When I was a young adult , if someone suggested for me to walk up to someone I didn’t know and introduce myself, it either wouldn’t happen or it would take me a long time to get the courage to do it. I would be nervous. My hands would sweat. I would have no idea what to even say. I have always been outgoing, but for me to strike up a conversation with someone I didn’t know, it was definitely way out of my comfort zone. Fortunately throughout my adult years, I was given lots of opportunity to practice this and have become very comfortable in introducing myself to people.
As a business owner, one of the most important things you need to do is be able to get yourself out there and gain new clients. And that means 
being comfortable talking with people you don’t know yet. A few weekends ago, I participated in a short business mastermind group as part of a larger event I was attending. There were 5 people other than myself at that table. One person I had previously corresponded with on the phone, but for the most part I didn’t know any of these people at the table. What an amazing experience this was, because in the time that we were participating in the mastermind and talking with each other throughout the day, I learned so much about myself and had several ‘ah ha’ moments about my business. This was a result of me interacting with many interesting people with various ideas and perspectives about business and life.
Now I must say that I extremely value the people in my inner circle that I have known for years. I trust them, they have amazing wisdom and the consistency you want in a great relationship. But my experience during this weekend event reminded me of the value of meeting new people!
6 ‘Smart’ Reasons to Meet New People Any Opportunity You Can
- Learn Something New From Every Person You Meet – With every interaction we have with people, there are takeaways we can get. Sometimes we can get too comfortable in our own world. It’s good to hear differences in opinion and other perspectives. It’s amazing the wisdom that is out there! Tap into it. Learn from others!
- Enhance Your Communication Skills – When you interact with people of diverse backgrounds, it gives you the ability to practice your verbal communication skills. The more comfortable you get communicating, this can open up many possibilities for you in your personal and professional life.
- Gain New Friendships – It’s amazing the number of quality people that I have met by just starting a conversation! Keep yourself open to great opportunities. And it’s always great to make a new friendship!
- Acquire New Clients – Opportunities for new client acquisition is everywhere. By starting a conversation with people, you get to listen to what their hopes and dreams are in life. And you just never know, you might gain a client out of it all. Keep your eyes and mind open!
- Get New Fresh Ideas – We all get stuck sometimes in life. Our ideas for our personal and professional life might appear to be good to us, but when you get around new people, you can come alive with new creative ideas to get you pumped up about your life.
- Have a Quality List of Resources – Successful people have great resources in life for themselves and to provide value to others. Having a strong network of people in your inner circle that are experts in different fields is an awesome thing to have! Because when you need something, it’s always a good thing to have trusted people to lean on. The person next to you might be the resource you need right now or at a later time.
So how do you feel about meeting new people? Do you struggle with it or do you love doing it? Do you have some examples of how meeting new people has positively enhanced your life? I would love to hear from you! Post your comments below.
Cynthia Bazin is absolutely passionate about YOUR success and happiness. If you are ready and committed to change your life and take charge of your life, contact Cynthia today to start a conversation! [email protected] | https://cynthiabazin.com Be sure to be on the look out for my 2015 workshops and programs being announced VERY soon! It’s going to be an awesome year for YOU!
Cynthia is also City Director for a national magazine ‘Today’s Innovative Woman’! Check out her city page today! http://todaysinnovativewoman.com/sacramento
Hi Cynthia
great post and it covers one of the major factors in success these days. Our ability to not only interact and connect but to also instigate that.
We are surrounded by so many possibilities to learn, teach and grow that we overlook the obvious, connecting to people we don’t know, on any level. can reap huge rewards for both.
I always show a slide that contains the word OPPORTUNITYISNOWHERE.
So many people, when I ask what it says, shout out, Opportunity Is Nowhere. And they are right, for them, it does say that.
It also says, Opportunity Is Now Here. That’s what we should have as our default setting. See opportunity in everything.
This is a great post that explores the hidden depths of just introducing yourself to someone else. thanks and I will share it around.
Dave
Dave, thank you so much for your comments! I actually saw ‘Opportunity is Now Here’. We must live that way every day… see opportunity and possibility right now in the present. Thanks for always sharing your wisdom. You are appreciated!
Hi Cynthia,
I love this post because in this day and age of social media, human connection seems so rare and distant. I love connecting with people on twitter and Facebook but nothing can replace the personal, face to face connection with another person. This post is spot on and definitely a fantastic reminder of how connecting with others can only enrich our own lives. Thank you for writing such an awesome post!
Thank you so much for your comments Linda. You are so right! There is nothing that replaces a face-to-face connection. It’s amazing how much others enrich our lives on a daily basis. Have an awesome day!
Great post Cynthia, So true. I love to meet new people since it usually brings me out of my comfort range too. Putting ourselves out there and meeting others allows you to keep an open mind and keep growing as a human being. Sharing ideas, listening and learning from others is a great gift. We are after all, social-beings. We each have an amazing gift to bring so by letting the other person show us there ‘magic’ we can grow our own. It’s a win-win situation.
Love this post.
You are so correct Nicole that we are social beings and connecting with others is a win-win for everyone. I appreciate our connection and friendship! Have an awesome day and thank you for your wisdom!
My mother used to say “Tracy never met a stranger” and that is somewhat true. There are plenty of days I go through without conscientiously trying to meet new people and this is a reminder that I’m missing opportunities that way. But I do love striking up conversations with random people and getting to know them. I try and keep myself open in posture and countenance so that I am approachable – which is why strangers sometimes tell me their life story without being prompted. LOL. I like the idea of taking my normal curiosity about people and making a more concentrated effort to talk to strangers. Well done as always Cyn!
Great comments Tracy. I think we are all learning and growing through life and meeting new people is one great way to do that. I appreciate you very much my friend. Have an extraordinary day!
I like you Cindy was a pretty shy person uncomfortable talking to people I didn’t know. I do think I have “grown up” so to speak and am a more outgoing person. It is important to meet as many people as you can because you never know where that possible relationship could take you. That is the attitude I have had since my move. I am constantly thinking about the new people I have met and where it could lead me in the future.
Another great read Cynthia. I am very similar to Geoff……..when I was younger I was very apprehensive about meeting new people. It was somewhat difficult for me to venture outside of my comfort zone and “connect” with others. This all changed when I took on a role with a local bank. I had to get out in the community and promote the bank and our services. It was then when I began to realize the importance of connecting with new people. New doors opened for me nearly every time I met someone new. Now I look so forward to meeting new people, sharing ideas, supporting one another, etc. As you mention above, you can learn something new from every person you meet. You just have to take that step to connect and then listen to what that person has to say/share. I am so blessed to have connected with so many amazing people, including you Cynthia!
Excellent! Every time I reach out to take a new relationship just one step further, I find it’s worth the effort. Whether I get a new client or not, I have expanded my circle, broadened my connections and likely learned a ton about someone else. Like you, when I was a teen, that wasn’t my thing. Now I realize that I don’t need to be incredibly outgoing to build relationships one at a time. People want to be seen, heard and known. Reach out, make the contact, listen, learn and connect.
As always, appreciate your inspiration and loving push!
xo
Cyn this is great stuff for peoploe who need the networking for their companies or even just to find a new job. Lots of valid points, such as having a quality list of resources. I think this puts individuals ahead of the curve when it comes to finding ways to expand one’s business.
Another great read Cynthia! In fact I have been thinking a lot about this very thing! I’ve always believed that people come into your life for a reason, so when they do, open yourself up, share your heart and be in the moment! Listen and learn, people are amazing, filled with knowledge & experience ~ it’s inspiring!!
Another great post, Cynthia! As I always say, business is not about business, it’s about relationships! Meeting new people can be difficult for someone like myself who tends to be introverted, but it’s an important part of being both a successful person and business owner.
Meeting new people can help you learn so much, as you mentioned above.
Thanks for sharing! I’d love to see a post about different ways to meet new people for those of us who don’t find it a naturally easy thing to do. I bet you have a ton of great ideas! 🙂
Thanks, as always!
Donna
People don’t usually write about this exact thing: the benefits or blessings of consciously meeting people. Lord knows this is what my life is all about. The benefits you speak of are all so important and help us to be our best selves. There isn’t any other way to succeed in life than to listen to our hearts promptings and respond. Unless we live on a mountain top or a cloister this will involve meeting new people. I think that the better we know ourselves the easier it is to reach out to others. Thanks, Cindy, another fabulous post and thoughts to dwell upon.
Cynthia
Great post. I agree that there are many benefits available from meeting new people that we may miss out on by not taking the first step and saying hello. Showing genuine interest and desire to help everyone succeed without “keeping score” leads to great success. HI!! LOL
Steve
A good blog as always Cindy and I wholeheartedly agree.
There is definitely nothing better than personal interaction and actually talking to and speaking with new contacts.
We all use Twitter and LinkedIn and they are becoming a part of our lives and although my daily role is telemarketing rather than face to face breaking the ice is just the same.
You still need to have the confidence to build a good rapport and trust with the person you’re talking with. Hopefully it will happen during the first conversation and from there you can build on that communication and develop a strong business relationship.
Thanks as always to you for sharing your expertise and invaluable knowledge.
Aubrey
Great post. I agree with Dave Moore. Opportunity meets readiness equals success. You never know when any one person you meet is opportunity or simply a person of greatness or knowledge the have you just want to ensure you choose to surround yourself with … You can always weed as you go! Meet people, learn from people, grown from each experience and continue to be surrounded by fabulous! 🙂
Woot! What a great list Cynthia. Your second point about communication skills is near and dear to my heart – because the more we practice conversation, the more we can start building our personal presence. Just like a digital presence, we have this perception we’re working on for others to discover and get to know us before we have our first in-person/phone/live interaction. That personal presence is a confidence – a sense of self, that even shy, introverted, or reserved outgoing people can portray. Presence, and confidence, proceeds us when we are in a room with others (we know, or) don’t know.