One thing has been obvious to me since I began freelancing: people buy from people, so to be a successful freelancer you need to know lots of people.
You may be lucky enough to have a huge family or a thriving social group, perhaps assisted by a drama group or rugby club. But most of us don’t know all the people we need to know to be good freelancers.
But this is about networking. Just not in the conventional sense. Networking doesn’t always take place in bars or conference centres, and it isn’t always organised.
The best networking happens spontaneously, when you talk to new people. Every day we have chances to talk to new people, but we rarely take them up. For some reason we assume that strangers are irrelevant or unnecessary, so we make little effort to connect with them.
Life can be different. Say hi to that guy in the gym. Ask the girl who makes your sandwich how she is. Comment on the weather to the old man on the bus. Pay compliments. Say something to the people that pass you by. Start a conversation. This kind of guerilla conversation is fun. It’s nice to use your voice and it’s heart-warming to smile at strangers – even if they think you’re a bit mental.
Chatting loosely is great because you learn to relax, to think quickly and to improvise. You learn how to talk to strangers, so when you’re next in a room full of stuffed shirts at a mildly-awkward networking event, those strangers will feel no different to all the other strangers you’ve been talking to.
Oh, and it’s always a bonus when that dude at the gym turns into a client.
