Networking For Peacocks and Wingmen Alike with Stephen Esketzis - FHR #319

Why Dave Decided to talk to Stephen Esketzis:

Stephen is a man of many events. With it only being the beginning of March, he’s already been to seven. Now he’s here to share with you how to maximize your effectiveness at any event you go to. With questions from “How do you differentiate between cockiness and introductions?” to the age old question of “Do I need a wingman?” he answers them all.

Tips and Tricks for You and Your Business:

(1:02) What’s the Takeaway From Every Event You Will Ever Go To?

(2:56) Stephen’s Learning Philosophy is Very Similar to Our Other Beloved Stephen

(5:54) How Stephen Went to Todd Brown’s Event With the Game Plan in Mind

(8:22) Go to the Event and Get Your One Thing, Relationship or Knowledge

(11:02) THAT Guy, You Know Who I’m Talking About

(14:42) How to Prevent Yourself from “Peacocking” at Events

(16:10) It’s Important to be the Connector

(19:59) Stephen’s System to Meeting the People He NEEDS to Meet for His Business

(21:54) Meeting Strangers is Networking...Just Don’t Be Strange

(25:20) Introducing Yourself Without Bragging About Yourself

(27:05) The One Question to Rule them All: Do You Need a Wingman?

Quotable Moments:

(3:34) “For me it’s all about compartmentalizing the content and going to the people I need to at that time.”

(15:20) “I think to me the key is to be yourself. Again, I love the whole thing of not being cocky or draw attention to yourself but the most important thing about networking to me is, and you and I have talked about this before, you have to always be adding value.”

(25:49) “You describe what you do, you don’t describe the money that you’ve made when introducing yourself to others.”

Other Tidbits:

Dave started with some of Dan Kennedy’s initial events

Just go to the event you need, and get what you need from it

If you are one of the people who knows people, then people will know you.

Important Episode Links:

The Lazy Contact AppFunnelHackingLive.com FunnelHackerRadio.com FunnelHackerRadio.com/freetrial FunnelHackerRadio.com/dreamcar

---Transcript---

Speaker 1:   00:00     Welcome to funnel hacker radio podcast, where we go behind the scenes and uncover the tactics and strategies top entrepreneurs are using to make more sales, dominate their markets and how you can get those same results. Here's your host, Dave Woodward. Every welcome back to [inaudible]

 

Speaker 2:   00:18     great. This is that kind of crazy deal that happened here and want to make sure you kind of understand what's you're about ready to listen to. So I was down at TAC traffic and conversion this last week and ran into our very first dream car award winning affiliate Stephen. It's gets us. And while we were there, I thought, you know what? He's never actually collected on the his dream car because he was living in Australia. It's like five times as much. And so I thought, what, what if we just get you a Ferrari for the day here while we're in San Diego is we wouldn't out and got a fry. Kevin Nance and joined us and we started filming, drove over to core Natto, hit the Cornell of bridge. Uh, I spent some time over by the hotel del and just had a great time. And while we were there we started walking up and down along the beach and Kevin was filming basically some of the things that he's done that uh, Steven's done to become a number one to feel it.

Speaker 2:   01:04     But then also some of the things that just Kinda it lid became this open dialogue of events and why we're traffic conversion, why you go to events and and just kind of a success story type of interview. So I thought it'd be kind of fun just to strip the audio from that and let you guys listen to it. So understand that the audio quality is probably not that great. There was a lot of wind and a, we're at the beach and things but I think the contents worth it. So I want to at least give that to you guys. It's a listen to it, enjoy it and let me know what you think.

Speaker 3:   01:32     Steven and I are actually out here. Traffic and conversion. This is the second event that I've been to so far that actually the 30 benefits you so far this year in which the fourth event I pinches of my, the shield. It's been to four events in the first 60 days of the, of the year. And one of the things I've seen Steven at so many different events over all the years, what we want to con talk about is why do you go to an event and when you're adding event, how do you maximize your time? There's a ton of stuff going on. There's networking, there's content. It's really just trying to find out what are the secrets that you can, why does anyone want to go to live event? How do you get the most out of the live event? And that's kind of suffered talked about right now. So it's even having that so far you've been to the ship. Just the first one. This is number three. Number three. So it's, it's pretty crazy. The 25th, 26th of Jan of February. Yeah, this third. My fourth. So inventive 70 ventures. You can be as chair. It's been crazy. So why do you go to events? Look, to me it's

Speaker 4:   02:25     the biggest thing initially was the content. Um, when I got into digital marketing, it was all about learning the content, learning what was working and really being able to apply that in my business. But as I've grown as a business owner, as a marketer, it's never become a lot more about the network. Now. It's really been connecting with the right people and really getting in front of those people that are either going to be decision makers or Jv opportunities or maybe you've got some synergistic way to work together. Might not be right now, but you might have something say in the next six months or 12 months or something down the line. So for me, looking back now in reflection of the, all the events I've been to, uh, the

Speaker 3:   02:59     networks and the opportunities that have come from that may not have had a direct ROI straight away, but it's just incredibly Roi over time. I think that's, for me, that's one of the things I loved. I remember when I first got started, I was, gosh, it's been over 10 years now where I was going to a lot of Dan Kennedy's and Bill Glazer's GIC events. This is all about breakfast, [inaudible] marketing, even pre internet marketing type of stuff. But I remember it, those events being so fascinated by the people who are crushing it and I want it so bad, he's wanting so bad to be there. I want it. I want to just to feel like I was successful. And at the time I was like, oh my gosh, I'm never going to get there. And you saw all these people who were not just gurus but these are the guys who were actually just crushing it on stage.

Speaker 3:   03:42     Yeah. And more importantly in their own personal and business life. And I think the main thing that I saw at that point was how valuable that networking was. Yeah. Cause I agree with, at first it's all about the content where you go and you're there to learn the content and then implementing the content. I think that for me the hardest part was I would get so excited and so motivated there. And then I get home and man life, each of the patients like, oh crap on, never going to be able to do that. And you get hit with so many ideas as well. So you'll like not only do you come back and you, you've lost all your energy, but you're like, well, I know a hundred different ways I can go, which way is the best? So how do you deal with information overload at an event?

Speaker 3:   04:21     So for me, all I take going into an event with a bit of a game plan. So I say, well look, where do I, where am I now? Where do I want to be? Who the key people I want to meet and what's the key content that I need to take away from this meant anything outside of that I'll learn, but I know it's not going to be implemented there. And then it's something that I'm going to come back to or might make a note of the people that are experts in that field. So if that issue comes up or I want to learn more, I can then reach out and go back to that note. So for me, it's all about compartmentalizing the content and going to the people that I need to at that time. I should funnel hacking live. Steven Larsen, Tata principle.

Speaker 3:   04:53     I think that is so critical, especially when you're attending an event here at the time was referring more towards books in and content things he was learning. But it's this principle as far as just in time learning and seeing and you're just kind of talking about that where you had a game plan as far as when you're going to the event, you're like, you know, I need to learn Facebook trap at or I need to learn copywriting on. I'm going to this event to learn how to shoot video better. Or did you go with a game plan as far as what is the next step that you need? So, so often a lot of us are like, oh, I'm just going to capture every single thing and it never works that way. So Steve was like, okay, it's baby steps. Okay, all I need is I want that step, whatever that information pieces there, that's what I'm going to get.

Speaker 3:   05:29     And then it's like one step at a time. I think the problem that most of us have when we go to an event is you get this massive overwhelm. And I think the biggest problem I find for a lot of people who are going to events is they don't go there with a game plan. So excited. They're so motivated. So what were some of the events that you've gone to where you had a game plan and what were you looking to accomplish? Well, I mean, it's off into a whole lot of different events I've been to for the record. Real quick. How many events have you been to? I've seen, I'm into a ton of events and I see you at all, every one of them. Uh, I've

Speaker 4:   05:58     lost count. Honestly. I have lost count all the big digital marketing events. I've probably, you've seen me, uh, you know, uh, uh, I don't, like I said, I've lost count. I've been to all the funnel related ones and digital marketing ones, that traffic ones, the even business growth ones overall. Um, there's been a whole mix. Um, but it's, and now we've actually launched our own events company in Australia. So we're running our own Australian digital marketing event, which is crazy. So I've been on both sides of knowing what a good event it looks like as an attendee. And now I'm going to know what a, hopefully a good event it looks like as someone running one. So give me an idea of something where you went there with a purpose in what you got out of it. Yeah, so, so here's an example. I was at a marketing funnel automation run by Todd Brown and other click funnels affiliate actually, who's, you know, did actually, it did really well on the VA first book launch. I remember. Um, so did a really good job. I think he got a car too. It didn't, it was actually our very first dream car award winner. He and Jeff Walker, Jeff got the Ferrari and Todd actually, uh, was given the first check. Yeah, I remember that. So yeah. Anyway, I was at his event, this was going McAfee in years now. Um, and he's events specifically for copywriting and really getting this big idea. Um, it's something that that event is really well known for. And at that time we had an alpha.

Speaker 3:   07:11     It's launching a health website. It's, I was like, look, I really want to understand the principles behind creating this offer and getting it right to the right people. So I just circled all the sessions that I had at that time, uh, that I wanted to attend. And that was it. I was just there for those sessions. Anything outside of that, I was going back, working on taking the ideas from what I just learned and seeing how I could implement it. So that way you don't have a thousand things going on. You've got that tunnel vision. So you've got, you've gone to your session, get the takeaways out. One of the ones that are sessions that I got a lot out of was it, Laura was speaking there talking about how they do this copy's lining or whatever it was called. Um, mapping out all their different objections and handling those in the sales process.

Speaker 3:   07:50     So I was looking at that and yeah, it was phenomenal. I mean, you know, you take content and then you've got to go back and implement it. I think if you just sit there and then you go, all right, next session, next session. It's like a drug. You just kind of get out of it. You know, you're stuck in there. I mean the contents, awesome, don't get me wrong. But you know, you also want to make sure that you're executing the content. Um, so for me it was just, yeah, you to have that tunnel vision and no, yeah, it comes up. So I know the very first one I went to, and it's sometimes if the person doesn't know what they want, I just tell him, just go and immerse yourself in the experience. So the first time, if you don't know what you're wanting, I would say you just go and just get the feeling.

Speaker 3:   08:27     Uh, one of the greatest things for me as far as events is you are with a group of likeminded people, which as an entrepreneur, you'd never remember. You've been doing this a long time now. And the first time, same thing for me. When I first got started, I was like, there's no one liked me. I am all by myself. Yeah. So the very first thing I tell people, if you're trying to go to an event, what I highly recommend the very first time is just go and soak it all in. I don't care if you get anything else out of it. Just besides the idea of what is possible and sometime just that dream, it's capturing the dream. The second thing I tell people is when you're at an event, after you kind of get a little handle for it is to do exactly what Steven said and there's different types of events.

Speaker 3:   09:06     So like funnel hacking live is all in one room and it's choreographed to make sure that you get a whole bunch of exact steps that you need to take. A TNC is more of a trade show where it's broken down into multitracks and so you may be on an agency track, we may be on a copywriting track and so you kind of have to find out how the event is set up. But I love what you said and that is too often people go with this idea as far as, I'm just going to get everything. If you get that one thing, all you need is one good idea. Sometimes you just get that one good idea and you're one funnel away. Yes. Right. And what you were talking about was you literally got that and left the event. Yeah. Left. You didn't go off and implement it right then and there.

Speaker 3:   09:44     Well I mean cause that's the thing, you're getting shocked. Gung Ho, it's like a machine gun. You're getting all these different ideas, all these different nuggets coming out and they're all great, but you know, or you can only implement so much when you're at that event. Um, and keeping them on as well. A lot of events have recordings that you can take advantage of. So if you don't get it wrong, then the contents oil is generally available light if a purchase or online, um, Nordics as well tends to come out to a lot of events. So you take advantage of those. Um, you know, there's different content opportunities that he's pointing, but when you're there, you've only got one opportunity to connect with people. So for me right now that that's that time opportunity. Do you want to meet people and make the relationships? It's funny, I had this conversation with a friend of mine the other night and it was saying that in digital marketing we're all online, right?

Speaker 3:   10:27     But I know the most meaningful relationships with me and coming person. So it's so ironic that we're in a digital industry where everything's done online. All of these funnels online, we'll have hedges online, but at the end of the day, the most meaningful relationships and partnerships and joint ventures and will come from in person events. Um, and I just say that as, you know, it's so powerful. Just if I looked back and I didn't go to one event, there would be no one in the industry would really know. Even the success and any results that I've put together now we'll most likely not be there. And it's also like you said, lonely. You know, it's a, it's a journey that you're going on your own, so you want to have that support along the way. Well, it's funny cause I didn't know steam was coming this week. And so I flew in, left at six o'clock morning flight from Nashville to get out here because I had to be on a yacht, which I know.

Speaker 3:   11:11     Tough life. Third World First World problem for sure. So I can get on this yacht, 150 foot yacht brand separate, set up, great experience. And the very first person I see on the yacht is Steven. And I'm like, dude, what are you doing here? It's like I'm networking, I'm knowing these people. And that was before TNC even started. And I think that's one of the things again, all of a sudden you started getting these invites and, and that's the other thing, you know like I think one, one saying I've heard a lot and I totally agree with there's a lot of these deals are done at the bar where whether you're drinking or not, the idea is that you don't have to be in the sessions to be able to do a lot of these deals in network. It's at these after parties. It's up.

Speaker 3:   11:47     The networking events is that the mixes? It's, maybe it's just in someone's hotel room, just having a chat and maybe it's just organizing a meeting at the coffee in the coffee store inside the hotel. That's where the real money's made. That's where the real opportunities and the deals are. Um, you know, because it's those one on one connections, all those introductions, hey, have you met this person? And you might be in a group of three people and you'll introduce yourself to other people. So I found like, you know, last night I was at a Clickbank, a sponsored event. And when I went there, there's, you know, or might be in a room with a bunch of people I know, and all of a sudden they're making introductions. Hey, this software is fantastic. If you check this person out, the founders actually just there, let me go get him for you.

Speaker 3:   12:23     And one little connection like that at an ad on Facebook is to build the relationship. You'll go home next week and said, hey, you remember when we caught up clickbank? Oh yeah. Awesome. You know, I can't wait. Can you actually tell me a little bit more about what you do? I'll try it on my offers and away you go and that could be a huge successful partnership on that. I love that. So a couple of things as far as networking goes, don't be the person who's basically a whore just handing out all their business. That's probably wrong terms here. Don't be a person sleazy dealt be a sleazy person who's just as right. They give away their gifts, their business cards to everybody. We actually all hacking life and someone was actually putting their business cards on the top of every year and they're like, dude, are you serious?

Speaker 3:   13:02     You think that's been known as the Urinal Guy? That's terrible. Why would I want that? I never have any business cards and there's a couple of reasons why for me, I never want a business card because I know what I do with business cards when they get home I get, they just get thrown away. They didn't typically don't even get home. They typically go right in the trash. What I want is I want some grabbing their phone and I want them entering my contact information in their phone or to take a picture with the two of them. So you all of a sudden he grabbed the phone and we'll just even do this with Steven and I saw all of a sudden just grab your phone Elvis. You say, Hey, you know what I mean, take this picture right now. That picture now goes into the contact information with Steven so I can now send them a text or anything else saying, hey, it was great connecting with you at TNC.

Speaker 3:   13:44     Now we've got more of a relationship and you can respond to that. So I've, I haven't carried business cards in year one little hack for this and it's actually why I built this little free app and it's going to be a small plug here, but I promise you it's going to pitch or anything is a pitch and it's not a pitch. I'm not going to pre sell you. There's not always be trolls. There's not going to be a stack. Um, but uh, credit this APP called lazy contact. And what it does is you put your information in and then all you do is scan the person's foreign. Exactly. It. Just pull out your camera and you just hovered over the tall. Then I can get a picture of this and then that adds contact. You Click it and then you just hit save and now you've got my contact information.

Speaker 3:   14:26     Dude, that was really it. You've got my number, my name, my company, every day. I want that. Yeah, that's fantastic. Rosie, contact, lazy contact, purple F, lazy contact. I'm sure it's in the APP. So free. Totally true. Anyway, all right, so one of the things I always get asked is how do you dress for the event? Now, this kind of stuff, I never, ever, ever do it. The only reason I'm doing this today is because I had to pick a Ferrari that I didn't own and I bought. You know what? Easiest thing is more bling I have. The less confusing it's going to be for the people and it worked. I literally got in the car, put my hand on the steering wheel in the very first thing. The guy goes, dude, what sport did you play? Well, I didn't actually win this at a sport.

Speaker 3:   15:06     I said, actually that's one of our 10. It's our eight figure ward. He goes, what is that? Oh, it's free business had done over $10 million. And he's like, dude, you guys are making some serious money. No questions asked after that. As far as what, what actually his question was, how do I become a sales guy for you? That was the other question. So normally I do not dress like this when I'm at an event. Um, I prefer to be a little more casual. Stephen's attires we probably too casual today, but uh, you know, uh, I've had a mixture of it tell us. I think it really depends on the context as well. It does, it depends on what you want to get out and we'll talk to the impression you want to make, what event you're going to. If you're going to a networking event then you know, maybe would be more casual or if you go into it like last time there was a market as bullying might want to be a bit more dressed up.

Speaker 3:   15:50     Um, I don't think there's a term I've heard called peacocking. I don't know if that's a US thing, but you want to be like super cocky. This is total be deciding to when you're just standing out with everyone. Um, that's not my vibe. Uh, I like to just know mixing in and, you know, go with the flow. I think as long as you follow the dress code of what the event of you've done with precise business, casual is always safe. I'm typically button down shirt, jeans. Um, I prefer a tee shirt sometimes that's a little casual and fun. Yeah, I was just going to say, and it also depends on the weather of the place. That was the biggest problem I had with this trip was on one day I was phrasing. So I had three jackets on another day. Like today I could be in shorts and a tee shirt.

Speaker 3:   16:34     Um, you know, and not having any problems. So all of a sudden make sure you definitely check the weather of the event you're going to give us. I've made that mistake flying from Australia, told theU s events and I'm leaving from one climate, going to the exact opposite of another. Um, so yeah, that's, I don't want to tip, but check the event and check the weather. I think the key is just be yourself. Again, love the idea as far as don't do the whole peacocking thing where you're drawing attention to yourself. The most important thing about networking for me, you and I've had this conversation before and that is you have to always be providing value. Like what Stephen just did as far as, yeah, it's his own app, but the value app, that APP was huge. And I think that the key is just provide value to people.

Speaker 3:   17:15     And sometimes when I remember I first got started, I thought I had no value at all. In fact, I was talking, uh, so we had a dinner cruise last night with 112 people that we knew in this area. And, uh, Keith Yackey and Pete Vargas won't see we spot click funnels sponsored it. It was pizza and, uh, Keith event. But the cool thing about it was there was really no peacocking going on and there was no, no one was trying to one up each other, but they were all trying to provide a ton of value. And the one thing that Keith said last night that that was so important that was the connector gets all the love. And I was like, Keith boy talking about, he goes, well dude, you're not going to, I've known Keith for over 10 years now and I've seen him at different events and he loves to be the connector.

Speaker 3:   17:58     And what I mean by that is he's not providing any value per se as far as he's not up on stage teaching about how to do Facebook ads or youtube and Nielsen. One thing that he loves to do is connect people. And he says, the connector gets all the love. And as we were shaking hands with everybody as they're written off the yacht last night, well they were saying was they were just so appreciative for that event because it connected people that brought people together, provided them an opportunity. Now you don't have to do a whole yacht experience, but what you talking about was just even in the bar and you're like, oh, you know, I actually know someone who would be great for you so you're not taking it all on yourself. You're saying, you know, Steven, let me introduce you to Kevin. Kevin's great at at videos, great at this kind of stuff.

Speaker 3:   18:37     And Steven's like, awesome. He will remember me as that connector. And the more connections you can make with people, more value you can provide to people, the greater of a resource you are then perceived in the eyes of everyone else and then all of a sudden everyone's like, I don't know who, who does this? Who does that? Soon you become known as the person as the Goto. I don't know who it is right now, but as Steven, he'll know someone for sure. And that's the one of the things, if you don't feel like you have any content value, be the connector, that connector value gets all the love. And I'm thinking of the other ones to add on top of that as well as host events. Like you said, like feel free to host your own events even if they're not around a specific, you know, might not be a monster one or something, but it might just be a casual drinks and say, hey, we're watching this unofficial get together full this event.

Speaker 3:   19:20     And that's a great way to kind of capture attention for attendees. You might not even know. Cause I remember the very first time I came out to trafficking conversion summit, I was about 19 years old, something like that. Those are probably the same Thomas sided with quick funnels as well. And um, I attended a Superbowl party and someone posted in the Facebook group, I think it was the click funnels group saying Bruce at TNC we've got a, a, you know, a Superbowl party going on, whole bunch of young entrepreneurs, feel free to come if you want. So I sent them a message. I said, look, I literally just landed two hours ago off their 21 hour trip we'd love to attend. I went there and now looking back, four years later, these people are running eight nine figure businesses and these people are young like, you know, then my age, they're doing these crazy things.

Speaker 3:   19:59     Back then they would just get into the industry there. They're running some crazy businesses. I'm using click funnels of me, affiliates doing whatever they're doing in the marketing world, but it just a one little random catch up and I made the effort just to say, yeah, I'd love to come. Well, you know, let's do it. Let's just organize, put yourself out there a little bit outside the comfort zone and I need nobody, you know, some guy from Australia who didn't know anyone and just say, look, I'd love to attend. Or you know, what can I bring to the party? How can I make it better for you? It just helps, you know. So little things like that. Put yourself out there, host some events around for the bigger conference or is a great way to network. I told him these weird just kind of talking about it as far as the event side of things at the wholesalers, all own events.

Speaker 3:   20:39     Uh, last year actually here at TNC, uh, Andrew Warner was here. It was on the, the dinner yacht. Uh, we did with Pete and key and then like what you said, he ends up hosting Scotch night and he just invites him bucks buddies up and they drink scotch. I don't drink but it was so kind of him to invite me and so I had the opportunity to just be in there and mingling and just getting to know each other. And I think it kind of brings up the thing that you would allude to earlier, Stephen, and that is kind of having a target hit list of even the people you want to meet and of just go in there. I'm just going to be every single person out there. How do you kind of identify who it is that you want to meet? At an event. Look, it is tough.

Speaker 3:   21:16     If you've never met, if you've gone, they'd called and you haven't met anyone. I think you've got to really build a segmented list of people that you want to make. Um, you know, are you looking for people who might be affiliates, even for people who didn't want to have a channel partnership opportunity with you? Are you looking for speakers? Are you looking for, you know, what's that little niche of people you're looking to speak to? And then within that, I think you'll get opportunities and introductions to be made to specific people to go even deeper and say, Hey, do you know anyone that might know this person in particular? Uh, and then get an introduction like that. I think when you go to hard to meet someone directly, um, it, it looks like a cold approach and sometimes it looks a bit too difficult to, you know, they're kind of wanting to get something from you first.

Speaker 3:   21:58     So when you want to provide value, I think I typically try to surround myself in that circle. And then once I surround myself with people in that circle, I'll go in and say, Hey, look, I'd love to connect with you know, this person. Do you know someone who knows him well or do you know someone who knows her well, uh, and catch up with them. But that's kind of my approach is kind of build that segmented audience, hang out with them, provide value with them, buy a ticket to the event of whatever they're hosting. If it's a scotch night, if it's a boat party, whatever it is. That's kind of an also joining masterminds and things like that. One thing that I love doing is joining masterminds and networking with people through events like that. That's how I met Brandon through the yacht we had a few days ago.

Speaker 3:   22:36     Um, and then again, I'll introduce you to other people that you need to know. Sometimes you're not even the person that knows who needs to know people. So what I mean by that is he'll say, hey, you definitely need to meet this person. Um, you know, you don't know you need him yet, but you'll definitely needed for this project. You've got coming up. So I look, I tend to work in little groups. I like to compartmentalize, people are hanging out with, and one other thing as well that I was telling another friend while I was here is not spending the whole event with the same group of people. That's something so many [inaudible] um, you know, I've got a whole bunch of friends from Australia that came here, were hanging out last night, but some of them have hanging out with each other the entire trip. And I'm just saying that it's such a waste.

Speaker 3:   23:17     Like you don't want to waste your time with one group of people because you ruined the whole three or four day opportunity you've got. So try to keep meeting new people each night. Go to a different event, may go on your own if you have to. Even if you've got friends, it's great just to get out of your comfort zone and meet new people and build groups in different areas. We'll let that tell a couple of things. Don't be the stalker. That's right. There's nothing worse than as you were sitting there talking. I'm like, I can't tell you how many times. I mean I've, I've known Russell for 10 years and even before I was a partner in click funnels when I was with them at events, it was one of those things where I would see people literally just stalking him and, and you get to the point where he'd like, if a person's going to the bathroom, that's the worst place to try to introduce yourself.

Speaker 3:   23:59     Let them have their space and their piece and you just do all and be that person. If you are stocking someone, your value decreases. It diminishes so fast. If you want, try to find, again, everyone's kind of familiar. This whole idea as far as six degrees of separation, you want to find people who are two degrees of separation, one degree of separation away, ideally for the person that you're wanting to spend time with. Um, I love what you're talking about as far as don't spend time with just the same people. It's really, events are super uncomfortable for all of us. I don't care how much of an extrovert you think you are, if you're brand new to an event, it's man at times insight. In fact, classic example with Brandon Jot, so the very first night I had been at funnel hacking live for six days, I was exhausted and I flew over six in the morning.

Speaker 3:   24:46     I get on the yacht, my son's on the yacht with me and I'm like, know what? I just want to go back to my hotel. I just, I don't want to be here. To the point where let me walk down the steps and was looking to see the gangplank was still attached to the boat and it was taken off. I'm like, I think I could still jump off and get off there and just sudden bout ready to start walking there. The first may goes, hey, hey, hey, we're done. You can't get off now. And I'm like, ah man. I'm like, I don't want to be here. But I was so glad that there wasn't have the up to spending time with. You had a great, it was great for my son to spend time with Brandon and Brandon was so generous with his time with my son and just the opportunities.

Speaker 3:   25:22     You have to understand that even as an extrovert, you still are going to be exhausted at times. You don't want to get out, but realize you only have that certain two or three day window if you're an introvert, same type of thing. Find someone who basically can be the extrovert for you if you need that, but you need to make sure that you get out of your comfort zone. You need to be the person who is doing everything you possibly can. As you made mentioned, you're only here for two or three days. Don't be with the same group of people. Get outside your comfort zone. Make it as uncomfortable as possible. Try to get to meet people, but most importantly, try to provide value.

Speaker 4:   25:54     Yeah, absolutely. I think it makes sure of all these, even if you get one or two things wrong and what we're talking about today, you're going to go to malls ahead of the people that are just sitting at home in the hotel room. It's a numbers game, you know, go out in. The more events you go to, the better. The more people you meet the bed better. The more of these things we're talking about. The you try it the better. And over time you'll feel your experience on how confident you are, how you approach people, how you network, what your strengths are, where you think you might, you know, want to work on. It's just a, you know, it's a numbers game. This is more experience you've got, the better you'll get at this. I love that.

Speaker 3:   26:25     So I want to kind of talked about this idea as far as what's the difference between basically bragging versus introduction. How do you, how do you, do you need to provide value in? People need to know who you are, but how do you do it without bragging? I mean

Speaker 4:   26:36     nothing. Just one thing that comes naturally to more people than I'd like it to. I think especially these be especially in, yeah,

Speaker 3:   26:44     it means event and I think it's, it's also a very close link to your ego as well. Um, so I mean, the way I do it, I always ask what other people are doing in their business. You know, how I can help them, what I do, and then I really don't talk about, well, my business is, unless they ask to the, unless it makes sense in the conversation. But even at that point, you describe what you do. You don't describe the money you've made over a campaign. You don't describe that, oh, you know, I'm a 15 figure affiliate for x, Y, and zed company. You know, like all these things that you know, kind of people don't need to know, but you want to make yourself put yourself on a pedestal. It, there's just no place for it. People see through it. I happening. It kind of makes you look just not as successful as you really, I, it's called him actually shooting yourself in the foot because there's no need to really go out of your way and tell people how good you are if you're in fact that good.

Speaker 3:   27:30     So, you know, I, the way I see it is your network is your net worth. And it's a bit of a corny statement, but I know that I've seen that in spades. The more people you have around you, that successful people are gonna know you're successful. There's no need to brag. Um, yeah, I think that's all it really is to it. I love it. I think for me, one of the most important things is when you're talking to someone, make sure you're asking them there at that event. Find out what their, therefore see what value you can bite to them. So, hey, so Steven here, where are you from? Blah, blah, blah. All the nicety type of stat real quick. But really most importantly is what are you looking to accomplish? What are you trying to do? What are you trying to learn here? Who you trying to connect with, find out what's important to them very quickly the walls will come down and you'll find that you have an opportunity to trying to provide value.

Speaker 3:   28:14     And even if you don't know the answers to it, the fact that you're asking more about them than you were asking about you're telling about yourself. Yeah. It just makes the conversation so much easier. Absolutely. I think you just want to keep it smooth, succinct, um, and really just enjoy the company more than anything. I don't think you want to have another agenda or either when you're going to meet somebody, you really want to just go there and get to know them as a person. And I think people really appreciate that. I love that. All right, so Steven, how important is it to have in a wing man? Look, we man's a great, uh, I think, you know, if you can have someone there with you to help introduce you to people, that's always going to be an asset. Whether I go out of my way and get someone, they're probably not.

Speaker 3:   28:49     Um, you know, I'm not going to hire someone to come and say, hey, this is Steven. Like I think it comes naturally once you get to know people, you know, people just do this. And I think if you're going out and hanging out with your friends and you go to an event or a party or a networking, not, it's naturally going to happen. If you're quite humbled in that option, people are going to want to say, hey, Steven's being super, you know, you know, he's not bragging at all, but he's actually awesome, x, y, and zed. And I think he's just got to, you know, the more humble you are, the more reason there is for other people to really lift you up and say, look, this guy's like, he's not telling you how he is. He's a baller, he's awesome. He's really good at x, Y, and zed. Um, that's what you need to know about him. I think that's a really good way to bring it across. I totally agree.

Speaker 2:   29:28     Well, what'd you guys think? I'd let us know. Again, it was kind of a different type of an episode, but I'm actually looking at doing some other crazy trips here in the next couple months and thought we might start doing a little more of these, uh, sporadic interviews on the fly. So let me know what kind of, what you thought. Feel free to send me a personal message or a Facebook or Instagram. Uh, leave a comment down below on iTunes or Stitcher, wherever you might listen to. We check all of those. Obviously. Feel free to email me as well. Thanks so much. Have a great day. Talk to soon. Remember you're just one funnel away.