Hang Around and Be Awesome –
It Might Lead to Something Cool

The above advice is something that I’ve been hearing a lot of lately – but let’s start with a story.

We just hired a new guy at the day-job.  Admittedly, the position isn’t a great one, probably doesn’t pay that much, and will be a lot of hard work.  However, in this age of economic doom and gloom, he got hired.  He’ll come out with a couple bucks, but more than that, he’ll have some really quality experience and a great reference when he hunts down the big job.  Though if I read the situation correctly, I’m thinking he’ll be in business for himself.

Here’s the kicker – I don’t even know if he was really looking for a job.

We got to know him because he came to our events.  We hold open houses on different topics once or twice a year.  Sometimes they’re trade-show-ish and free, sometimes they’re more seminar-style, and paid.  I’m pretty sure this guy has come to all the events I’ve been around for.

So over a year or two, he got to know most of the guys on staff, and we got to know him.  Most of us are Facebook friends with him and have started communicating back and forth with him semi-regularly.  We’re all in the same industry so it’s pretty easy for him to connect with us.

Recently we had a warehouse sale – just trying to get rid of a bunch of stuff that was filling up our warehouse.  This guy is one of the first in the door and picks up probably a couple thousand dollars worth of odds and ends for a couple hundred bucks.

“I’m just gonna build all this stuff myself.  Think of all the money I’ll save.”

So let’s look at what we know:

• Self-starter – willing to put in the sweat equity to “build it himself”
• Looking to educate himself – attends all our events
• Out working freelance pretty regularly – based on Facebook and freelance work he’s done for us in the past

Without being intentional (as far as I know), this guy has built himself a pretty solid repuation.

So instead of putting up an ad for a newly open position, we called him – and he starts this week.

What does this have to do with you?

It’s increasingly how business is done – a very Third Tribe principle.

Heard a million times around twitter and the social web lately: people do business with the people they know and like.

So hang around.  Get your name, twitter handle, etc. out there on the web, commenting on people’s blogs, conversing with people on social networks.

But don’t network just for the sake of “building a huge number of connections.”

Provide value, add to the conversation, help people without expecting anything in return.

The above process doesn’t only work with face-to-face networking.  It works everywhere.  And where it took a year or two of random interaction for my new coworker to get a call, it can happen on the social web much, much faster.

Some Related Posts:

• Quality vs. Quantity in Blogging, Social Media, and Life in General – Srinivas Rao – The Skool of Life
• The Introvert’s Guide to People – Jeffrey Tang – Art of Great Things
• Is Engagement More Important – Chris Brogan – chrisbrogan.com