1. Passion - whenever you do something, do it with passion or not at all. You should apply the same rule when talking to anyone. Whenever presenting your idea, product or service, or pitching about your start-up business, make sure to speak with passion. Your interlocutor should feel that passion from your words, but also the tone of voice, gestures and everything else.
2. Purposefulness – whenever attending a meeting, business conference or even a social event, set up your objectives beforehand. Determine what you want to get out of it and who you want to connect with. Remember, if they are going to invest their valuable time in you, you must be willing to contribute something valuable in return.
3. Proactiveness - don’t stand around waiting for people to come to you. Chances are if your influencer is worth talking to, other people will flock to be around him.
4. Persistence – persistence is a part of every success. Put enough efforts to reach out to your important people, but don’t overdo. Be persistent, but not stubborn.
5. Prioritize People - your network is one of your precious resources. Find someone your influencer trusts and communicate your ideas to them. Be sure if they believe you they will intercede for you and talk about your plans with the influencer.
6. Point the Essence - if you are lucky enough to meet an influencer, do not waste their most important resource - time. Be specific and get straight to the point. Have something of value to offer your influencer. It will set you apart from the others. Say what you mean, mean what you say.
7. Be a Prophet – create a prosperous future vision in your head and transfer it to your influencer. Show them how unique, original and prospective your strategy is. Make them believe your project is special, you are going to succeed and you worth investing time in.
8. Process the Reaction - after meeting your influencer and providing your ideas, try to understand right at that moment what is the reaction of the person, how he perceived your information and what he thinks about your ideas. Get immediate feedback and work hard to improve.
9. Pay Attention to Hints - know the difference between hear and listen. Not just listen but hear what the influencer is talking about. Observe his/her non-verbal and verbal hints. Read in between the lines. Get every single word and idea they are talking about. Squeeze the information to get everything out of it and use it to continue building your relationship.
10. Play the Rules – know the rules but remember – no rules are exhaustive. Learn your lessons, create your own rules from your experience and follow them.
