How to get through to the busiest people
“Here’s a trick that I learned from my kids about communicating with even the busiest people,” says Ivan Misner, Ph.D., a leading networking expert who’s been called ‘The Father of Modern Networking’ by CNN.
“No one is harder to reach than a teenager who just moved out of their parents’ house,” he jokes. “To get through to them I had to get a little crafty. This same technique applies in business too. Here’s how it works…
“After my three kids moved out of the house, I quickly realized that our avenues of communication were no longer working. My eldest daughter did not respond to emails and phone calls, but when I texted her, immediate response. My second daughter wouldn’t use email, never used the phone, and thought texting was old school. Instead, she communicated via Whatsapp. I downloaded the app, immediate response.
“Now, my son didn’t use email, or phone, didn’t text and refused to use Whatsapp—but I knew he was big into online gaming and communicated with his friends via a gaming platform called STEAM. As crazy as it sounds, I downloaded the app, purchased a game, and sent him messages through the platform. Boom. Immediate response.”
The business networking lesson? “Rather than try to get people to move to your preferred communication platform, go to theirs!” explains Misner. “When you meet a valuable connection in business, ask them how they prefer to be communicated with and use it. This will help you get through to the important and powerful people that can move your business forward. Don’t be afraid of using new and unfamiliar apps—just go wherever they are.”
Ivan Misner is the author of several books on business networking and is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Amazon.com Bestselling Author. Dr. Misner holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and as the Co-Founder of the BNI Charitable Foundation he was recently named “Humanitarian of the Year” by the Red Cross.
