5.16.13 RISE Week Austin, TX 10AM Presentation at TechRanch. Session: Austin allows you the opportunity to meet a lot of people. Our community is so supportive that it's common a complete stranger will take you up on a coffee invite to help you in any way they're able. But the process leading up to and following can get pretty cloudy for all involved. And if you aren't smart about how you reach out, you can needlessly waste serious time and your reputation capital in the process. In this session, I'll share the techniques I've developed over my career to get the meeting you want in the most efficient way possible that sets up your interaction to be meaningful, and the relationship footing on a level ground. You'll learn how to better position yourself, your product or service, and remain relevant before during and after meeting someone. How to add value you didn't know possible, and how to become well regarded for doing the simple little things beyond meeting someone that 99% of entrepreneurs don't do.

1. The Art of networking & effective requests
May 16, 2013 – Austin, TX
Scott Robinson | #riseatx13 | @jsratx

2. What is networking?
Any opportunity you find yourself in to
meet people you can build personal or
professional relationships with to
leverage business value.
May 16, 2013 – Austin, TX | #RISEATX13 | @JSRATX

3. Why do we network?
To grow our resources of like-minded
people that provide us value for our
business, and in turn provide value to
them for their business.
May 16, 2013 – Austin, TX | #RISEATX13 | @JSRATX

4. Why is this important?
The more people you know, that know
what you do, that you provide value to,
will reciprocate that value to you.
May 16, 2013 – Austin, TX | #RISEATX13 | @JSRATX
You never know who you’re going to meet.

5. Be Intentional
• What to attend?
• ATHH, TexChange, Door64, Capital Factory, Austin
Breakfast Club, RISE, SXSW, BASHH Network after Work,
LinkedIn Groups, Industry Associations
• Austin Calendars
• Eventbrite, Meetup, Austin Digital Jobs, Startup Texas,
ACOC
• Why are you attending?
• What is your purpose?
• What is your plan?
May 16, 2013 – Austin, TX | #RISEATX13 | @JSRATX

6. Attending
• What first impression will you make?
• What are you wearing?
• How do you feel?
• Business cards – accessible
• Name tag
• First name – large – legible
• Right chest
• Skip the food – get a drink
• Begin
May 16, 2013 – Austin, TX | #RISEATX13 | @JSRATX

7. Engage - Unknows
• Disperse
• First name – ask theirs - remember it
• Openers
• What brings you here tonight?
• How did you hear about this?
• Have you been before – how was it?
• What do you do?
• Important – ask questions and let them talk, first
• Your elevator – 15 seconds
• Determine in 2M if this person is valuable
• Yes – engage further, ask to LinkIn
• No – nice to meet you – is there anyone here you would like to
meet? Ask to LinkIn.
May 16, 2013 – Austin, TX | #RISEATX13 | @JSRATX

8. Engage - Knowns
• Come prepared for discussion
• Read their tweets, press, website, earnings
• Business owners love compliments
• Approach, but don’t stalk
• Introduce yourself and your firm clearly
• Your elevator – 15 seconds
• Relate your preparedness to the discussion
• Saw your press, product announcement, etc…
• Would love to follow-up soon, ask for a meeting
• Don’t get specific on when, just get them to commit
May 16, 2013 – Austin, TX | #RISEATX13 | @JSRATX

9. Post Event
• Make or review notes
• Who did you meet?
• What did you learn?
• What commitments did you make?
• What did you do well? Or have done differently?
• Was this event valuable?
• What is your next step?
• How do your next steps fit into your existing schedule?
• Prioritize them
May 16, 2013 – Austin, TX | #RISEATX13 | @JSRATX
FOLLOW UP

10. What Is A Request?
May 16, 2013 – Austin, TX | #RISEATX13 | @JSRATX
• A request is a commitment to accept a promise to
respond to what’s being asked for:
• Meeting
• Deliverable
• Responsibility
• Made within a specified time while producing
satisfaction to avoid confusion, fulfill our obligations
and exploit new opportunities so that future offers,
requests and commitments are accepted - willingly

11. Components Of A Request
May 16, 2013 – Austin, TX | #RISEATX13 | @JSRATX
• A commitment and declared intent to take care of
something
• Whoever the recipient is
• Requires a response to: accept, decline, counter,
or request clarification
• Requires a specified time for when it is needed
• Requires a specified condition of satisfaction
• May require a consequence to not fulfilling it on
time with satisfaction.
• Lack of follow through

12. Checklist For An Effective Request
May 16, 2013 – Austin, TX | #RISEATX13 | @JSRATX
1. Are you clear about purpose of your request?
2. Are you committed to making this request?
3. When do you need it by?
4. What will you be satisfied with?
5. Does the Recipient know how important this is?
6. Is the Recipient responsible and capable to handle
this request?
7. Are you able to produce a consequence and does
the Recipient know it?

13. Actual Recent Requests from May
May 16, 2013 – Austin, TX | #RISEATX13 | @JSRATX
I’m in Panama right now but let's grab lunch or drinks next week.
I ran into Jim and he told me I should reach back out to you and see if we
can link up for a call or coffee.
I would love a coffee catch up…lots to fill you in on, in fact.
Hey Scott, let me know when you can have coffee?
At the moment, I could do something on Friday morning, say 9AM at
Vintage? Otherwise, it might have to be next week. What does your
schedule look like?
How do you look for lunch, Scott?

14. Following Up & The Effective Request
• Unless a commitment was made – wait a day or 2
• You’re busy and your time is valuable
• Email – Your 2nd
Impression
• Recap your meeting and discussion and where you met.
May 16, 2013 – Austin, TX | #RISEATX13 | @JSRATX
It was great meeting you at Tech Happy Hour Monday, John. Really
enjoyed talking with you about your company. Would love to regroup with
you in a few weeks to learn more about you, your company and the work
you do.
1. Established credibility by following up
2. Asserted yourself in the relationship
3. Indicated your time is valuable

15. The Effective Request
• The next step is the most important initial
interaction you will have – asking for the meeting.
May 16, 2013 – Austin, TX | #RISEATX13 | @JSRATX
I’m currently setting my schedule for the week of June 3. How would you
be for coffee at either 9 or 10AM the 3rd
, 4th
, or 5th
near your office? Or
please suggest a more conducive time for your schedule. Please let me
know your preferred venue, date and time and I’ll forward a calendar
invitation to confirm. If there’s anything to better prepare myself in the
interim, please forward when able. Looking forward to seeing you again,
John.
• Specific, gave options, offered convenience, and
asked for a response one way or another.

16. Securing The Meeting
• Once you have a response, reply in email AND
send a calendar invitation
May 16, 2013 – Austin, TX | #RISEATX13 | @JSRATX
Thanks, John. I have us at 9AM on June 3rd
at Houndstooth on Lamar. I’ll
go ahead and forward a calendar invite as well. My cell is 512-867-5309 –
and as a reminder I’m tall with a beard. Looking forward to picking up our
discussion and seeing you again soon.
• You have asserted yourself in relationship
• You have removed to-do’s for recipient
• You have build credibility BEFORE meeting again
• You have secured your meeting

17. Meeting Prep
• Do your homework on your meeting subject
• LinkedIn connections, school, worked, lived, associations
• Company press
• Twitter (likes, preferences, leanings)
• Employees (more connections)
• Competitors
May 16, 2013 – Austin, TX | #RISEATX13 | @JSRATX
Prepare yourself in a way that will blow your meeting
subject away. This is your one chance.

18. The Meeting
• Confirm day before
• Dress consistently to when you met
• Be early
• Offer to buy the coffee
• Sit where you can hear one another – don’t strain
• Put phone away – give undivided attention
• Don’t look at your watch, but be mindful of time
• Relax and relate to this person
May 16, 2013 – Austin, TX | #RISEATX13 | @JSRATX

19. Building Relationship Value
• How can you help this person outside of your need?
• Who & what do you know that can help them?
• Shows consideration and sets you apart
• Remember what matters to them
• Refer them whenever you’re able
• Selflessly, without hesitation and without warning
May 16, 2013 – Austin, TX | #RISEATX13 | @JSRATX

20. Leveraging your network
• Be smart about your relationship capital
• Who do you know who can help you?
• Is this the best situation to leverage their value?
• Make it easy on them to refer you.
• Give them talking points in an email to cut/paste
• Email intros: Try to reply first.
May 16, 2013 – Austin, TX | #RISEATX13 | @JSRATX
Thanks so much for your thoughtful introduction, John. Moving you to bcc
Nice to meet you, Lisa. John shared a little about your business during a
recent meeting and I’d love to meet with you soon to learn more about you
and the work you do….
Always, always thank the referrer, immediately.

21. The Best News…
May 16, 2013 – Austin, TX | #RISEATX13 | @JSRATX
You can do this too.

22. THANK YOU!
May 16, 2013 – Austin, TX
Scott Robinson | #riseatx13 | @jsratx