reason for being at the event. Partner: “I heard about the speaker.” “I like to support the organization.” “I have a lot of friends who come.” “I’m a member.” Remember that you are at an event that is being hosted by an organization that attracts your prospects for their own needs, so these answers make sense.

Your single most important question comes next. “I’m curious, what’s the biggest challenge in your business today?” Notice that it doesn’

Be ready to initiate a conversation

How do you get a conversation going when you’re at one of your carefully selected events? Remember that you are not there to “do business” which is only a transaction. You are there to build relationships which over time will strengthen the connections that will make your net a Wealth Net. Also remember to forget the trite and predictable dead-end “So, what do you do?”

Relational conversations and connections happen when you put the other person first. Everyone says they do this, but most people really don’t. You have to work hard to deliberately focus on the other person. Keep it simple and practice repeatedly. Here’s how:

You: Opening comment: with friendly, relaxed smile and body language, make eye contact and introduce yourself by first name. “Hi, I’m Susan. Thanks for coming today.”

• Do not peer at their chest and try to read their name tag.

• Thanking them makes them feel “I am appreciated.” Do this even though you have had nothing to do with organizing the event.

Your conversational partner will offer their name “I’m John. It’s nice to meet you.”

• They might attempt small talk by asking you what you do, or making a comment about the weather or something.

• Do not go down that path and give them an answer. Stick to the Wealth Networking path. This may seem rude to you, but as soon as you ask more about them, they will appreciate it.

You: “It’s great to meet you too. What brought you here today?”

• This keeps the focus on them. It’s an open ended question that gives them permission to reveal something about themselves.

• Encourage this train of thought with simple comments such as “really”; “tell me more about that;” or “what else?”

• Do not jump in with your own reason for being at the event.

Partner: “I heard about the speaker.” “I like to support the organization.” “I have a lot of friends who come.” “I’m a member.” Remember that you are at an event that is being hosted by an organization that attracts your prospects for their own needs, so these answers make sense.

Your single most important question comes next. “I’m curious, what’s the biggest challenge in your business today?” Notice that it doesn’t

s and connections happen when you put the other person first. Everyone says they do this, but most people really don’t. You have to work hard to deliberately focus on the other person. Keep it simple and practice repeatedly. Here’s how:

You: Opening comment: with friendly, relaxed smile and body language, make eye contact and introduce yourself by first name. “Hi, I’m Susan. Thanks for coming today.”

• Do not peer at their chest and try to read their name tag.

• Thanking them makes them feel “I am appreciated.” Do this even though you have had nothing to do with organizing the event.

Your conversational partner will offer their name “I’m John. It’s nice to meet you.”

• They might attempt small talk by asking you what you do, or making a comment about the weather or something.

• Do not go down that path and give them an answer. Stick to the Wealth Networking path. This may seem rude to you, but as soon as you ask more about them, they will appreciate it.

You: “It’s great to meet you too. What brought you here today?”

• This keeps the focus on them. It’s an open ended question that gives them permission to reveal something about themselves.

• Encourage this train of thought with simple comments such as “really”; “tell me more about that;” or “what else?”

• Do not jump in with your own reason for being at the event.

Partner: “I heard about the speaker.” “I like to support the organization.” “I have a lot of friends who come.” “I’m a member.” Remember that you are at an event that is being hosted by an organization that attracts your prospects for their own needs, so these answers make sense.

Your single most important question comes next. “I’m curious, what’s the biggest challenge in your business today?” Notice that it doesn’

read their name tag.

• Thanking them makes them feel “I am appreciated.” Do this even though you have had nothing to do with organizing the event.

Your conversational partner will offer their name “I’m John. It’s nice to meet you.”

• They might attempt small talk by asking you what you do, or making a comment about the weather or something.

• Do not go down that path and give them an answer. Stick to the Wealth Networking path. This may seem rude to you, but as soon as you ask more about them, they will appreciate it.

You: “It’s great to meet you too. What brought you here today?”

• This keeps the focus on them. It’s an open ended question that gives them permission to reveal something about themselves.

• Encourage this train of thought with simple comments such as “really”; “tell me more about that;” or “what else?”

• Do not jump in with your own reason for being at the event.

Partner: “I heard about the speaker.” “I like to support the organization.” “I have a lot of friends who come.” “I’m a member.” Remember that you are at an event that is being hosted by an organization that attracts your prospects for their own needs, so these answers make sense.

Your single most important question comes next. “I’m curious, what’s the biggest challenge in your business today?” Notice that it doesn’

. This may seem rude to you, but as soon as you ask more about them, they will appreciate it.You: “It’s great to meet you too. What brought you here today?”

• This keeps the focus on them. It’s an open ended question that gives them permission to reveal something about themselves.

• Encourage this train of thought with simple comments such as “really”; “tell me more about that;” or “what else?”

• Do not jump in with your own reason for being at the event.

Partner: “I heard about the speaker.” “I like to support the organization.” “I have a lot of friends who come.” “I’m a member.” Remember that you are at an event that is being hosted by an organization that attracts your prospects for their own needs, so these answers make sense.

Your single most important question comes next. “I’m curious, what’s the biggest challenge in your business today?” Notice that it doesn’

reason for being at the event. Partner: “I heard about the speaker.” “I like to support the organization.” “I have a lot of friends who come.” “I’m a member.” Remember that you are at an event that is being hosted by an organization that attracts your prospects for their own needs, so these answers make sense.

Your single most important question comes next. “I’m curious, what’s the biggest challenge in your business today?” Notice that it doesn’t matter if you know what their business is. In the course of answering they will tell you.

Continue this conversation for a minute or two. You’ve made the other person feel great and in doing so have left them with a wonderful impression of you. This is the kind of conversation that makes the other person want to get to you know you better. It’s much more effective than the typical networking talk which involves pushing yourself at others, while fending off their attempts to push themselves at you.

The flip side of initiating a conversation is closing one and moving on. The details of that are in Chapter Four.