While at an event, a gentleman walked up to me and began to tell me about how he was trying to extend the borders of his business. He needed information about Calabar and had some difficulty finding someone who knew the city well enough to help him. I told him I had read that the average number of acquaintances separating any two people no matter who they are is four, and encouraged him to keep asking till he got the right links to the person with his solution.
We parted ways and I went on to speak with another gentleman who mentioned he was going home for Christmas. I asked where home was, and he said ‘Calabar’. I told him to hold on and immediately stepped out to call Gentleman 1 who was then on his way to the parking lot. I enthusiastically beckoned on him to come back and happily told him that Gentleman 2 was the man he was looking for. It’s amazing to know that these two had been part of a program which lasted for months with regular meetings, but had not made this discovery.
How important it is to just get up, say hello and chat a little with the person next to you in that conference, business meeting, classroom, convention, etc. Walk around and meet people. Building a network that is able to add value to your life starts with being able to do this. So when next you have such an opportunity, don’t waste it. Say HELLO.
Picture Credit:
http://quintessentiallyme.co.uk
How true! Sometimes we look for far flung solutions when the answer is right under our very noses! I always enjoy your simply but thought provoking articles Anietie. Do keep it up! Kudos!