As seen in The Huffington Post.
I frequently get asked, “Lirone, how and where can I meet the right people for me?”
When they say that, they mean the people that can help them achieve a goal- whether it’s locating new clients, setting a meeting with investors, finding specific people to cooperate with, finding a new supplier, etc.
The answer to that question lies in this story: A couple of years ago, I was at a friend’s birthday party in Israel. Natasha Shine and I have known each other for years, and over time the sweet girl I was once waiting tables with became a super influencer, and a go–to person for the startup scene in Israel.
You can guess that there was a bonus in attending her party: besides celebrating with my good old friend, her party was a massive networking ground with many interesting figures.
Gil Ben Artzy was one of those figures; someone I had heard and read a lot about but never met. Gil lives in Silicon Valley and from there runs a successful startups accelerator company, that works with Israeli entrepreneurs to build their startups globally. I was thrilled to meet him!
We had an interesting conversation about life, festivals, people, and business. At one point he ended a sentence with these words: “Stand in luck’s way.” I said, “What did you just say?” and he said again, “Getting success in life and business is a lot about standing in luck’s way.”
At that very moment I felt like a light bulb was shining above my head!
So many things made sense when I heard that sentence.
This sentence is also the answer to the common question: “How and where can I meet the right people for me?”
Where is the right place I should be at, then?
Some places are more likely to be a ground for opportunities than others. Big cities have more workplaces and more networking events going on than smaller towns. Golf courses might have more business people than your local café, and so on.
That being said, we all have different needs and it’s important to be more specific when we want to stand where luck is, and not just move to New York because people say there are a lot of things to do there… ?
“Stand in luck’s way” makes so much sense when it comes to networking for the following reasons:
– When you do so, you spend your time networking in an efficient way.
– When you do so, you learn to plan and pinpoint the places where you’ll have the most chances to meet the right people for you.
– When you do so, you spend energy on people who are more likely to be a good fit for you.
How do I stand in luck’s way?
1. Know your goals and needs
When you are clear on your goals and needs, you can stand in luck’s way much better. Knowing what you need to get is key to help you decide wisely how to get it, whether it’s finding more clients, penetrating a new market, finding investors , or looking for partners that have specific skills.
Be specific with your goals and needs. Know and own them.
2. Outline the types of places you can find people that can help you achieve your goals
Think- where are the right people for you most likely to be? Are you going to the right places? Are you engaging and making connections with the right people?
Based on your goals, do your research and look for specific people and/or events, places, or opportunities where you are most likely to meet those right people for you: industry events, meetup events, Facebook/LinkedIn groups, a friend’s birthday party, conferences, or meetings that someone in your company holds. Even going back to school, studying a new skill or trying a new hobby can introduce you to the right people you need.
Think creatively to place yourself in luck’s way!
3. Be proactive
Being in the right place is important and will raise your chances of achieving your desired goals. However, it won’t necessarily guarantee that you will make connections with the right people and grow long term relationships too. Sometimes you will have to make the first move to start a conversation that leads to a connection and ultimately to business results.
I coached a CEO who told me that he can go to a networking event and find the right person he knows he needs for his business, but then he will get “paralyzed” and won’t make any move to connect.
Being proactive means getting out of your comfort zone and harnessing that confident feeling to help you approach someone new. Remind yourself that you are special for who you are, and you have a lot to offer. You should give those people the opportunity to get to know you too.
Standing in luck’s way, in the area of networking, is about finding the places where you can meet people who can help you achieve your goals, then getting to that place, and taking action!
Standing in luck’s way is eventually about being in the right place and choosing the right people to surround yourself with and build relationships with, so you can walk together on the path to success, growth and fulfillment!
Share your thoughts about this article:
If you have your own methods for finding the right people for you,
please share them in the comment section below!
(Photo was taken by Duco)
