I have a confession to make. As a frequent business traveler I am not usually a social person. Usually, I dive into reading or simply listen to my iPod the moment I board the plane. Although this provides a much needed escape, I recently realized I maybe missing a perfect networking opportunity in the seat next to me. Networking may come in many forms but at its core it’s simply connecting with another person.
This epiphany occurred on a recent flight from Charlotte, NC to Minneapolis, MN. Settling in my seat, 3B, I took “Jeffrey Gitomer’s Little Teal Book of Trust” out and placed it in my lap. A sharply dressed gentleman seated next to me asked how I liked the book. Little did I realize I was about to embark on a networking conversation. I I told him I loved it and was a big fan of the author. You see, before the plane was even off the ground a connection was made. This lead to an exciting, fulfilling two and a half hour conversation about business, sales and life in general. It turns out he was in town meeting with the author of the book we were just discussing. This was definitely the most enjoyable and invigorating conversation I have ever had on a plane. The connection was not just our mutual respect for the author, it went deeper. It turns out that Gitomer is a fan of the company that I work for. He mentions the company in many of his books and speeches. However, a recent experience left him dissatisfied. It aggravated him enough that he had mentioned it to the person that I was now connecting with. I told him I would be happy to get involved and do whatever I could to make sure we resolve this issue. He then said he would relay our conversation to Gitomer. As soon as I returned home I elevated the issue to ensure it got resolved as quickly as possible. Although I had hoped this gentleman would mention our conversation to Gitomer, I was thankful for the opportunity to have this great conversation and to make this new connection.
A couple of weeks later I received an unexpected package at my office. In this package were a few autographed books as well as a couple of audio books from Gitomer. Although the gifts brought much joy, the real value came in reflecting on the great conversation and connection I made with the gentleman sitting in 3A. The lesson I learned was you never know when a networking opportunity is sitting right next to you.
This epiphany occurred on a recent flight from Charlotte, NC to Minneapolis, MN. Settling in my seat, 3B, I took “Jeffrey Gitomer’s Little Teal Book of Trust” out and placed it in my lap. A sharply dressed gentleman seated next to me asked how I liked the book. Little did I realize I was about to embark on a networking conversation. I I told him I loved it and was a big fan of the author. You see, before the plane was even off the ground a connection was made. This lead to an exciting, fulfilling two and a half hour conversation about business, sales and life in general. It turns out he was in town meeting with the author of the book we were just discussing. This was definitely the most enjoyable and invigorating conversation I have ever had on a plane. The connection was not just our mutual respect for the author, it went deeper. It turns out that Gitomer is a fan of the company that I work for. He mentions the company in many of his books and speeches. However, a recent experience left him dissatisfied. It aggravated him enough that he had mentioned it to the person that I was now connecting with. I told him I would be happy to get involved and do whatever I could to make sure we resolve this issue. He then said he would relay our conversation to Gitomer. As soon as I returned home I elevated the issue to ensure it got resolved as quickly as possible. Although I had hoped this gentleman would mention our conversation to Gitomer, I was thankful for the opportunity to have this great conversation and to make this new connection.
A couple of weeks later I received an unexpected package at my office. In this package were a few autographed books as well as a couple of audio books from Gitomer. Although the gifts brought much joy, the real value came in reflecting on the great conversation and connection I made with the gentleman sitting in 3A. The lesson I learned was you never know when a networking opportunity is sitting right next to you.
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