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Hi Friends,
Today we will discuss how to network and connect with important people. Networking is an activity of the successful. The executives at the biggest companies in the world go to events to meet people and foster relationships with them. It's how big deals are made and how the world runs behind the scenes.
I can't even count how many millionaires, business owners, entrepreneurs, executives, and other important people I have on my contact list. This is because I seek moments to talk and learn from these successful people's experiences; the connections are invaluable. You guys should do the same, and so here's a "how to network guide" with different approaches.
A starter approach to networking with people is to see what highly successful people your parents know and are friends with. Ask, "What business owners, investors, etc do you know and can you introduce me to them? Also, do that with the friends of your parents, you will be surprised at who you will get introduced to.
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A more difficult approach is to go to conventions and conferences and talk to people. It’s ridiculous that at every conference I go to about entrepreneurship I go to and I see that I am the only kid there. Most kids my age (17) & (14) would be at home playing video games, doing their homework, or hanging around with people their age and acting immature. Having the courage to go the odd one out at these conferences is something that you must learn, because you are gonna need to be a people person most likely in the business world, and talking to successful adults might be intimidating, but you seriously need to overcome it to gain the proper skills and connections in your life.
The hardest approach is to cold approach people on the streets. Have you seen those videos of "What do you do for a living" on YouTube and TikTok? The ultimate level of networking is asking for mentorship from a stranger you just met on the street.
Say you see someone with a cool car, or a massive house, etc. Now initially you might think to not bother them and to leave them alone, probably because it seems intimidating. But just talking to these people who have what you want is invaluable. I can’t remember how many times I have felt weird about cold approaching this kind of person and just gave up on it at that moment. But the truth is, I have never had an interaction that has gone bad or whatever, because if someone is successful anyway, they will want to teach the youth about their story.
So to do this, spark a conversation by saying "Cool car" or "What car is that" or "How fast is that car" Then graduate into "What do you do for work" and "What advice would you give me" and to create an actual relationship with a possible mentor like them, say "can I get your phone number so can bounce ideas off you?" and then occasionally text them to have your questions answered about business. Even better, you should schedule a call with these people and just find a time that fits both you and their schedule.
I'm no master in networking, but I am getting there for sure as my life goes on. Just last week I had a call and meetings with 8-9 different founders and millionaires. These connections I made got me invited to hypercar events, gain new perspectives on my business, go in people’s land rovers, and all sorts of crazy stuff. But this is all because I have gained the skills of networking with business owners and entrepreneurs.
If you can just take 1 lesson away from this article: TAKE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO TALK WITH SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE, AND SEEK OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL!
Thank you to Luca Salvatore for writing this article and a few edits by Jacob Gans! Anyway, thank you so much for reading this addition to Friday Finance next week I will be ready to start accepting donations and paid subscriptions. Thanks to all my subscribers for supporting me along this way. As of February 1st, we are switching to Substack! the new URL is: fridayfinancedc.substack.com. The emails will be the same and I am excited for a fresh start with this newsletter. Have a great week and see you next week.
Thanks,
Jacob Gans & Luca Salvatore
Friday Finance