.
• Talk to people, not businesses - Everybody are there as people. Whenever you talk to them, don’t talk to their business - talk to them. They are human beings just like you.
• Are you an introvert then go alone - This may seem extra scary, but if you attend a networking conference hoping to talk to new people, it won’t happen if you go with people you already know. Then you might as well just meet for coffee or go bowling with your colleagues.

He taught me much more, but I believe these points are the best tips of them all.

Happy networking!