NETWORKING
Networking with a twist!
Networking is an excellent opportunity to meet people and learn about their businesses. It is also a place to forge lasting relationships. Narrate your stories to others, business or personal. They will remember you more than numbers and figures.
Networking
Networking with a twist!
Networking is an excellent opportunity to meet people and learn about their businesses. It is also a place to forge lasting relationships. Narrate your stories to others, business or personal. They will remember you more than numbers and figures.
More stories
Arun’s grandmother lived a short journey by bus. The rule was to go to grandma’s house for every study break. Four times a year and during the two main annual festivals, Vishu and Onam.
After a long drive across the city, ideally on a Thursday after sundown, I prefer a twist of lemon wedged on the coated rim of a cocktail glass.
But this networking event was different. As a storyteller, I have been fascinated by how people communicate verbally and through print and digital mediums. Over the last decade, I have taken up storytelling in Toastmasters, read innumerable books about the subject, and listened to podcasts on how to narrate a good business story.
Mixing business and wine
Early this month (the first Thursday of every month), a tight circle of 20-odd humans stood around a few wine kegs, thoroughly enjoying the unique blend of business pitches, wine tasting, and cheese sampling.
Drinking wine is different. Telling someone that you are a wine drinker automatically elevates your social standing!
After about three of four business pitches, a bottle of unlabelled wine did the rounds, carefully poured by the wine master himself.
Shaz encouraged us to pair it with a specific item on the plate – ricotta cheese.
Then with a flourish, Shaz, the wine master, a jovial and knowledgeable man with a passion for wine, stood back and asked, “What does it taste like?”
Sitting on the fence
As a novice wine enthusiast, I am constantly inspired by the vast world of wine – from the different kinds, regions, and glasses, to the intricate process of appreciating its aroma and taste. There’s always something new to learn.
The last time I drank wine was at a friend’s place. She encouraged me to switch from beer and taught me the best behaviour around good wine!
Take the wine glass, swirl it, sniff it, take a sip, roll it in your mouth, and let it inspire you.
Bottoms Up?
As a beer drinker (West Coast and Hazy IPAs), I strongly resisted my immediate reaction to guzzle and feel the brew cooling every part of my body and heightening my senses.
Three sips of the wine, I thought, would loosen my tongue and cover any faux pas aided by the spirit of the occasion. [We were also celebrating Christmas in July!]
“Apple?” I blurted out.
At least half the group offered their thoughts; apples, pears, berries, I forget the rest!
Shaz was beaming when he revealed the secret ingredient.
“Watermelon!”
Even I admitted that the wine was very refreshing.
The evening became much more relaxed after the first round. More wine and accompaniments. More business pitches.
Storytelling / narrative marketing
When you talk about your business, what do you tell your potential customers?
How often have you nodded off watching a PowerPoint presentation with 50 slides packed with numbers, charts, and bullet points?
Next time, start your presentation with a story and end with one. Your audience will remember those stories. If you tie it to the idea you are trying to sell, your presentation will make a better impact.
At my turn, I shared a crucial insight – the importance of storytelling in business. Stripping away all the marketing jargon, three basic elements emerge in storytelling: character, conflict, and resolution. These elements, when woven into your business narrative, can make a significant impact on your audience.
It does not matter what product, service, or idea you want to communicate; build up your stack of stories and use them as the foundation of your communications – print, digital, and verbal.
Narrative marketing. If you prefer the marketing jargon, this is the term. Or, simply storytelling. Start collecting your stories.
Note: This networking event, Sip and Mingle, was hosted by Balbir Pabila, Hilda Eid and Shaz at Wines Unlimited, Mississauga, Ontario.