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Column by Jeff Landers
You're Not Alone Anymore!
Building a better business could simply mean connecting in more effective ways with the businesses around you.
Entrepreneurs are using their ambition and networking skills to maximize their client list right in their own offices. The very idea of sharing space either as a subtenant or in an executive suite means that you are in the world, connecting to and interacting with other people. Because of this simple change in logistics, you are not locked away in your home office with only Oprah and Maury to keep you company. You almost have to network. We are social animals, after all, and we are pulled by the call of the wild to be with other folks.
So, how can you maximize the relationships you have right around you in your office space? I asked my clients that very question, and these are some of the best tips they offered based on their own experiences of how they created meaningful relationships that improved their businesses.
- Throw a party.
There's nothing like an office party and a few cups (only a few) of punch to break down walls and create long-lasting partnerships. The next time you are thinking about having a little post-work soiree or lunchtime gathering, invite your office mates. They will appreciate the good gesture and everyone will get to know each other better.
Janet told me she set up a fancy breakfast the week she moved her tiny law firm into her executive suite and invited everyone to the conference room for coffee and a continental breakfast. "I was kind of intimidated. The people around us were very established and we were this struggling fledgling firm," she said. But the breakfast she hosted was not only an act of bravery -- it successfully broke the ice and enhanced her business.
"I got a chance to talk about what we really did. Now, one of the larger and more established law firms sends us referrals for clients that are too small for their business. It's worked out great for both of us," she said. "Just having a few minutes to really talk about our business in an informal setting was great for our business." - There is no substitute for a clear and specific invitation.
Rick tried to create a similar kind of event in his shared space in Greenwich Village. He hosted an after work cocktail and invited everyone in the office, roughly 30 people. "It was a mess... I put up a notice on the kitchen bulletin board and thought the place would fill up by 7 p.m. I bought tons of food and made margaritas. Only six people came. I was embarrassed," Rick confessed.
The experience was so disappointing that he vowed to never host another party again. But I asked him to try it again, only this time to ask everyone personally. He was apprehensive, but he tried it.
"I made an invitation on my computer with details about the party. I used the title 'Jacobs-Evers wants to get to know their new office mates -- Come have a drink with us!'" Rick explained, "...and I personally hand delivered the invite to each desk."
Turns out many of the people in the office hadn't even looked at the bulletin board and were oblivious that there was a party. By creating a party with a networking purpose and hand delivering an invitation to every person, he gave the party a personal touch. He also had an excuse to talk to each person in the office, and get to know their names.
"Second time's a charm." Rick told me the other day. "The party lasted until 2 a.m. and I think we discovered some interesting ways to work together in the future."
Don't assume people will respond to a half-hearted or unstructured invite. People need boundaries, and they don't want to feel awkward walking into an unknown environment. People need reassurance that they are wanted at the event. The more specific you are, the more comfortable people will feel, and the more they will respond. - Be generous -- good deeds beget more good deeds.
A good way to connect with people is to do something nice. A favor, a phone call or a referral can go a long way to creating a strong working relationship.
My client Phil helped his office mate after meeting him only once in the hallway. "He had a huge deadline and was two staff people down. I had been there more than once, so I lent him some of my assistants for three days, and it made all the difference," he said. That single act was the basis for years of friendship and work together. Crisis is always an opportunity for you to show people what you're made of.
If the business next to you needs to buy a new copier and you know someone who can get them a discount, make a phone call. If you are not going to take on a potential new client but you feel comfortable making a referral to your office mate, do it. If your little sister can sub in as a receptionist while they look for a replacement, offer it and make it happen.
These little gestures often take minutes of your time, but they can have a lasting impact with people just getting to know you. Don't waste an opportunity to show people what kind of person you are and what kind of business you run. - Don't be a nuisance.
Boundaries are everything. Yes, you should reach out to the people around you. And yes, you should try to make complementary business connections, but if people aren't biting, you shouldn't keep pushing.
"I wasn't picking up on the signals," Russ confided to me. "All I wanted was to see if I could get the company next to me to make an introduction. They seemed very pleasant about it at first but I stayed on them and finally, the Director took me aside and told me I should 'let it go.' The relationship was never the same after that."
The thing that makes you a great entrepreneur -- drive, tenacity, the ability to by-pass "No" -- can also make you a predator in the closed space of an office. Make sure you are creating and responding to boundaries. Ninety percent of our communication is nonverbal, so look for the cues and take them to heart. If you feel a little resistance, back off. - Take a second look.
You may not think the guy in the next office plugging away on his computer has anything to do with you or your business, but you might be wrong.
Wendy, a marketing consultant in the fashion industry, barely spoke to Wayne who shared her office. "He was always hunched over his computer, doing something complicated with numbers and figures. It never occurred to me his business would have anything in common with my business." Wendy said.
It turns out Wayne was a financial planner for some very big fashion clients. "We got to talking in the office kitchen and really hit it off. Then, we realized we worked primarily in the same industry. It was incredible! That week, I started introducing my clients to him and he started introducing his clients to me," she said.
Sometimes we just don't give someone a second look. They might be shy, aloof or involved in a business that seems completely different than ours, but there is always a benefit to looking deeper -- to being curious and interested in people around us.
You never know what you might find in your new office! A long-lasting partnership, a life-long friendship, a good vibe in your office, better clients, a healthier business, a more fulfilled life. Who knows?
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