Non Networking Mofos..
Saturday, June 19, 2010What up fam?
I just had something I needed to get off my chest after a couple of weeks of folks hitting me up about the same thing..its time for me to address the ish head on..
"Can you give me some of your contacts information?"
"Can you introduce me to people you know so that I can call them to sell them something?"
" Help me, help you, so can you give me the names of some people that you deal with?"
In the best Joe Jackson voice I can muster up " DO WHAT NOW?"
People..it's called networking for a reason..and in this case..let's break it down:
Net= INTERNET
WORK= DO YOUR OWN DAYUM WORK
Get it?
First and foremost as a journalist and blogger, I will not now or ever give up contact information for anyone that I deal with.. As a Friend, same dayum thing.. In my humble opinion, if I can make the net work for me, then you have the same dayum opportunity to do the same. Social networking sites are made just for that.. networking.. you have to pull up your granny panties or grow a pair of bizalls and muster up the courage to introduce yourself and make things happen. Do you honestly think I got any interviews that I have done for this site or any others or even work just by asking someone else to do the work? HELL NO.. I make the ish happen ON MY OWN. Same thing applies in a social setting..if I want to interview someone..I figure out a way to make it happen.
With that being said, stop asking me to give up contact information for people. It's one thing if you need a push in the right direction like a publicist or manager but its a whole nother ballgame if you are asking for ish like phone numbers so you can make insurance sales calls or some ish..
Bottom line and lesson learned: Do your own dayum networking.. in the long run, you never know what can happen if you take the initiative and just TRY.. that is all.
6 comments
this post is so funny for so many reasons. people always want you to "help" them with something. i can invite you to an event and from there make your own connections. one when you start giving people your STAMP of approval and they don't follow through you now look bad to YOUR contacts.
ReplyDeleteYou are soooooo funny!!! But you're right! Do your own dayum work! LOL
ReplyDeleteSo how are you going to build your network if you don't give a little? What if the person thats asking you to pass on their information have a network all their own? What if they just don't have a way to get to who you "know"?
ReplyDeleteThat person could have some contacts you need. You never know.
What's the point of calling it networking if you keep all the contacts to yourself?
DC..I'm a journalist first and foremost..i don't give my contact info.. i feel like if u peeping the type of interviews im doing on this blog or the other site I write for and u just tryin to cop the ish for your own startup that you JUST started, then hell naw.. i didn't have anyone help me..its all about networking.. i wouldnt dare ask someone to give me so and so's number when I can get the info the same damn way they got it..people want something for nothing..so that's that.. lazy azz mofos.
ReplyDeleteCan you just pass my contact info (mainly website and services) around?
ReplyDeleteThanks and Skee Wee and Amen.
my best networking came from putting myself out there, making those uncomfortable calls with the deathly fear of being lame, and in the long run alot of people love the fact that youre able to get out of your comfort zone and speak. I always live by the statement "closed mouths dont get fed" and this article is a prime example of it. The most succesful people know its now what you know but who you know.
ReplyDelete