My Biggest Networking Pet Peeve

Have you ever felt like just throwing in the towel on networking?

Same.

Maybe my biggest pet peeve of them all: THE INSTANT PITCH.

30 Seconds In

I hop on a call, excited to meet someone new.

I'm 30 seconds in. Maybe less.

And suddenly I realize she has no agenda aside from INSTANTLY PITCHING ME.

No "how are you." No "what are you working on." No intention-setting. Just a signature five-week pilot program being fire-hosed at me before we've even warmed up.

Instant CRINGE.

Keeping the Joy Alive

Here's the tough part.

I squeamishly try to keep all the joy from disintegrating out of my eyes.

I smile. I nod. I wait for a beat that never comes.

Because the truth is, this isn't networking. This is a pitch dressed up as a conversation.

Where It Goes Wrong

We all have something to sell. We all have something we're excited about. That's fine.

But when the pitch is your opener, you've skipped the most important step: the person on the other side of the screen.

It's the same energy behind every LinkedIn red flag I've written about. Transactional, not relational.

Maybe We Should Set Some Intentions

There's a simple fix.

Set intentions. Ask questions. Get to know the person in front of you.

Then, if there's real alignment, a conversation about working together can happen naturally.

Because at the end of the day, the most human company wins. And the same is true on a one-to-one call.

Conclusion

If this has happened to you, give me a "YIKES" in the comments.

And tag some friends so I know who the REAL ones are.

How do YOU handle this situation? I actually want to know.

Relationship-first always.
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