3 Things to Value When Networking With an Entrepreneur Showing value to an entrepreneur will show the entrepreneur how serious you are.
By Tyler Leslie Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Entrepreneurs are the best people to network with and listen to. Whether you are watching them talk in a video or seminar or you're directly talking to them one on one, take note of everything they say.
Showing value to an entrepreneur will show the entrepreneur how serious you are. They will know immediately if you value what they're telling you. Entrepreneurs usually have busy schedules and not much time to spare. So when you get a chance to have a meeting with them, there are a few things you need to respect about them.
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1.Value their time.
A lot of entrepreneurs don't have very much time to spare. They are usually booked with meetings and the daily upkeep of their businesses. When you lock in a meeting with an entrepreneur, make sure that you value their time. Show them that you value their time by being prepared when the meeting starts. Have everything ready to go and be short and to the point about what you're looking for.
If you have a 30 minute meeting with them try to wrap up the meeting by 25 minutes and let them know that you value their time. You will prove it to them by wrapping up early. This will make them more inclined to scheduling more meetings with you because you showed them you valued their time.
2. Value their feedback.
If you're meeting up with entrepreneurs to get feedback on a product that you have or trying to get an idea of what worked for them, then you need to value their feedback. Everybody has different ways of doing things and they will all have different opinions of your product.
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Make sure that you take into consideration their feedback about your product and how you can do something better. Keep an open mind when asking for feedback. It could sound like something completely off the wall but if it worked for them there's a chance it can work for you as well. Give it a shot and if it doesn't work then you know what isn't helping.
But make sure you take what they say into consideration and have the trial and error for them when you meet up with them again. If they see that you tried what they said and it didn't work, they will be willing to offer and provide more help knowing that you listened to them and valued their feedback.
3. Value their ideas.
Entrepreneurs are great at acting on their ideas. When their ideas don't work out they move on and act on their next idea. When one idea doesn't work out they don't let it slow them down. So when you are talking with an entrepreneur and they're giving you ideas of how to make a program or how to provide more value, you need to listen to them and value what they're saying.
A lot of entrepreneurs are mentors because they have been there and they have a pretty good idea of how things work. Entrepreneurs tend to give great ideas and provide value to the people they're talking to. Don't take that for granted. If they have an idea and it just doesn't resonate with you, keep listening.
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They will have more than one idea to pitch your way. Make sure you show that you value their ideas by taking them into consideration and giving them a try. They are more likely to stop meeting with you if they know you aren't trying what they tell you.
Being able to have meetings or phone calls with entrepreneurs can really help you on your journey but you have to value their time and what they have to offer or they will stop giving you the time of day.