I’ve just come out of one of those networking meetings where I apparently learned absolutely everything… except anything about the other person’s ability to listen.

Within a fairly short space of time I discovered that:

• They are extremely good at networking.
• Their business is incredibly important.
• Their service costs nothing.
• It can apparently save businesses thousands in corporation tax.
• They have travelled to more than 400 countries.
• And, somewhere in the world, they have discovered a secret lake where 28-carat gold nuggets are just lying around on the shore.

I’m not even sure where to start with the last two.

It did remind me of something though.

Networking isn’t about proving how interesting you are.

It’s about being interested in other people.

Ask questions. Listen. Be curious. Find out what someone actually does, what they need, who they might benefit from meeting.

You don’t need a sales pitch.

And you definitely don’t need a secret gold lake.