Level 1 vs. Level 1000 Networking
Ask and you shall receive
Starting today, I will be sharing a new metric at the beginning of each post.
It is…
“Total subway rides to write this blog”
I’m doing this to show that making content doesn’t need to be so difficult and that you can find the time to create during everyday activities.
Each subway ride is ~20-30 minutes long.
So without further ado…
Total subway rides to write this: 5
By popular demand (aka 2 people asking, s/o Lauren & Ziad), I will be sharing my networking tips.
I honestly don’t feel fully comfortable sharing my thoughts on this topic because I don’t want to give off the impression that I’m some master networker or a crazy extrovert.
There’s a lot I need to improve on, but the themes I share below are things I’ve done before that have led to the most “success”—whatever that means to you.
Preview & general housekeeping
(1) Add value, (2) be interested, and (3) keep showing up.
These are the three themes at the core of my networking strategy.
But before I dive into them, there are two types of networking.
Random networking: when you go to an event and randomly meet people
Targeted networking: when you know there’s someone attending an event and want to build a relationship with them
The tips I share apply to both, but some examples might be more applicable to one type, so please keep that in mind…
I trust your intelligence lol.
Or just respond/comment if you have questions.
Theme #1: Add Value
I honestly hate this cliche because of Venture Capital—it’s so overused and vague.
But it really does apply to networking, so I’ll try to explain it with actual English—not with VC buzzwords.
And this will be in the form of Level 1 to Level 1000.
Like a MrBeast video or something.
Level 1: you meet someone and exchange contact info
Level 100: you meet someone and follow up with a very thoughtful message (as simple as sharing an article they’d be interested in)
Level 1000: you meet someone and follow up with videos and/or pictures of them (aka some form of tangible value)
Here an example of Level 1000 in action…
Imagine you’re an executive.
You’re speaking at a conference.
And you want to send a picture to your friends…
But you can’t take one of yourself while speaking and you don’t want to wait for the conference to follow up with them a few days later.
However, an attendee walks up to you after your panel and says they have some pictures/videos of you that they can share immediately (via AirDrop).
You’d instantly be more open to having a conversation with them since they provided real tangible value to you.
Some might turn you down, but that doesn’t happen 90% of the time.
And in general, you’d be surprised how many of these ~regular~ moments go un-captured and forgotten.
This is precisely the value I would add when going court-to-court filming random people playing basketball to grow Regular Hoops.
And beyond the basketball court or a conference, it’s applicable in other settings.
For instance, one time I brought a disposable camera to a work event and took pictures of my coworkers there. It’s a great icebreaker and a perfect reason to follow up.
An executive even walked up to me and said “what’s the Gen-Z person doing with an 80s camera? I haven’t seen that since I was kid”
Boom. Natural icebreaker.
This Level 1000 strategy is effective because people love themselves. We love seeing ourselves have fun and do interesting things.
I know it’s a lot, and I don’t think you need to add value in that way all the time.
Level 100 adding value is all you need to build good relationships.
But if you’re looking to really shake up your network, then you need to do something that makes you stand out.
So figure out what Level 1000 networking means to you.
Theme #2: Be interested
For every person you talk with, you need to be genuinely interested in what they do.
You need to be excited by what excites them.
They could have spent decades on that specific thing that excites them.
So the last thing you want to do is not match their energy.
I’m not saying you need to follow up with these people or maintain a relationship with them.
Just give them their moment and keep it moving.
In a perfect world, yes, you should stay in touch with most people you meet, but one overlooked aspect to networking is quality over quantity.
You only have so many hours in the day, and you don’t want to overstimulate yourself by networking.
So it’s important to decided that of the people you’ve met/networked with, who are the ones you actually want to keep in touch with?
Who do you want to friends with?
Who do you want to be a mentor?
What is the purpose of this relationship?
If you can’t answer these questions, then do some self-reflection first.
For me, I’ve always gravitated towards continuing relationships with people who have built something before and/or are actively building something.
That’s because entrepreneurship is something I’m doing and looking for help with.
I want to see how people have done it.
But if I was interested in being a DJ, I’d look to build connections with other DJs and/or music hobbyists & professionals.
Theme #3: Keep showing up
When I think about the relationships I’ve built, the common thread is that I just kept showing up.
I’d show up at the conferences. I’d show up in their inboxes. I’d show up at basketball tournaments. I’d show up with a holiday card. I’d show up wherever they were at.
The act of showing up goes a long way because it establishes trust.
As we know, people are busy.
So it’s hard for someone to bring you into their lives and trust that you’re worth their time.
But the act of showing up consistently and showing up the right way will pay off.
For example, if you’re a student looking to build a relationship with an industry professional, send them an update or have some sort of touch point (formal or informal) with them every quarter.
If you started doing that at the beginning of your junior year, by the time you’re a senior, you would have 8 touch points with them.
And by then, they’re essentially invested in your journey and will be more than willing to help with things like finding a job, etc.
So just keep showing up.
And this applies to things beyond networking…
My friend Jenny Fischer has a brand called “Keep Showing Up”
It’s was created for Suicide Prevention Awareness.
I created a video highlighting Jenny’s story last year if you’re interested in learning more.
She mentioned the importance of “showing up” for your friends and family.
And “showing up” for what you love and what loves you.
I’m a huge believer that how you do something is how you do everything.
So first and foremost, you have to show up for YOURSELF the right way.
That means doing things like eating healthy, working out consistently, maintaining good relationships, etc.
Because how can you care for others in the long-run without taking care of yourself first?
It’s like those generic airplane videos, you gotta put your oxygen mask on first—then help others.
Okay, deep breath
I know this entire blog sounds like an introvert’s nightmare.
My best piece of advice to anyone feeling nervous about networking is that nobody really cares about you.
And I mean that in a nice & motivational way.
People are focused on themselves and worried more about how they appear.
There are times when doing these things might be awkward…
…but nobody will actually remember those moments.
So just go for what you want, and know that there’s really no downside.
The world will go on with or without you, so it’s up to you to decide how you want to live your life.
Take full accountability for everything and use that as motivation to go after your dreams.
One last thing
Again, although I wrote this as if I’m good at networking, I could do a better job at using these tips more effectively.
I’m not perfect and still need to do a better job at showing up for myself.
But that’s all part of the journey.
Thanks for being a part of it :)
And if there’s any other topic you’d like me to cover, please let me know.
Only need one person to ask.
Please note: some of my new blogs (started Sept’24) contain a lot of satire and should not always be taken at face value.
Expect to see typos, wordy/repetitive sentences, passive voice, and anything else you’d expect from a “D-” graded high school assignment.
Because that’s my writing ability according to my first ever hate comment back in 2018.