Shoutout to the old guy who told me networking was just showing up

Back when I started my pest control business, I thought networking was some fancy corporate thing with suits and handshakes. An older guy at the supply shop told me it's just talking to people like you normally would. I was skeptical until I landed three big contracts just by chatting at a local hardware store. Has anyone else found that the simple advice turned out to be the real deal?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_gray22d ago

...but did it feel natural right away, or did you have to force yourself out of your own head at first? Because I’ve found that the “just talk to people” advice is easy to hear but hard to actually do when you’re not a natural chatter. Curious if that first hardware store trip was awkward or if you just walked in and started talking.

elizabeth_chen22d ago

Oh man, I totally get what you mean. I actually read somewhere that the best way to get past that awkwardness is to pick a mundane question you already know the answer to, like asking where the paint section is even if you see it right in front of you. That way you're just practicing the act of talking, not worrying about being clever or anything. For me, my first time at the hardware store, I just asked the guy if they carried a specific size of screw I already knew they had (they did), and it broke the ice without forcing some deep conversation.