There was a business upskilling event organised by AIESEC Macquarie yesterday.
Initially I was critical, judging the committee for being brainwashing. I know it was unfair on my pair to label them merely based on my observation, which was already clouded by a sharp pang of jealousy and anger (for taking my friend’s time away from me).
Surprisingly, the talk was inspiring and uplifting. What they talk about was about the importance of: mentality, networking and marketing.
All information they gave direct to essentially the same principles of entrepreneurship. The difference was the way we criticise these information. That what makes them applicable. Facts, pfft. We can find them easily on the internet. What differ is our opinions. Right?
Summary:
Mentality
The question WHY is followed by how and what.
Networking (how to pick people up)
- Find your Project HAMMER. Right now, who are the 3 people that you will pick to start a business together? There are 4 categories: (4W) Wealth, Wisdom, Work, Well-Known.
- There’s always a value to add to other people. Find what you can contribute and what qualities you want from others. Then, create that long-term relationship. Pick the right people.
- Who is your MENTOR?
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Build that rapport, let them know the value of your relationship.
- Don’t feel shy; keep your friends up to date.
- Have a clear, elevated pitch. And don’t forget the WHY.
Marketing
Workforce is not all paradise. By the age of 25ish, you’ll have that feeling of quitting, and then you’ll realise that you’re entrepreneur.
One quick lesson that I get, create an AUTOMATIC MARKETING. It’s not you who work for $$. The online system and clients will be doing it for you. Thus, make it sexy and creative.
Have a clear goal and don’t let others think it for you.
Criticism for Myself
I’m still judgmental about networking skills. It’s inspiring to listen about successful stories of the speaker. But when I was given the opportunity to talk to others, I couldn’t do it as much.
Why? I hide myself. I lower my expectation in speaking to others, trying to find someone ‘approachable and easy’ instead of someone challenging and beyond my expectation. I guess I was too scared to being judged stupid and inexperienced, too scared to walk outside my comfort zone and approach people that seem to be higher and more qualified than me.
And why are you scared? I guess I have a high level of pride and I don’t like getting judged. I have no expectation and therefore I did not prepare any questions. Consequently, I cannot strike an interesting question.
So how do we start? Think of a goal. Why do you want to achieve that goal? And make the networking as an answer, not a problem.
I’ve misunderstood the term ‘networking’ all along. I have been making new friends without any purpose, which consequently left me feeling bored. Having a goal and asking why gave me an insight about myself through that soul-searching process.
—>Don’t you get sick of meeting people with the same interest as you, or probably people with lesser experience, those that bore you with the same repeating conversation topic over and over again? You don’t learn anything much from them, stupid! Get out from your shells. You’re still a student, and you’re allowed to make mistakes, to make a fool out of yourself, so that you can learn how to stand up again–one thing, I have always been haunted by the word ‘fail’ or ‘failure’, that’s a mental illness I think, but that’ll be for another post. And so yes, get out from you shells, be uncomfortable. Don’t you miss hanging out with amazing people with sparking ideas and creativities in Singapore? I know you do.
Think of others as yourself. Don’t you feel proud if someone was asking about your struggle and what you learnt from it? Smart people like to boast about their struggles to clench that accomplishment. So find that characteristic that you want to learn from them. And ask. It’ll enrich your knowledge and raise their pride. But don’t worry about looking like a fool. Everyone needs a starting point/ stepping stone. You teach children at Kumon, you know they are starting to learn stuff one step at a time. What’s the difference between you and these kids? You’re still a kid in networking or business sector. You still have nothing to lose, so don’t worry. Be creative, think different, make that first step.
—-> Don’t lower your expectation. Those who are brave enough will raise their standard for you. By starting to talk, you’ve pushed up your standard.
Be strong.
Elz
The Art of Sharing and Loving 