Chapter 25

From Unplanned Meeting to Monetized Connection: A Case Study

Everyday encounters in the places to which you journey in your ordinary life can lead to extraordinary opportunities if you are aware, awake, and alive to their possibilities. However, that gets you only halfway there. As we discussed earlier, you can’t put a conversation with a prospective client in the bank; you will have to get in touch—and do so quickly—in order to turn the other person’s interest into an invoice. You won’t increase your salary or job title from merely talking to a potential employer; you will have to circle back with that connection to turn the opportunity into an offer. You simply won’t fully know what’s possible if there is no subsequent contact.

One of the most fruitful random encounters I ever experienced required a carefully orchestrated follow-up. The meeting involved the president of a large industry association whom I met while traveling to Chicago. It was a midday flight, and he was my seatmate. He was dressed casually with his shoes off, reading a book and nestled comfortably in his seat. This was the level of accessibility I would never have had if I met him at a networking event—or worse yet, in his office. He probably would have had his guard up if we had met at an industry function, fully aware that he was the bull’s-eye in the target of a roomful of hungry networkers. The environment would have been hectic, wrought with distractions as countless people engaged in lots of short, superficial, and unmemorable conversations. I might have even been one of them, blending into a sea of faces, elevator pitches, and business cards. This is the environment for high-impact conversations.

But here at 37,000 feet, seat reclined, blanket over the lap, cocktail by his side, and favorite book in hand, we might as well have been sitting in his living room—comfortable, relaxed, and available, the ideal circumstances for quality, engaging, and memorable conversation. Of course, that only created the opportunity; it was up to me to monetize it.

A random everyday connection that doesn’t go beyond the initial conversation is nothing more than a friendly chat. You aren’t likely to expand your client list, advance your career, deepen your contact base, enhance your subject matter expertise, or grow your bank account with conversations that don’t have a follow-on activity. That’s why your ability to leverage the connection becomes so essential.

My new industry association president friend provided a perceived purposeful outcome down the line, one that gave me a reason to continue the relationship. He was looking for something, and I could provide it. I had subject matter expertise, and he had a need to share that expertise with his members.

However, this individual might not have been willing to tip his hand and share who he was and what he did with me if I hadn’t made a good impression right off the bat. The impact you make during your initial interaction is a critical part of your ability to turn your random encounter into a productive relationship. That’s because the other person is far more likely to be receptive and available to you later on if they remember you in a positive way from the beginning. The person you want to leverage is presumably someone of influence, and influential people are far more likely to respond to those who are impressive and memorable. Are you believable? Are you likable? Do you make a lasting impression? This initial encounter is where you establish yourself as legitimate, authentic, and the real deal. And you show the other person that you are someone with something worthwhile to offer.

The formula is simple: ask relevant questions, make appropriate comments and insightful observations, and engage in focused listening to form the foundation you need to cultivate a productive, enduring relationship later on—a win-win relationship of respect, trust, and likability that you can leverage into a mutually productive outcome.