It was drizzly.
An evening networking event at an outdoor location.
It would have been so easy to skip it, give a lame excuse the next day, and move on.
But I went anyway.
After using my drink ticket and strafing the buffet of appetizers, I found myself searching the room for someone to talk to.
Group of seven people, laughing a little too hard in the corner? No.
Intense duo exchanging business cards near the bar? No.
Dude looking around like the Terminator, scanning for prospects over the shoulders of his group? No way.
And then I saw him. A friendly looking guy standing all by himself. Yes!
I walked up and said, ÂI donÂt know anyone here, do you?Â
With that quick interaction, I stumbled upon an instant introduction to someone influential in my industry, who is extremely familiar with my niche, and who would be almost impossible to meet via a cold call.
Will this accidental conversation ever result in any business? Who knows?
What I do know is that every time I put myself outside my comfort zone, it stretches the zone a little bit.
The key is that you donÂt go in with a sales mindset, go in with a plan to connect with another human being. Focus on active listening.
There was another time that I accidentally sat down next to the girlfriend of a panel speaker and ended up having a great conversation with him just before the panel started…he actually shouted out my company from the dais.
Or the other time that I made myself go down and hang out in the lobby of a conference hotel and ended up having dinner with all of the speakers.
You canÂt be in the right place at the right time if you never go anywhere.
Poke at your comfort zone a bit. Make yourself do the uncomfortable thing, and see what happens.