Michel in the Toronto Sun: ‘Get Real’ Networking

Michel doesn’t know I’m posting this… but hey, that’s what happens when he’s busy with a client workshop, and I’m left to my own devices!

Michel was interviewed recently for the Toronto Sun’s Jobboom Career Zone. The full article is here: Networking Tips: Get Real

Here’s a bit of what he had to say…

“When I listen to people networking, very often they’re regurgitating a memorized script, and this drives me up the wall, because there’s no opportunity for the other person to engage. A real conversation is much more powerful,” says Neray, founder and chief differentiation officer of The Essential Message, which offers a variety of business coaching and consulting services.

One of the biggest mistakes people make in networking, Neray says, is focusing too much on the benefits they can provide to others before having a true sense of their needs.

“Rather than blab on about a solution you can offer, you want to engage the other person in a conversation around the challenges they have that you’re uniquely positioned to solve,” Neray says.

Does this sound like the type of conversation you typically hear at networking events? Or is it more of the regurgitated elevator pitch variety?

Read the full article, and let us know your thoughts and experiences. How has engaging people in real conversation had a positive effect on your business? What drives you crazy about networking events?

(One of my networking event pet peeves: people who hand out their business cards like they’re dealing a hand of 3 card stud. Before you even say hello, wham! You’ve been dealt!)

Cheers,

Tracy (TheManager)