098: Forget Networking. What to do instead! | Interview with John Corcoran [Podcast]

Do you just hate networking? Does the word feel slimy. Yeah – me too. So don’t network. Instead, do something that matters more. Listen in today to my interview with John Corcoran as we discuss why networking does not work and what you should think about instead.

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In this episode John and and I talk about networking in a way that just makes more sense to me. Forget shaking of many hands and showing up at events trying to meet the right people. Here are a few points from the interview.

• Good networkers can be introverts. See the 2011 best networker in Fortune Magazine where Adam Rifkin is profiled. He is also mentioned in Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success.
• Why you need to network even if you are in the corporate cubicle and want to stay there.
• You should be intentional. You would never show up on a college campus and randomly walk into courses. Instead, we are intentional in what we do and where we go. In networking we should also be intentional.
• Challenges for new startups
  • Trying a hard pivot. If you are working in flower shops and wanting to start a yoga studio, you are having to learn everything from scratch.
  • Fear. This is mostly a lie since you are not nearly as secure as you feel.
• Challenges John is having in his business (as you might know – this is one of the favorite questions I like to ask)
  • Growing the business. Hiring help.
  • Developing systems and processes.
  • Keeping the growth up. Most of this is through connections in webinars. (You will  find many people doing webinars with John as a guest.)

Steps to take to grow your connections

• First, identify the people you need (or want) to build a relationship with. Get started here by reading John’s The Conversations List Strategy: How to be Purposeful in Your Networking Efforts
• Second, start doing it. This is where John excels – methodologies for building networks. To learn some of his door opening tricks, 5 Email Templates I Use to Contact Busy Influencers and VIPs (and get a response nearly every time).

Observations Made

• Webinars are a hot topic. Think webinars for the future of your business.
• Online universities and innovations. Check out UAB Information Engineering Management program.

About John Corcoran

• Learn more about John Corcoran and the Smart Business Revolution
• To contact John check out his contact page.