One of the most powerful and successful experiences of my business journey was the launching of what I call High Value Networking. This was a program where we emphasized helping C-level clients build trust. We did so by not talking about selling anyone anything. We focused on the following:
- Meeting peers and listening to their views
- Providing expert data and visions from people like Mark P. McDonald (who was at Garther at the time)
- Creating a charitable platform (Celebrity Fight Night) to lead the conversation towards topics deeper than just business
In this case, it was helping the champ fight Parkinson’s Disease.
What wasn’t on the agenda (that drove certain people nuts) was the pitch for our software. We were aiming to create trustworthy life-long relationships and to help others get better. We wanted them to be successful and we didn’t want anything in return.
What’s really special about this experience is the trusted CIO relationships we built, and how they are strong to this day. We don’t even talk about big deals we did together. We do however talk about family, kids, aging, parents, leadership, and other deep topics that truly trustworthy friends discuss.
Shout out to Greg Corgan (on the right of Mohammed) who supported me and this unconventional long-term program. I miss you boss.
