Networking Ideas to Make You and Your Business Stand Out

00:00:24 - Amber Hawley
Welcome to season three of the My Biz Bestie podcast. I'm Amber Hawley.

00:00:28 - Maelisa Hall
And I'm Melissa Hall.

00:00:30 - Amber Hawley
And today we have an amazing episode for you, although a little bit bittersweet as it is the last episode of season three. Today we're going to talk to you about how to reach out.

00:00:42 - Maelisa Hall
Yes. So it's a nice point to end on. And if you do celebrate Christmas, Merry Christmas, because that's when this episode is coming out. And if you are the type of person who's listening to a business podcast on Christmas Day, major props to you. We get you.
And take a break.

00:00:59 - Amber Hawley
Yeah. For reals, yo. Pause this and go to Pandora. Just kidding. Finish this episode, then go to Pandora. Listen to some wonderful music. Enjoy your family. But yes, it is bittersweet because this is... Obviously, we love coming into your home, car, shower, whatever.
But we'll be gone for just two short little months. And in fact, one of them is the shortest month of them all. So it barely even counts. That's right. And then we'll be back the first Tuesday in March.

00:01:32 - Maelisa Hall
Yep.

00:01:32 - Maelisa Hall
Just to make you miss us a little bit. Yeah. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. It does. It does.

00:01:38 - Maelisa Hall
We are going to talk about how do you reach out? And I think this actually is a timely episode because starting in January, a lot of people are making resolutions or a lot of people are just kind of, it's like a ramp up time, I think for everybody, right?
Like it's a time when you're like, okay, I'm going to start something new or really make an effort. in something different. So if one of your efforts is to build your network, create your network, find a biz bestie, this episode will help.

00:02:05 - Maelisa Hall
Or get more visibility, those kinds of things.

00:02:08 - Amber Hawley
And yeah, usually there's a little more consistency in the beginning of the year. So it is good. Plus, I feel it's timely because we were just kvetching over some inappropriate Facebook faux pas. which is one of our don'ts. So I think today's episode is a little bit of a do and don't list, don't you think?
Yes.

00:02:25 - Maelisa Hall
Yes, it is.

00:02:26 - Maelisa Hall
Do and do not.

00:02:28 - Maelisa Hall
And the don'ts are like severe don't, don't. And yet so many people do.

00:02:34 - Amber Hawley
I know. Do we integrate or should we start negative and go positive?

00:02:38 - Maelisa Hall
I guess we should start negative and go positive. So we end on a... I was thinking we start positive, but yeah, let's end on the positive.

00:02:43 - Amber Hawley
Let's end on a positive note, shall we? So we're going to start with the don'ts because... Oh boy, do I like to talk about these. And again, it's kvetching, people. Kvetching. So Facebook faux pas number one. Please do not invite me to like your business page right after you've sent me a friend request that I was like, eh, we have many people in common.
I'll accept. Don't do it.

00:03:08 - Maelisa Hall
Yes, it is rude. But actually, and it doesn't help your Facebook page. I think a lot of people... are misguided and they think just like, oh, well, I have so many likes on my Facebook page. So that's awesome. But am I actually your ideal customer? Am I actually going to engage with your Facebook posts?
Or am I one of the many people who, if I do see one, are just going to scroll by because it has nothing to do with me?

00:03:32 - Amber Hawley
Right. Which actually dings you even further. So okay, let's pretend I'm not even your ideal client. Or you have a practice in... Knoxville, Tennessee, and it's a local brick and mortar place.

00:03:45 - Amber Hawley
It doesn't make sense for me in California to like your page because Facebook's new algorithm, if I don't engage with it, it actually lowers the amount that the other people are going to see it. So it just doesn't make sense. And I think people go for numbers.
It's that whole show thing. And they think that's important. And I'm not saying never send those. That's not what I'm saying at all. But if I'm not your ideal client, don't bother. That's so ridiculous. And also, if I have no relationship with you, I'm probably not going to ever look at your page or go to it unless I'm looking for it.
And so again, you're not going to be getting engagement and Facebook's like, nobody's engaging. So I just think all around, it doesn't help you. And it really is irritating.

00:04:27 - Amber Hawley
Yeah. Yeah. I have quite a few friends that are pretty awesomely cutthroat on Facebook. And if somebody does that to them, they go and unfriend them immediately. Yeah.

00:04:36 - Amber Hawley
I am a little more forgiving. I don't do that. I don't want to unfriend because I'm like, I just think it's a faux pas. I just think like, ugh, don't do that.

00:04:45 - Amber Hawley
It's different if a really good friend sends me a request to her new business page. Of course, I'm going to like it because I already have a relationship with that person.

00:04:54 - Amber Hawley
So it's a very different thing. It's like build the relationship first because asking someone to like your Facebook page is an ask, people.

00:05:01 - Maelisa Hall
Yeah. And is that what you want to waste an ask on? Yes.

00:05:05 - Maelisa Hall
You only want to ask so many things, right? Don't waste an ask on that when it's not even going to help you.

00:05:09 - Amber Hawley
It's not even worth it. Here's the thing. I guess if we're going to have an overarching rule about how to reach out, it's kind of... There's many different ways that people have said this. And Gary Vee wrote a book about it, whether you like him or not.

00:05:21 - Amber Hawley
It's the jab, jab, jab, right punch. It's like, give, give, give, then ask. So give more. So if that's the general guiding principle in how to reach out, if there were a core principle, that would be it.

00:05:33 - Maelisa Hall
Yeah. And we try to do that. Always try to give when you reach out to people initially. Yes. There might be weird circumstances where you don't do that. But for the most part, that's the best way to establish a relationship. And that's what you're doing.
It's networking. And when you're reaching out to people, even though it's business, it's still a relationship. And treating it that way usually benefits you and benefits the other person and everybody wins.

00:05:59 - Maelisa Hall
Yes. So Facebook full pod number two, do not send me a private message.

00:06:03 - Amber Hawley
Trying to sell me your wares because, again, I just accepted your Facebook friend request, or you saw my post where I said I was tired. So you have the product that will save me unless I've asked for it. Now, if you can't post that on the Facebook thread, then don't send it to me in private message.

00:06:22 - Amber Hawley
I just find that so irritating.

00:06:25 - Maelisa Hall
And that's also like I was just talking to someone who was in a Facebook group. had a great interaction with someone in the Facebook group. And they were talking and they were connecting on Messenger. And it seemed really great. And then when they set up a virtual coffee chat to talk more, she found out the person only wanted to sell her and was giving her the product.
Such bad form. Yeah. Because then it felt like... She was like, I really thought the interactions before that were genuine and she was really cool. And now it feels like, oh, maybe they weren't genuine. She was just trying to hook me in.

00:06:57 - Amber Hawley
Yeah, that's what happens. If there's not enough of a foundation there, then that's what it's going to feel inauthentic. And I think that's the problem with that. And we are definitely a proponent of those Facebook or those coffee dates, virtual coffee dates, which we'll get into in the pros.

00:07:11 - Amber Hawley
But yes, it's like, don't just be trying to sell. And granted, you can be coming from a place of, hey, I know something that can be very helpful. Again, you could say... In the Facebook post, hey, I know some stuff that's very helpful. If you're interested, let me know.
That's different, right? Because it's like there's a difference between offering and trying to ask from someone. I said it really cleverly when we were talking before the episode. Oh, share but don't solicit. That's what I said. You can share information with people because we're coming from a place of wanting to help and be kind, but do not solicit.
That's just... Yeah.

00:07:52 - Maelisa Hall
And that doesn't mean you can't sell. Absolutely. Sell your stuff. People around you should know what you do. They should know what you sell, what you offer. So that if a random friend hears from their random friend that their random friend needs what you have to offer, they make that connection.
That doesn't mean you hide in a closet what you're doing. And there are posts often that are like, Hey... Does anyone know a good person who does this? And it's like, if you fit that bill perfectly, then let them know. I think that's totally appropriate.
But it's this fake interaction and fake connection when your only point is to sell stuff.

00:08:31 - Amber Hawley
Exactly. And to that end, when people post on their Facebook page that they're selling something or they're advertising, that doesn't bother me at all.

00:08:39 - Amber Hawley
Because again, you're sharing it and people come to you. They choose whether to walk into that proverbial store, so to speak. Very different than sending me, I said, PM, a DM. Because we no longer say PMs. No more private messages. It's direct messages.
I feel like that changed with Instagram. All of a sudden, no one says PM anymore.

00:08:58 - Maelisa Hall
And I was going to say, I do see this on Instagram a lot too, where a lot of times I will connect with someone and then they send me a message. And the very first message is like, here's my free download. They're not usually selling, but it's very explicitly...
To benefit them.

00:09:15 - Amber Hawley
Hey, jump into my funnel.

00:09:17 - Maelisa Hall
Yeah, basically.

00:09:18 - Maelisa Hall
Come on.

00:09:18 - Maelisa Hall
Yeah.

00:09:18 - Maelisa Hall
Oh, I'm not telling you, but jump in my funnel.

00:09:20 - Amber Hawley
Yeah. And I think people do this on Facebook, Instagram. They do it on LinkedIn. I think those are the faux pas.

00:09:28 - Amber Hawley
Don't do that. Don't be that person. And the other thing is, obviously, I don't think anybody in our network would do this, but please don't send disgusting messages via Facebook if we accept your Facebook message. It's just... I don't know. For any of our biz bros out there listening, just don't do it.
No, I don't care if you like my red hair. I don't. That's just not right. It's not appropriate.

00:09:54 - Maelisa Hall
And weirdly, you see that more on LinkedIn. Yes. It was awful.

00:09:59 - Amber Hawley
I was like, what is going on here?

00:10:01 - Amber Hawley
Maybe it's because it has more dudes. But... Well, it's just wrong. And we know none of you do it, but you can commiserate. I'm sure you've all received an icky message before from somebody. So at least you can just empathize with us because we know you know better than that.

00:10:16 - Maelisa Hall
Yes. And speaking of LinkedIn, a big don't for LinkedIn that I see that I have figured out because I pay attention sometimes is, have you ever wondered how you got on someone's email list where you get an email and you're like, I don't remember signing up for this.
And Amber and I both do this. I will sign up for things sometimes just to see what someone's funnel looks like. Full disclosure, I do that. Because I'm just like, hey, I have no intention of signing up for anything they have or staying on their email list.
But based on what they've presented, I'm just interested in their sales funnel. So every once in a while, I'll have something like that. And I'm like, did I sign up just to see what they have? And then I'm like, no, I've never heard of this before. Doesn't ring a bell.
Did not sign up for it. And then I started paying attention and realized... At the top, sometimes people will name their email lists.

And I would see it said LinkedIn emails or LinkedIn connections. And I'm like, oh, you got my email address off of LinkedIn. And then you added me to your email list.

00:11:14 - Amber Hawley
Which not only is that a faux pas, bad form, it is also illegal, people. So stop freaking doing it. And I want to say people do that on Facebook.

00:11:23 - Amber Hawley
And how I know is on my Facebook profile, I may have changed it recently. It lists my personal email address. And so I would start getting business stuff in my personal email address. And I'm like, well, I know I didn't sign up for your funnel or your downloadable there because I purposely keep it separate, right?
And so it's the same thing. And it just, ugh, stop doing it.

00:11:44 - Maelisa Hall
Yeah, it's not... Because it doesn't end up helping you long term because it gives you a bad reputation. And then just based on metrics, a lot of people will start clicking that you're spam and you'll get a lot of unsubscribes. And then that teaches that email provider that your emails aren't valuable.
That you're dodgy.

00:12:00 - Amber Hawley
So don't do that. That's a good one. That's a good one. Let's see. Are there other don'ts when reaching out? Like obviously don't make it about you. I had this happen where someone reached out and wanted to meet and then it was all about how I could help her.
And I've actually had this happen more than once. How I could help her and spent the whole time talking about herself and what she needs. And like not once did she check in about like, again, if there's reciprocity, right? But not once did she check in about me or what I'm needing or do I need referrals or this is a therapist.
And then I've had the ones where they just want to pick your brain, which I know we all have had those. And so it's like there's a way to do that.

00:12:44 - Amber Hawley
If we have no relationship with you and you ask that, there are ways to build that relationship and get to that place where you can do that that isn't inappropriate.

00:12:53 - Amber Hawley
But if you just out of the blue... Or if you're somebody who I already didn't like in grad school, then you ask for stuff.

00:13:01 - Amber Hawley
I'm not going to be amenable to that. So it's just one of those things to be considerate of. You have to build the relationship first. And it doesn't mean that you can't... Like you said, there's exceptions. There might be those one-offs like, hey, do you know blah, blah, blah?
Or, oh, I saw you posted about that.

00:13:16 - Amber Hawley
You're asking a quick little question is very different than having an ask or like, let's sit down and pick your brain kind of thing. Yeah. And a great response to that is I always share with people when they're saying like, oh, I've gotten the pick my brain question from somebody and I don't know how to respond because we're all very caring people.
I love the Marie Forleo episode that she does about that. So you can Google, go to Marie Forleo's site and do the pick my brain thing. She has a fantastic response. So I do love that immensely. But I think that's the other, the big one. It's like just come from a place of like service or actually wanting to connect to somebody.

00:13:53 - Maelisa Hall
Yeah. Yeah. And I guess to transition from there into the do's, it's like you were saying, if it's just a quick question or if you're following up on something, I think that's totally reasonable. Assuming you already know this person. in some way. Or even if they're like an influencer you're following and they post a thread in their Facebook group or they post a question, then that makes sense to engage with that because they're the ones starting the conversation, right?
Yeah. But I think one of the biggest things is this seems so simple, but simply ask. Ask the people you do know. If you have a need, if you are looking for resources, if you're looking for something, if you want to connect with someone, if you want to collaborate with someone, put the ask out there.
And again, highlighting how you are sharing value. But a lot of people are happy to even just make that connection.

Like you ask a question and they're like, oh yeah, I do know this resource. Here you go. Go to so-and-so's website or check out this book. And that is, I think, reasonable and still is building a relationship.

00:14:52 - Amber Hawley
Yeah. And I think there's, like you said, I think that's a good distinction if we're talking about on social media. The distinction is if somebody is posting something and you have a follow-up question from them, about resources or whatever, I really do think commenting in that thread is the ideal.
If you already kind of know this person or are connected as Facebook friends, a direct message is still okay. But I think there's something about keeping it in the thread, unless it feels like something that's delicate, because then it's so much easier.
I don't know. I just feel like we're inundated with so many emails, so many direct messages on Facebook, on LinkedIn, on Instagram, and text, and voicemails. And I just feel like there's so many ways in which people are doing these individual reach outs.

It's a little overwhelming.

00:15:42 - Amber Hawley
And so sometimes, for me, I know it can take me forever to respond to messages. And then there's this other thing where people think they should get immediate responses or they get all put out. But that's a whole... That's another faux pas I'm going to sell you.

00:15:57 - Amber Hawley
But at the same time... I do think like be thoughtful of, you know, is this something that could just be included in the thread and it would benefit others?

00:16:04 - Amber Hawley
Because I do love, I give lots of resources and like Facebook threads and stuff like that. Like I love sharing with people and helping, but I think it's different when people are asking like much more of your time or, you know, something deeper. And it's not, and again, no relationship.
It's different. If my friends ask me for stuff in private message, then I'm like, cool, no problem, you know?

00:16:25 - Maelisa Hall
Yeah. Yeah. And I think along those lines, if you want to build that relationship, then you start by reaching out to people, following them, commenting on stuff that they're posting. Or even if you're in a Facebook group and there's someone else, for example, we are...
We're in a few Facebook groups. Maybe just a couple. We were in one and someone had posted a question and then... Or she might have been answering someone else's question. I don't remember. And... I had already recognized her name because I was like, oh yeah, she's someone who has a really similar business model.
And I had wanted to connect with her just to connect and see if we could help one another out. I didn't have a specific ask. I didn't even have a specific like, here's how I can help you. I just thought we're in sort of a unique area and I thought we could support one another.
So then I posted to her comment like, hey, I've been meaning to reach out to you.

I'm going to send you a private message. Yes.

00:17:19 - Maelisa Hall
And then I did.

00:17:20 - Maelisa Hall
And then we set up a Zoom call and we had a great time talking and we both... I felt like that was a really equal exchange. We both offered one another some value and gave one another some tips. But it does take taking that initial step.

00:17:33 - Amber Hawley
Yeah. And that goes back to the ask part because there are times that I think when you're wanting to connect with somebody and talk to them about something, maybe, like you said, you have a similar business and there's a current struggle going on and you just want to brainstorm.

00:17:47 - Amber Hawley
That's different. There's reciprocation, right? That's very different than feeling like, oh, you book time with me just to sell to me because no one wants to feel like they're in an infomercial or just feel that pressure. I just think it's very off-putting.

00:17:59 - Amber Hawley
But it's different when it's this reciprocal relationship. And I think there's so much value in that. Because obviously, we're all about networking and reaching out to people and building those relationships. So it's not that you're not going to do that.
It's just that you have to be thoughtful about how you're doing it and why you're doing it.

00:18:15 - Amber Hawley
What's the intention?

00:18:16 - Maelisa Hall
Yeah. And I think also, it can be really helpful to be willing to be a little vulnerable. I'm always impressed by the people who are willing to do our Find Me a Bestie campaign. episode because there's some vulnerability to that. And I've noticed on social media, if you notice, when people share something that is genuine, not fake, not making up like, oh, woe is me or having a negative spin on it, but just saying like, hey, I'm being real here.
This has been a struggle for me or this is something I was dealing with. Those seem to be really, really engaging posts, Facebook, Instagram, whatever. And for me, I've done that in emails to my newsletter. to my email list. And those are always the ones that give me the most responses where people are like, thank you so much for sharing this.
I was feeling like I was the only one experiencing this.

I really appreciate you being willing to do that. So I think that can have so much value, but it is one of those moments, like whenever I've done it, where you're a little like, initially, it's a little bit outside the comfort zone. I'm not stepping way outside the comfort zone, but it's a little like, oh, I'm going to share.
Okay. Okay. I'm going to do it. But I guess you get such great responses.

00:19:29 - Amber Hawley
Yeah. And that's the thing. You're going to feel a little anxiety when you're being vulnerable, but that's what connects people because it's authentic. And it feels like we've all been there. We all have those feelings. We all have those doubts and those struggles.

00:19:41 - Amber Hawley
So that's very connecting. And I think, yeah, when you're reaching out from that place, it just comes across very different, right? These are general guidelines, but there are always exceptions. There are always ways of like, oh yeah, like reaching out to somebody and say, I'm really struggling with this.
But for the most part, let's really be thoughtful about how we're doing that because that just goes well. And the whole point of building that network or creating those friendships is, obviously, we think that's a great way to build your support system.

00:20:07 - Amber Hawley
And it leads to decreased stress and increased profitability and just efficiency in your business. And so we think it's highly valuable. Absolutely. Mm-hmm. And so there are times where... I think we've talked about this before in our networking episodes where we talked about touch points.
Because someone would say, well, how do I build this relationship with this person I don't even know? And so there are ways to create those touch points. There are ways to get on people's radar or start that conversation.

00:20:38 - Amber Hawley
But again, don't go straight for the ask. Don't go straight for the sell or something like... The sale or something like that. So it's sharing their stuff or engaging with them in the more public forums before reaching out privately. One thing we do talk about a lot is creating those virtual coffee dates.
We had our biz besties on, Jacqueline and Mina were on, and they talked about that's actually how they met. And now they have this amazing business together, but they met through a virtual coffee date. So it can be very effective.

00:21:07 - Maelisa Hall
Yeah, it's a great way to get to know people who Maybe you just think like, this is a cool person. Or maybe you think, I really love their business or I love what they do in whatever way. You don't have to be ultra strategic to do the initial reach out.
Obviously, you don't want to waste your time and be reaching out to any and everybody just to do it. But if there's any type of connection, you just never know what it might lead to.

00:21:30 - Maelisa Hall
Yes. And so that's for those...

00:21:33 - Amber Hawley
I don't even think they really knew each other or engaged much before that one. But I would say I wouldn't have a virtual coffee date with somebody that I didn't like.

00:21:43 - Amber Hawley
So yes, I wouldn't do it just purely for like, well, strategically, they would be a great person to talk to. It's like, I'm just not going to do that.

00:21:49 - Amber Hawley
And I know some people do. That's great. I couldn't do it.

00:21:53 - Amber Hawley
I just...

00:21:53 - Amber Hawley
I want to enjoy my time.

00:21:55 - Amber Hawley
I know. Life is du jour. And I'm like, ugh. And I think you can be strategic in the sense like, obviously...

00:22:01 - Amber Hawley
Oh, this is somebody who does amazing work and I just respect them and I want to get to know them better. It's strategy in that way, but it's also like you're trying to find your people and it's just going to go better, I think, when you do stuff like that.

00:22:15 - Maelisa Hall
Yeah, yeah. And I think there's a combination. Sometimes you're reaching out to people who are maybe at your level and sometimes you're reaching out to influencers because you want to get to know them a little bit or you want to make a valuable connection, maybe because you're going to their event or something like that.
or not even influencers, maybe even just people that you see as a level or two above you. You don't have to be scared of them. You can connect with them too. And you might have something valuable to offer them too. But how you reach out to them might not be the coffee chat invitation.

00:22:45 - Maelisa Hall
No. Especially if they're super busy.

00:22:48 - Amber Hawley
That's just not going to happen. We do have a great strategy for this. We do talk about it in our networking masterclass. And we have used it. It has been very successful. is after an event, if we've gone and met somebody at a big event, we will follow up with the people that we really just enjoy talking to and send them a little video message.

00:23:10 - Maelisa Hall
Yeah. And we just record... We've done it when we've been in person together, but we've also done it just when we weren't in person. And so we had to do a Zoom call so that the person could see both of our faces and record it. So you can do it if you're just one person.
It's a That's even better if you're just one person. And it wasn't like we even planned out something. And it was just like a fun one to two minute, hey, it was great to meet you. We had so much fun talking to you about whatever. And sometimes we might have had an ask if it was appropriate.
If it was someone we knew for a little while, then we've invited people to be on our podcast.

00:23:50 - Amber Hawley
That way, for example, which we feel is there's a win-win there, right? Like there's getting, there's exposure for them. But we also understand, like. But we also wanted it to be fun and engaging and for them to remember us. But like you said, it's usually those people have been people we've had multiple touch points with.

00:24:04 - Amber Hawley
But there are certain people where I think about a couple of the people we've reached out to, where, at least at this juncture, there seems to be no. crossover or logical collaboration or anything that would even make sense. We just genuinely liked the person.
So we sent them a little message, video message saying, hey, and just talking about the talk that they gave at a conference or something. And the best was when we get them back.

00:24:28 - Maelisa Hall
It's so fun. Yeah. It's super cool. And people love it because it makes us stand out, right? Because not a lot of people are doing that. And even though it's so short... And if you record a one to two minute video like It's so easy. It takes one to two minutes.
It takes you longer to write the email that accompanies it, right?

00:24:46 - Amber Hawley
We are not scripting or being perfectionist here. It is just as if we're having a conversation in real life. Make it easy on yourself. And this is a great strategy for extroverts who meet a lot of people and they're just like, ah, so many people. How do I follow up?
And even then, you're not going to follow up with all the people you loved and met. But yeah, you never know. But just you select a few.

00:25:05 - Maelisa Hall
Yeah. And I think part of our mission is also to make business fun. And I think part of that is making business fun where it's like, yeah, this random person over here, they're not in our field at all. We're not in their field at all. There's no collaboration.
There's no reason we would be on their podcast. There's no reason for whatever. Except they were really cool people. And we had a good time talking to them. And they're someone I would like to actually spend time with and talk with at another conference or another event.
Exactly. Exactly.

00:25:34 - Amber Hawley
And I think that that authenticity goes a long way.

00:25:36 - Amber Hawley
So we actually did this with somebody that we had met at an event earlier this year, and then found out she was speaking at Podcast Movement. And so of course, we were going to attend her session. It was literally one of like three sessions we attended.
We sat in the front row. And we just really hit it off with her at this previous event where she was a participant as well. And so we sent a video message to Patrice Washington after... getting to see her a couple of times and spending some time talking to her.
And she agreed to be on our podcast, which for us felt like kind of a big deal. It was pretty awesome because we thought she's pretty epic. And so her episode already has released at this point. We haven't released it yet as we're recording this. But I think it's in like the next...
Is it next week? Or no, in two weeks.

00:26:22 - Maelisa Hall
It is episode 40. That's helpful. 45. Episode 45. And that means... next week or the week after? Oh, from now? It's like two weeks from now. Oh, okay. It's in like two weeks. It's right after Thanksgiving.

00:26:38 - Amber Hawley
So she's from the Redefining Wealth podcast.

00:26:42 - Amber Hawley
And so you can go back and listen to that if you haven't already done so. It's a great episode. But that's how we got her on the podcast.

00:26:49 - Amber Hawley
And we were just really pumped about it. And so most of the time, though, we're just sending follow-up messages just because we liked connecting with somebody. But sometimes you do have an ask. But we'd already had touch points with her. So that's one of our little secret sauce things that we love to do.

00:27:06 - Maelisa Hall
But we're always being genuine and always doing it because they're people we like. They're people we do want to connect with and talk with. And who knows? It's not about necessarily the opportunity. It's about connecting with like-minded people and enjoying the work that you're doing.
And then maybe also having some kind of collaboration and benefiting your business and benefiting their business too. Yes.

00:27:27 - Amber Hawley
So just to recap the episode, basically our key takeaways are don't be a douche on social media. That's so inappropriate. And so what we like to say is share, but don't solicit because we're all about making profit and putting our businesses out there.

00:27:48 - Amber Hawley
So sharing is caring, but soliciting is yucky. So don't do that. Soliciting without a relationship.

00:27:54 - Amber Hawley
True story. That is a good point. I do like that. Yeah. Soliciting without a relationship. That's super important. And yeah. So just always try to give when you're reaching out. Always think, how can this benefit the other person? So don't just ask for...
how it only works for you. Think about the other person in that dynamic. And sometimes you reach out to a stranger because there is a way to still consider them in that dynamic. And sometimes there's not. So be thoughtful about that. And yeah, I think that's...
And get creative in how you do that. Make it fun. It doesn't have to be so serious.

00:28:32 - Maelisa Hall
Yeah, for real. And the strategies we've used for networking and reaching out have actually... made a big impact. We have booked four speaking gigs out of peer networking, just from the people we know and that we've met and circumstances that have come up.
So having your network, using this stuff really works because we booked those speaking gigs because we have relationships with those people. And they know that we will offer value to their audience. And they like us too, right? I mean, I think that's a legit thing.
they know will be valuable, but they also really like us and know that we will be able to make a good impression on their audience. Because when people start referring to you, that's on them too. If I refer someone to you, that's my reputation too.

So if you have people you like, you're more willing to do that. Now, if you want more help with that, if you feel like, I still didn't get enough from you, Melissa and Amber, or I just want to hear more. And I want to up my networking game. Yes, we have more for you.
We have a whole networking masterclass that is almost two hours long, but we broke it up into sections for you to make it manageable. And it is chock full of ideas and strategies that you can use for networking so that you too can start booking speaking gigs and making friends and having fun.
I think one of the things we also talk about in the masterclass is like, We're obviously extroverts. But if you're not an extrovert, if you're an introvert, or if you're just shy, we go through actual conversation starters you can use and give you a bunch of different kinds of strategies so that you can find what works for your personality and what feels natural to you.

00:30:18 - Amber Hawley
Yes. In the class, like you said, we broke it into bite-sized pieces because one, we have ADHD. Our attention span is short too. But it's not just about booking speaking gigs. It's really about growing your network, growing your influence, growing... those people in your inner circle that can be a support to you, and really making the whole business entrepreneur journey a lot more fun.

00:30:39 - Amber Hawley
So definitely head on over to mybizbestie.com forward slash networking.

00:30:44 - Maelisa Hall
And thanks for joining us for Season 3. We will see you back here in March of 2019 for Season 4.