3 Conversation Starters To Develop Meaningful Business Relationships
by Diane Helbig, Helbig Enterprises

Do you hate networking events because you don’t know what to ask or say? Are you avoiding events, or sitting alone when you do attend? Well, hang on. I’m going to share some great ways to start solid conversations. It’ll change how you feel about venturing out!

Networking has gotten so structured and canned that it can be an awful experience! And, many say it is a total waste of time. Well, we really have to network because we need to develop relationships with people. We need resources to refer and to receive referrals from. We need to connect with the businesses and professionals in our area.

Asking someone what they do is really one of the worst things we can do. Why?

Because they will tell us what they do! They will talk about it in a way that just doesn’t matter to us. And we do the same thing. The result is this – no one listens to anyone else. Now that really IS a waste of time.

The best way to start building a relationship is to ask a question that gets the person talking. We should be asking meaningful questions. Let’s give up on the small talk! No one likes it anyway.

Here are 3 ways to start a conversation that are more impactful.

• Different Business Question
  • Instead of asking – what do you do? – try asking ‘what do you do in your business? You’ll get a more personal answer. You can follow it up with ‘what do you like best about what you do?’
• Industry Deeper Dive
  • When you see the industry they are in, ask them a question about the industry. For example, if you see someone is with a security company you can ask them ‘what are some new tools and resources out there for securing a business or home?’ if the person works for a nonprofit you can ask them what new research has been done and what has it uncovered. These are deeper, more meaningful questions that the other person will really want to answer.
• Storytelling
  • My favorite is to ask someone to tell you their story. This is a wide open invitation for them to talk about whatever is top of mind. It gives you great insight into what matters to them. You can also ask them what they are working on right now. You’ll discover what they are focused on.

Believe me any of these options will provide you with the start to a better conversation. You will learn more about the other person and will connect more significantly than focusing on WHAT they do, or how what you do could help them or their company.

I want to thank the members of my Independence Business Opportunity Network group for their great input and suggestions. If you’d like some help developing your own networking strategy, give me a shout at [email protected]. And remember to seize THIS day.