Networking: You never get a second chance...
to make a first impression.
And I missed one.
One of the most respected VC's in the Internet/new media world is Josh Kopelman. He founded Half.com (purchased by eBay) and has a great resume, plus I really enjoy his blog. He really is a smart, visionary guy.
A few weeks ago, I was talking to a member of my extended network who said, "you know, I'd like to introduce you to Josh Kopelman."
"That'd be great!" I said. A truly great opportunity.
So, my contact (let's call him Bob), sent Josh a link to this blog.
Josh visited the blog. That much I know (I saw his profile via the MyBlogLog widget).
And I also know that I never heard from him after that. (Bob had said, "he'll reach out to you if he thinks it's worth it).
Obviously, he didn't see value in what I had written. So, we didn't connect.
But, this post isn't about Josh's decision that I wasn't worth his time. No shame in that.
What this is about is how effectively and efficiently I (and you) can communicate value.
Remember, it's an attention economy. If you don't nail it off the bat, you're in a big hole.
No matter the audience, if you don't engage people, you are shooting yourself in the foot.
Now, same story, but from the other side...
A friend of mine pinged me the other day and said, "I have a friend, Joe, who would like to get career advice from you."
Usually, we give others 10 seconds before making our assessment (like Josh probably gave me), but a friend's recommendation buys you a few minutes.
I spoke with Joe.
He didn't have a good story about what he can do uniquely. Nor what he wanted from our chat. In subsequent emails, he didn't make it SUPER-EASY for me to do the follow-up. In fact, it was difficult.
That's just not good form.
My enthusiasm and desire to help waned with each interaction. His micro-brand's value continued to drop.
Lessons learned.
- can you quickly (proverbial elevator pitch) communicate your value?
- are you making it as easy as possible for your network to work on your behalf?
