Work Articles
Free articles for your publications
Jacquie has many articles available for reprinting in your company newsletter or e-zine, or to pass on to your friends. You are welcome to reproduce these articles, provided the article is printed in its entirety and the following acknowledgment is included at the end:
© Jacquie Wise - Coach, Counsellor, Speaker, Trainer and Author, specialising in personal, professional and spiritual development (www.wiseways.com.au)
How to Find Key Information through Casual Conversations
Someone once said: Behind every locked door stands a person holding the key.
It’s true—it’s people who open doors. People who introduce you to other people; people who have information you need; people who can give you leads. We’re surrounded by resources, but we don’t always know how to get the information we need.
One way, of course, is to arrange an appointment to ask for their help. Most people are very willing to share information and are often flattered that you asked. They won’t feel used if you’re honest about your intentions up front, and if you show awareness of their limited time and keep it short.
But there’s another, more casual way to find useful information. Sometimes, you don’t even know what you’re looking for until you start chatting to someone, and some gem pops up
Let’s not forget that networking is a two-way process and it’s just as important for you to share information freely and be alert to what people you’re chatting to might need. They may not ask directly, but the conversation will bring some topic up that leads you to realise you have the very information or introduction that could be perfect for them. That’s what networking is all about.
If you do exchange cards and contact details, don’t forget to email them to thank them for the information they gave you, send them something you think might be of interest, and you’ll be reminding them of who you are.
You have access to a lot of business people in your day-to-day dealings, with many opportunities to talk to them. They could be clients and customers, peers met at a business function, or even socially.
If you show interest, people are quite happy to talk about themselves, how they got started in their field, and what they found out along the way.
And here’s another tip—don’t limit your interest only to your field. Find out about other industries, community trends they’ve spotted, what competitors are doing, corporate policies… you never know when your new-found knowledge will come in handy.
Just to inspire you, here’s a selection of questions that might apply to business owners or to people employed in organisations. If you weave questions like these into casual conversations, it won’t come across as an interrogation:
- How did you identify the need for ... in the community?
- What were your expectations of ... did things turn out as expected?
- What were the first things you had to do to get the business going?
- What was your background/experience – what training do you wish you'd had?
- What were your concerns when you started out in ...? Biggest challenges? How did you deal with them?
- Where did you get moral or practical support?
- What effect does your business/work have on your personal life?
- Have you changed since you started your own business/became a ...?
- What kind of confirmation do you get that you took the right decision?
- What information or skills do you believe are necessary to succeed in ...?
- Would you do it over again? What would you do differently?
- What does the future look like for this industry?
- Do you envisage having to make changes to thrive/ progress to ...?
And possibly the most important question of all:
Do you know anyone I might speak to who could give me some information…?
Even with one small comment, people can leave their mark on your mind. They can motivate you with their attitude, inspire you with their approach, teach you something—and all without knowing it!
So go mingle, get talking, and share.
Wise Words
Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realise they were the big things.
Robert Brault