# How to network? By [Veresa](https://paragraph.com/@dongdo) ยท 2021-11-14 --- Knowing a lobbyist working in Washington, the kind who contacts congressmen on Capitol Hill, he said a very important question: You, as a small lobbyist who can kill five people by throwing a brick on the street in Washington, what is the first signal you have to send to a senator (a leading provincial cadre) when you go to meet him for the first time? The company you represent is so big that he has to know you? But the company's lobbying strategy will change, today it's you, tomorrow it may be someone else, the company is big, but that doesn't mean he has to give you a good look. You have to say the matter is important, there is hope for legislation? Even if the matter is important, but rival companies are also interested in this matter, why is it with you and not with them? You have outstanding personal charm? Please don't be funny. The answer is: You are here to STAY. "My name is XXX, and you will see me on Capitol Hill often over the next six years." Let's explain what this message means: the companies I represent are big, they have the money and the incentive to be in Washington for a long time; they trust their partnership with me enough that I will represent their interests for a long time and with full authority; what I'm about to say is so important that we will not rest until we get this done, and if you don't want to cosponsor this bill, we'll find another Congressman to do it. In the end, even if this thing is over, even if this company goes under, I'll still be me, I'll still be in Washington, and you'll still see me, whether as a friend or an enemy. That's the art of dealing with people who are better than you. There are many good answers to this question, some of them talk about "benefit exchange", which is the right direction. But most of the time, in the face of people who are better than you, you really can't get anything to exchange with others at the moment. Even if you have, like you, people see ten a day, why is the exchange with you alone? There are also answers that talk about showing personal qualities and sincere communication, which is also very good and must be done, but this is your self-requirement, for people whose status is higher than yours, he may not even notice these little tangles and efforts of yours. And what we talked about earlier answers these two questions: you can only really get to know him if he realizes that he will deal with you later. The future is long, so there will be a place to exchange; low and behold, he will take the time to care about your quality. Yes, "heads down, heads up", this trick hutong aunt often used and mud method, can be applied to all levels, all people, tried and true. The most important thing is that you can't be afraid of your neighbors. This is a person, not snobbery, is pure reason. Of course, this is not to say that you should be a scoundrel and stick to others like gumdrops. How to convey "you will always stay", is the need for some mental ingenuity. For example, if a young student is looking for a recommendation for an internship or job from someone at a company, an important skill is to show that you have a good understanding of and great enthusiasm for the industry, this type of position, and your determination to enter this niche. A lot of people do this, but get it wrong about how it works; they think they are more likely to be taken seriously because they know a little ahead of time and get up to speed faster. In fact, you as a student, know in advance of those, get the job, really does not count. The point is, each segment of the subdivision of the industry, the circle is actually not so big, and you show others: you will definitely go all out into the industry, he will definitely see you again at some point in the future, whether it is your own company, friendly companies, upstream and downstream companies. Even, you will definitely do your best to get someone to push you internally to do this internship, if not by him, then also by the old king at the next workstation. It is not for you to say "I'm ready to do this for the rest of my life", but for you to make him realize that you will definitely become a peer by showing your knowledge of the industry, by showing what you have done to find a job, and by hinting at more things you are about to do, and that it might be a small loss not to know you now. The opposite is to talk in general terms, giving the impression that you have dates and no dates to play three shots, and that you have a sea of resumes. In fact, people do not hate the sea cast resume, people are just not sure that this sea cast resume you, tomorrow will not appear on time. The difference between accurately stating a hundred positions in an industry segment and saying that you have submitted your resume to all of them, and saying that you have worked hard to submit a hundred resumes to the top 100 companies in the world, is at least three orders of magnitude, from the former we can read determination, from the latter we can only read despair. Another example is that I once contacted a business executive, meet a chat, of course, is to pull some hometown school friendship, common acquaintances, what resources I have, but people are not interested, just perfunctory. See, I really have the resources that can be exchanged, people do not want to pay attention to, because business bragging who will, even if there are resources, and not free distribution, the possibility of cooperation can have a few points? A hundred thousand miles away, why waste time with me? Later we really put an office in his company location, only hired a driver, a part-time accountant, nothing has begun to do, he knew after a phone call to me, "How did you push that thing you said last time?" You and I are hometown? I have hundreds of thousands of hometown, who are you? We went to the same school? So what? You have the resources I need? Other people have them too, and I know them better. What? You're going to do this for the long haul? Nice to meet you! Meet someone who is better than you, and if you can find a reason why you'll be dealing with each other at least once more in the next year, he'll look at you more today. If you can make him realize that if he doesn't see you today, you will be under his nose for a long time to come, such as in the employee list of a competitor company, in the byline of an industry analysis article, and in several upcoming events, he will be willing to take the time to talk to you right now. When you have nothing for the time being and want to ask for a favor, don't forget that you at least have time in the future, just prove that you will often pass by in the future, he will be more likely to pull you a hand, you don't need to say anything knotted grass and ring, really, just let him know that you are still in the piece on the line. Of course, some people may just want to meet someone good, but really can't find a "stay in his life" point. Well, either you don't want to stay that much, for example, you don't really want a job that much, or you don't really need to know him. I've met a lot of famous people, and eventually I realized that we were so far apart that not only did they have nothing to do with me, but I had nothing to do with them either. At this time, it is better to find a slight gap first, and then talk about knowing each other, otherwise, it is a waste of other people's time not to mention their own time. If we are about to meet tomorrow, then I would want to meet you today, sometimes things are so simple. --- *Originally published on [Veresa](https://paragraph.com/@dongdo/how-to-network)*