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The coworking meetup at The Ion last Thursday changed how I think about introductions | Houston Networking - Freelance Forum - The Community for Independent Professionals

ray_burns•3mo ago

The coworking meetup at The Ion last Thursday changed how I think about introductions

I went to the weekly networking mixer at The Ion in Midtown and noticed everyone led with their job title instead of what they actually needed help with. After three rounds of boring handshakes, a guy broke the pattern by saying he was looking for a commercial real estate contact for a 2,000 square foot space in EaDo. Has anyone else found that ditching the elevator pitch for a specific ask gets better results?

3 comments

3 Comments

smith.lee3mo ago

Wow I never thought about how the space itself might be setting people up for that kind of interaction. The Ion's whole vibe with those open floor plans and visible startups everywhere could be subconsciously telling people to lead with their professional roles instead of just being human first.

the_mary3mo ago

Whoa, hold on. I gotta push back on that second comment a little bit. Saying the guy who asked for a real estate contact came off as "pushy" or "transactional" is kind of missing the point of a networking event. If you're at a mixer specifically for professionals, asking for a specific thing is actually way more respectful of everyone's time than doing the whole "hi, I'm Bob from Bob's widgets" dance for twenty minutes. A clear ask lets people quickly decide if they can actually help you or not, which saves a lot of awkward small talk. It's not about using people, it's about being direct and efficient in a setting literally made for that.

kelly.margaret3mo ago

That's an interesting take, but I've had the opposite experience more often than not. When someone jumps straight into a specific ask like that, it comes across as transactional and a little pushy... like they're just there to use people. I've been at tables where a guy started with the commercial real estate pitch and everyone immediately got guarded, thinking he was gonna try and sell them something. Starting with a genuine conversation about shared interests or problems usually opens more doors for me, then the specific ask comes naturally later.