How to Approach Businesses For Work

So what are some tacticson proposing a partnershipwith a business thatcould use more helpin the creative department?They didn't seek me out, but Ithink it could be beneficial.Now Partnership,what are we talkingabout when we say partnership?And so I'm trying toexpand my network for justlike freelancing?And there are a lot ofcompanies in this area thatdon't have a robust creativedepartment for what they do.So I've had a few people kindof talk about it in the past,but not really sayexplicitly like,oh, I need someone to do xyzfrom a creative standpoint.So I was trying tothink if it would.Should I even bothergoing after them,even though it is kind oflike a theoretical thingthat they're looking for?I think you guys are falling inlove with the word partnershipand all this kind of stuff.So when you use theword partnership,it implies to me at least abusiness, a formal businessrelationship where weshare legal and financialobligations.You're not askingfor that, are you?No OK, so you just want toget work from people, right?Yes OK, so yousee, like you guys,let's just be clearwith our questionsand clear whatthey're thinking andclear with our communication.So you're just like, howdo I approach people thatdon't want to work with me?That's really yourquestion, isn't it?Yes OK.And they don'teven know who I am.All right, so see so when youask that kind of question, thenmy whole mind changes, right?In terms of how it cangive you an answer.So let's be clear nowthe question is, how do Iapproach people whoI'd like to work withbut have no ideawho the heck I am?That's really the question.So you approach thislike every other thingthat you do in your real life.You try to understand what theirchallenges and pain points are.And you just listen.You ask lots of questions.So I'll tell you if you'regoing to a function,I think I've been ableto whittle this downto two or three questions andit goes something like this.And I have to remember becauseI've done this for a while.OK so is everybody ready?All right.You're going to saysomething like this.Who's saying, oh, I was actuallygoing to add that, like,especially when they getbombarded with like your audiois breaking up up?Oh, sorry.For some reason, it'ssounding like robotic.Go ahead.For example, they getbombarded with, you know,people trying tosell them stuff.I'm not trying to sellanything or necessarily profit.I just to kind of developa relationship with them.That introduction aspect,especially when it's online,not necessarily at a function.So, for example,if you get a I'msure you get a lot of peoplesay, hey, I can help you out,like, hey, I can sellyou this or whatever.How to not come across as I'mtrying to get something outof them per se.Is that a statementor a question?It's just like an add on aspect.I understand where thequestion the original questionis coming from.I'm seeing a similar thingin my hesitation to say, hey,I think I havesomething to offer you.Oh, Yeah.Kind of thing.But you don't want that process.Yeah OK, so I'm goingto tell you the answer.OK So when I'mtalking to somebody,I'm just lookingto see if there'sa problem that I can solve.So I'm looking for a problem.So all the questions I'm goingto ask are around lookingfor a problem, someproblems I cannot solve.That's cool.Some problems I cansolve and I can justsolve it by giving free advice.Some problems I can solve,but it doesn't require moneyfrom the person I'm talkingto, and that's totally OK.So when you talk tosomebody, if you'reat some kind of function,generally speaking,I just want to startoff with an icebreakerand just ask thema big question.So I'm assuming andthis is in personor is this like over emailor how are you reaching outto people in person?Perfect and are you comfortabletalking to strangers?Yes oh, OK.So you have a hugeadvantage over myself.OK, so what youwant to do is makesure the conversation isreally somewhat directedbecause you have to playthe numbers game here.Unfortunately, you have to meetlots and lots of people, right?So ideally, you want to be ableto talk to them for about 5%to 10 minutes and move on.So you have to havean intro and youhave to have an hourto get yourself upbecause you can get suckedinto hearing some of these lifestory forever and realize,Oh my gosh, I reallyneed to talk to Mary orBobby, and I'm stuck here.So the intro mightbe something like.So what are you doingat this function?Why are you attendingthis conference?What are you here for?Anything did you seeanything excited you?Because that's just the wayfor us to start a conversation.OK OK.And somewhere inthere, I'm goingto listen to what they'resaying and quicklyunderstand they're a buyeror seller of services.And it doesn't matter, I'mjust trying to figure outthe lay of the land here.So it's kind of really agentle, easy opening Gambitto get into the conversation.Now I'm no pro at this,so somebody else who'sreally good at doing this assoon as I'm finished talking,he just please jump in and say,Chris, that's totally idiotic.Let me tell you, Ido, because I'm a pro.I'm happy to hear from you, ok?So once you get into that inmy mind as they're talking,I'm just looking for a problem.So one of the problemsis that I'm thinking,let's just say you're inthe creative services.Do you ever have.So much work that yourinternal team can't handle?Right Yes.So once I know that wehave no internal team,we have an internalteam and theycan everything or wehave an internal teamthat we can't handle all that.There's an openingfor me already.Say, well, what's thenature of the thingsthat you send out of house?Is that you do that?Well, our team is prettygood, but they're not great.Let's just be honest, right?Sometimes we lookfor Best of breed.And so what mightthat look like?Well, we hire firmslike pentagramto help us with these largescale branding projects.Well, that's fantastic.Is there a reason whyyou would considerworking with someone else?Well, Yeah.Well, that would be becausethey're so expensive.And you know what?There's a three monthwait list, or sometimesthey're reallydifficult. I don'tfeel like I'm being heard.Oh, wow, that's terrible.OK then you just dig a littledeeper and then like, OK,there's a problem Ithink I can solve.And then you canjust quickly get outbecause when you're at onone of these functions,they don't want to totally dobusiness instantly on the spot.You're not going totry to close them.What you want to do isget their business cardand you can say, look, I'd loveto follow up with you on thislater.Can I get your business card?Here's mine.Because it justso happens that Ido x, y and z for thiskind of price, and youwon't hear any ofthat attitude from us.So I'm going tofold in what I justheard into my rapportwith them, so like, huh,that's interesting.OK And then as soon as youget back to your hotel,you hit them up onLinkedIn because now youhave the business cardwith their email addressand you can just remind thema little bit of who you are.Now this brings upone little problemthat I have usuallywith some, some people.Your LinkedIn profile isa cartoon, or it's like,I can't even tell that it's.It's a picture from 35years ago or something.It's like, I didn'teven recognize you now.So there is somerelationship to howyou look online ina professional forumand how you presentyourself to be.So do your best.It's OK to like, have that beyour best looking photo ever,but just so that you'rerecognizable in it.I'm often like,who is that person?OK, so I'm going to makethat visual connection.OK And then you canfollow up with them.You can even sayin that exchange,do you mind if I follow upwith you in a week or so,you know, and then youremail going out to themis like, hey, once you haveyour head back together,I'd love to hear more about thisthing that I heard x, y and z.If you're interested, I'd loveto have conversation with you.Maybe I can buy you a cup ofcoffee, something like that.I'm looking for a problemto solve no problems,I'm moving on.OK Yes.And then to getout, you figure outaltro, which isprobably something like,I don't want to take upany more of your time.It's a pleasuremeeting with you,and I hope you find x, yand z at the conference,so it all kind of bookends andit's like they're on their waynow if they are, for whateverreason, really super dupercurious about you, like, hey,give me your Instagram, right?What's your handle?It's like they'rechecking you out.Then you could advanceit right there.So that also means that yourInstagram and your Behance pageor your website has to beready to go right away.So if you've beensitting on thatto wait for theperfect website, you'regoing to screw yourself over andyou've already been doing it.Thank you.OK any sales experts in thehouse you want to talk to me,expand on this, please.Or a follow up questionfrom anybody in the group.OK roxy, Roxy.Hello hey.So something thatI always adviseto people that askthis kind of stuffis to try to connect on also apersonal level, like if they'revisiting the city as ifthey're visiting your cd,recommend for places to go.And just don't justtalk about the business,but try to be humanas well, you know?And even or evenask for places to goor you just like something thatis not related to later connecton that level, like in my case,I ask people if they've everbeen to Ecuador and sometimesthey say, oh, I have been thereand there's likeanother connection.And then when Ireach out to them,I don't just talk about mybusiness and I talk about like,oh, I thought of this,if you ever come back,you should gothere or something.OK, so I want tocaution you, I thinkwhat Roxy sayingis perfect, but Iwant to caution youin my experience,I have a little different.My mentors taught me alittle bit differently.I'm not saying thatI'm right, but I'lltell you whathappens is sometimesyou can talk about small talkand just the conversation willderail both you guys.And it's like, what?I don't know anything about youand you know, nothing about me.And if we're at abusiness function,I think, generally speaking,I won't talk business.They're there forthe same reasonthat you are tofind people to hireor for people tobuy their goods.It's usually like that.OK, Philip, go ahead.I mean, I talk about both.Yeah, Yeah.So sometimes what?I'll tell you something.People corner me allthe time walking around.It's like, hey,Chris, blah blah blah.And then they havea business question,but they're toochicken to ask me.And then too much time goes on.I've got a businessquestion like, I got to run.I'm so sorry.There was a window.We used it, and now Ihave to move on, right?Right so that's the thing.It's like, I get it.And some people do want totalk really personal stuff,and that's totally OK.But usually I'm on.I have my business hat on.I'm here to do business right?Or as Ben burns callsit, the business.Ok?all right.Perfect, beautiful, beautiful.So I think if you have a reallyunique and interesting storyand it makes senseto the narrativethat you want to create,like Roxy's like,have you ever been to ecuador?Oh, wow, OK, it's coolthat they're not interestedthat I wouldn't push to, youknow, just find something.Yeah and it's workedfor me in the past.And when I feel it's just not.So who's sharpeningknives right now?Who's charlie?I'm glad he has sharp cutlery.That's really important.But I guess we don'tall need to hear it.OK, so this is why I'mbusiness coach told me, right?It's like, you know,when the cattle likein the field and the rancherslike trying to hurt theminto the chute,it's very importantthat they all getfunneled into something.So he taught me to try todesign my questions and dialogueas clearly as possible todirect the conversationtowards the end goal.So this is thefirst thing that youwant to do is you want aclear goal in your mindwhat it is you want to do.I want to get yourbusiness card.I want to be able tofollow up with you.I want to know ifyou have a businessproblem I can solvein the course of ushaving a conversation.I'll build rapport withyou somehow organically.But I don't want that to bethe thing that winds up whatwe talk about the whole time.So he's like, design thisshoot, so you drive the cattleinto the goal that you want.And if it turns out, theydon't want to go in that one,totally fine.You improvise.You do what Roxysuggests and youtalk about somethingthat's of interest to them.That's totally,totally cool, too,but for me, it's veryimportant to havea clear goal in your mind.OK, fantastic.Philip, do you need tosay something more quick?Yeah, actually, I wantedto ask, with regardsto said earlier about.Finding out you're tryingto find the problem, right?Yep, find the problemand the occasionswhere, for example, you wantto approach a company whereyou actually say, hey,I've seen this problemthat you guys maybedon't know you haveor this opportunityyou don't know you haveor that is notnecessarily visible.I have an idea for you thatI think would be phenomenal.It's actually tailoredspecifically to that company.So when you'relike, for example,you want to approach acompany or partnershipthat and you say, hey, I'vegot some ideas that I thinkwould really helpyou guys out therenot necessarily specificallytailored to that company.How do you kind ofapproach that aspect, ok?If you have thoughtabout this company.All day and night andyou figure something out,that's a glaring holeand then you can try.But I have an allergic reactionto unsolicited opinions,just speaking frommy point of view,not an opinion as a Oh morelike it's an opinion, a primacy,and it's an idea.Let's say less thanideal, you shouldbe doing this morelike, hey, thisis a feature that wouldbe really great for youthat you haven't thoughtof because you're notthat smart, that youmay not have thought of.Yeah, you see what I'm saying,Philip, people do this to meall the time.Like Chris, youever think of this?I'm like, no, I don't everthink about that at all.Never in my life.Not once have I everthought about that.So here's the thing, right?If you have one ofthese genius ideas,but I'm just telling you,I have an allergic reactionto unsolicited opinions, right?Let's just say you've beenjust climbing up and downtheir website and, you know,something that it seemsso freaking obvious, right?I would form it instead of astatement format as a question.Mm-hmm OK.I'm curious as to why, based onwhat I've been able to observe,you've never done this before.Oh, I like that.OK right, and then they cansay what we thought about it.Here's 14 reasons whywe don't do it or what,we've never even it'snever even occurred to me.You're a really sharp guy.Yeah, that completelychanges the contextof saying you shoulddo this, saying,I got a brilliantidea for you, right?And then you jam yourideas into their headand it's like, yeah, that's whatI don't want to come across as.But I do really think thatit is a brilliant ideathat they should do this.But but I don't wantto come across asbecause I get that same thing.Hey, Phil, you knowwhat your problem is?I'm like, oh, here we go.Here we go.You see?Yeah, everybody's got anopinion about something.Let me tell me, my goodfriend, please impart upon meyour wisdom.And it's like, they're alwaysdrunk at the time, of course.And it's like you.You're too smartfor your own good.I'm like, oh, wow, Ididn't think of that.I talked too much.Oh, I haven't heard that before.I had never realized that.No shit.I mean, like, it's thatkind of thing wherethe allergic reaction.I know exactly whatyou're talking about,but some people, there are somemore glaringly obvious thingsto us, creative individuals,us sort of Inventorlike people that andthat people don'tthink about in businessor other developersor even other creativeswhere like, oh,did you ever did youever consider this?This market for yourproduct would be amazingbecause we couldreally use that.Right, right.So I want to say this,Philip, especially for you,because you'revery talkative guy.I would suggestthis and have beenvery consistent about this,especially when you'retalking to somebody.Ask more questions.Talk less, period.Ask more questions, talk less.Don't explain everything,just ask smart questionsbecause you kind of know wherethe question is going to go.Or the conversation.Yeah, I'm just curious whyyou've never done this and tellme, why does that interest you?Would that have any kind ofreal impact on your business?What's held you backfrom doing this.So far?Would you consider workingwith somebody from the outsideto help you solve this problem?Those are all questions.Talk less.Listen more.OK, now I want to saythat my new meditationmantra for a while.Yeah, just put onyour desktop, dude.OK, here we go.Abby, saying this, andI want to read thisbecause there's likeplus 1 plus 2 plus three,so I'm going to just read it.I'd be saying, havingattended many tradeshows to meetprospective clients,the ability to bounce theright amount of personal talkwithout wasting theirtime is really crucial.People reactdifferently, so you needto be able to read them andbe able to adjust accordingly.100% true.OK, very good.I'll just say this.I do like to talkto business people.I'm a business personmyself, so I'm justgoing to go straight there.That's just me,though, that justme, because also I'm thinkingif they're an important person,their time is super valuablewithout getting inside my headtoo much and saying, oh, Igot to just not waste onesingle piece of conversation.I just try to get after it.OK and believe it or not,as weird and awkward as Iam socially, I've been actuallyable to get work from peopleby meeting themliterally on the floor,just walking around andjust chatting with somebody.Because we're both like,well, let's talk business,and then it waslike, we connect.But that's just the energyI'm throwing out there.