I talk to strangers. In fact, I look for opportunities to talk to strangers because I love the magic of connection.
One way I get to do it is in making cold calls to promote our business programs. I hit the numbers on my phone, calling a stranger, without knowing if I will get a live person or not. If I do actually reach a human being, I don’t know ahead if the person will be open to my call and engage with me, or cut me off after my greeting. It’s a game . . . a gamble, since I first need to reach someone with whom I can connect. I also don’t take it personally if the stranger on the other end of the call is not interested in speaking with me, so that makes it easy to just dial one number after another and wait for a connection that will allow magic to happen.
The way I play this game, I can’t lose since even if I have to make numerous calls before I get to speak with ONE person that allows me to connect with them, it is all worth it when a true connection occurs.
I had one of those magical calls yesterday. The woman on the other end answered and responded to my greeting with letting me know she had another phone up to her other ear, so I’d have to call back. My retort was “If you are that busy, you will want to talk to me”. She laughed. Maybe she was intrigued. I know I was encouraged since she asked that I check in again 15 minutes later.
When I called back, my “callee” responded with a smile in her voice, which is a very good sign. As I described the types of services Triumph Leadership provides, she opened up even more and our connection became stronger.
Before long, we were new friends. We were sharing more personal details of our lives, creating more ways to strengthen our connection. (This is where the magic piece comes in)
My new friend became more engaged and interested in helping me find new clients. She started listing businesses that could use our services and was giving me tips about how and when to approach them.
When our call ended thirty minutes later, I was bubbling with joy. Not only because it is likely that future work will result from this conversation, but because I had just experienced a wonderful connection with a stranger, and for me, there is nothing better than a heart to heart connection.