It's not what you know. It's not who you know. It is what you know about who you know that counts. How well do you know the people you have to motivate, influence, or persuade?
I have had countless meetings with different industry representatives who have done one of two things: dropped names or dropped facts. Rarely, did they do this with any sense if either were important to me. If they dropped both, almost never did the "name" relate to the "fact."
Why it's not who you know:
Don’t drop names. I know why you do it. Having mutual friends can be a device to build trust - if done in context and in moderation. I had one guy go through twelve names before he stumbled on one I knew. I didn't tell him what I thought of our "mutual friend." If he had done his homework, he never would have mentioned that joker in my office.
If you must mention a name - for instance, you want to shorten your explanation and it would be easier if I was already familiar with their work - make sure you establish that context. Otherwise, it looks like you are just bragging that you know someone I don't. Besides, it's all I can do to keep up with my own crap. I don't have time to track other people's crap.
It is never good to just name drop. You have to remember what mattered to the person you know and why that matters to me. Do they have a similar problem which has the same solution that I would need? Is the person with the problem/solution someone I would want to know more about?
Why it's not what you know:
Being smart is not enough. You could be a brainiac with a triple PhD, but if you don't know where I am, what motivates me, or what my "care-abouts" are, all those smarts are wasted. Don't show me your super widget and ask what "my challenges are" and if I think your thingy can solve them. Do your homework, read my website, review recent congressional testimony by my leadership - my problems, my challenges, the context you need is usually out there. I probably wrote some of it myself. I certainly reviewed and cleared a lot of it. If my problem was not specifically, or even remotely, addressed in your demonstration or pitch, you just wasted everyone's time.
You, at least, have to meet me halfway. Explain why the scenario you are about to use is like, or similar to, my problem. Don't expect me to have the epiphany. If you can’t work it in, skip the demonstration and ask for an informational meeting where I can answer questions about what you read on the website, or in the testimony, etc.
It's what you know about who you know:
If you know what matters to people, it is easier to connect with them and get them to help with your agenda. The people you know, who know me, can help you understand me and what I have going. Ask them what I care about, what do I not care about. If they don't know, ask them who does know. If there is one thing everyone likes to do, it is talking about other people.
By the way, remember the serial name-dropper that I mentioned earlier? I ended up giving him a list of names of people who knew me and were out in the industry crowd. I recommended that he could contact one of them and perhaps learn what he needed to know. He instead brought one to the followup meeting and watched me talk to him. (sigh).
I've used the example of the typical vendor capabilities brief, but this is true of your teammates, employees, and your leadership too. If you know what they care about it is easier to motivate them.
If you can master this, you are one step closer to the secret to getting things done in government.
-AR
Very well done.
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