Networking can be a dog-eat-dog experience. You can be ripped and torn in multiple directions while you are trying to meet people. You must be doggedly determined to succeed.
Seriously, as you venture out into the networking world you can find yourself being deterred by a lot of things: impatience, slow responses, quiet events, non-responsive contacts. But you must find “your inner terrier.”
In my presentations I use the story of Lilly and Harry, my dogs. Lilly was a Maltese-Poodle mix and Harry is a Cairn Terrier. The differences between their personalities and demeanor was striking at times. Thing is, they really got along because they complimented each other like good friends or a married couple.
From Lilly (she’s gone now), I learned humility, loyalty, kindness, selflessness and unqualified love. She was a sweety, always on an even keel, never (or rarely) angry or agitated. A sweet dog that rolled with things. She was the stabilizing force in our “furry family.
Harry, being a terrier, is quite the opposite: energetic, agitating (at times), fierce (when he needs to be). He is really a sweet, loving, loyal dog, but he has a fierce bark and runs with the big dogs at the dog park. He has selective hearing (at times), but always knows who the alpha dog is (that’s me, most of the time). From Harry I learned tenacity, energy, self confidence and unwavering loyalty.
So, my point here is to find your inner terrier–go out and don’t’ back down in your pursuit of new contacts and networking opportunities. But don’t ever lose your inner Maltese. Nothing replaces kindness and your heart.
Remember, it’s not about you.
Relentless
