How to Articulate Your Thoughts More Clearly than 99% of People

This jar represents your brain. Science says that you can hold only 150 real connections. After that, everything else spills out. So networking isn't really about the number of people you know. It's about the number of connections that stay inside this jar. We are human beings and human beings are tribal by nature. First, survival meant hunting together, sharing our resources, protecting each other from danger. Even today, our wiring is the same. But the situation has changed. From campfires, we've come to boardrooms. And from the jungles, we've come to online communities. But why? Today, when we are so connected, we feel so lonely. We scroll all the time, but we are not connected to each other. That's why we decided to test how real networking works.

So we decided to call in a volunteer and actually understand why networking is so difficult. Hi, my name is Pratyushankar. I'm in my second year in college. I'm also doing freelancing and editing. After schooling, editing was the first thing that I took. Along with that, I do short film with my friends, who we shoot and edit ourselves. In this field, you have to connect with people more to get more clients and get more projects. If you don't reach out to anyone, you're stuck in one phase where you're working with two people. And you're just living hand-to-mouth. There are many misconceptions about networking. Let's understand them and delete them from our lives. First of all, people think it's about quantity.

Everyone thinks it's about the number of business cards you can collect, the number of LinkedIn contacts. It is not about the number of people. It's about how well you know them. I'll give you my own example. I remember going for India Rising in Orissa. I met Mr. Subrata Bakchi there. And I was very curious that he left his big tech business and moved forward with the skill development work in Orissa. That led to a relationship that actually had me working in Orissa and we're still doing projects there. The second big myth is it's only for extra words. People think networking is for those people who speak loudly, laugh, and play. They have a relationship with everyone.

But honestly, history shows that networking is about people being consistent, about showing up, about being there. So don't worry about being the loudest person in the room. Worry about being the most thoughtful. The third misconception is it's about selling yourself. That you're trying to sell something. You're taking a pitch and buying something from me. My product, my service, or me. Please, please, please do not do that. People hate that. When someone comes to you, they automatically start a selling pitch. A much better option is to ask questions. People love talking about themselves. Ask them questions, understand their problems, understand their pain. Then think about how can I fit in in this, how can I create value in their lives without expecting anything in return.

And fourth, I think the biggest misconception, it works instantly. People think I started networking and the result came instantly like 2MinuteMaggie. Please understand this is a lifelong process and you need to just give it time and attention. Meet people, talk to them, give them value. Because over time, it's going to compound and you will realise its value after years. For me, networking is like how can I reach out to clients, how can I bring potential prospects for myself. How can I convince them that they chose me as their editor. I went to a cafe recently and my friends and I were sitting there. There were people who were talking about editing and stuff like that.

That they edit while shooting. And that was a huge opportunity for me being an editor. But they didn't tell me that I am an editor and if you need anything, call me up. We can do something together. It happened 5-6 times and I have chickened out 5-6 times. I couldn't talk to them. I think this is a major thing in my life that I should do. Come out of my comfort zone and talk to people. I am a little scared to talk to people. I think a lot about what to say and what not to say. Mindset, that I have to do this thing. Confidence, I don't like going in the crowd. I get a lot of tension.

I have a problem introducing myself. It has happened many times and I have met someone. So I am not able to explain clearly what I do. Making a presence in front of people is a very big thing for me. My work is very good and the people I have worked with have always loved to do more projects with me. But for me to get more people is a very big obstacle for me. So if I can get a clear script, how to introduce myself, how to make a presence in front of someone, can be a lot of help for me. There are layers of effective networking. And when you stack these layers together, you will have a very beautiful, repeatable system.

The most important thing is mindset. Approach with curiosity, not with desperation. People want to spend time with those who are genuinely interested in their story. How are you? What did you do? Why did you do it? Actually show interest. The second layer is preparation. Before the event, prepare who the attendees are. You understand who you want to meet, why you want to meet, what you want to talk about. Even if you spend a little bit of time on their interest or their past projects, you will have enough material for a meaningful conversation. The third layer is conversation tools. If you go to someone, you should already have a one-minute pitch. It has a very interesting framework called FOD.

Family, Occupation, Recreation, Dreams. You should already prepare what your name is, what your family is, what your logistics are, what your dream is. Create that pitch so that you can create curiosity, not boredom. The fourth layer is third places. Mostly, business talks, recreation, or places where we are comfortable and relaxed. This third place could be a coffee shop, it could be a community center, your gym. It could be a place where like-minded people gather. These are all places where you can create and build a very meaningful connection. This layer is called digital reach out. We live in the digital world and we need to optimize it. But please understand that tattered messages and generic mails will not work.

Tailor them, make them specific. Understand what your opponent has in mind. Understand it, give it value. And then see how it can be a magic pill to open a hundred doors. This is the final layer, life updates. Keep people updated with your life, your small milestones, what's happening in your life. I have changed my job, I am married, I have kids, I have raised funding. It's a great tool and it's the best way to create a network that genuinely knows and cares about you. So can you see how beautifully we can increase our relationships, our network? But I had said earlier that these are all layers and they have to work together. You can't make this from just one layer.

And if you don't do it, if you ignore one of these layers, then this whole mountain will fall. My name is Aman Guwasswami and I am from Kharagpur. I am working in the office in Kulia. I am Sherul and I am a Data Engineer. So you have completed your studies? I am in second year right now. So you will be basically from commerce back now. So anyways, it's good to connect with you and we can share our LinkedIn. You can search as Aman Guwasswami. What's that? So you have an ID tag and your mid-age is starting from here. My younger brother is into that field. He is not in India. You can connect with him only.

I am ready to connect with people. That's what I am trying to do right now. I am working for Adobe back in 2012. They had a lot of things around and Adobe was coming up with this cloud concept of creative cloud, document cloud and all that. That's what I use right now to edit my stuff. DH Space. It's a great talking to you. Thank you. So networking is not just a theory. It's actually made up of very small deliberate actions. And today I am going to give you my cheat sheet. The first cheat code is invitations. Invite people to eat, to play a friendly cricket match or to take a walk. My favourite is inviting someone to do a workout with me.

You need to understand relationships are not made up of transactions. They are created by when you feel something with someone. When you share a moment with someone. My second cheat sheet. Gifts. Send small thoughtful presents to people. Which are completely unexpected. Now please, please, please don't go out there and start spending a lot of money. This is not about money. It's about the fact that you remember. You can send them an article. You can send them a note. Or an invitation which you think they will like a lot. The third cheat code. Showing up. We are so connected digitally. We see each other every day on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook. But you know what is really important?

Is actually being there for someone in person. When someone has a milestone, when someone has an achievement. Please just show up. Your physical presence cannot be replaced. And that really is the key to all human connections. The fourth cheat code is wingman. There are lots of people who like to connect people. Utilize them. Maximize them. Figure out who is the wingman in your network who can connect people. Talk to them. Use them. And use their networks to expand your own networks. And finally, the fifth cheat code. Planting seeds. Plant three seeds every day. One is congratulation, one is encouragement and one is check-in. If you plant these three seeds every day, you have planted 1000 seeds in a year.

And these seeds grow up to create networks, to create opportunities. So please understand. Networking is not about just showing up, giving your card and getting done. It's about doing these small things. I'm doing them every day. And honestly, it will be fun doing it. You know, these gestures seem small. But if you do it consistently every day, month after month, year after year, what you will create is a reputation. Because more than anything, reputation is something that will always be with you. That's going to follow you. That's going to help you grow. Hello. Hello. My name is Pratyush. I do editing. And I want to learn about people. I want to know about their work feel.

We do DSA. Banking DSA. We do loans, we do business loans. How long have you been coming here? I've been working here for two years. Okay. So my feel is in editing. And I give people social media presence. And edit videos for them. Sometimes shooting and stuff like that. We can connect on LinkedIn if you like. I don't have a dark number or card. You don't have a card? We don't have a technical profile. You can give me your number. Okay, you can show me your number. I'll call you directly. I'll go to your LinkedIn profile. I'll send you the number. You do one thing. The people who work for you on social media, they will send me their number on WhatsApp.

On Instagram. You can send me your number. Okay. Thank you. Okay. It was nice talking to you. Thank you. We have attached a business template in the description. You can use it. Second, an introduction template. You can create it for yourself. And finally, a handbook. It will tell you the etiquette of networking. It is downloadable and editable. Download them, use them, and tell us in the comments if they helped you or not. The real magic of networking is in compounding. Trust is not created in one meeting. But that one meeting is converted into another introduction. They become a partnership with one favour. And with a shared meal, you create people who have your back for the rest of your life.

See trust as a formula. Credibility plus reliability plus empathy. Divided by self-orientation. You have to think about others. You have to think about others and keep your interests under control. Ultimately, you will benefit. The more you focus on others, the stronger your bonds will be. Every seed, every introduction that you sow today will reap into opportunities. And more than anything, you will create a reputation that will lead you on a path of growth and prosperity. I hope you enjoyed this video. Comment and tell us what you would like us to talk about next. Thank you so much for watching. I am honestly trying very hard to give the most value. I have always been a business person.

I have always been an entrepreneur. And I always feel that what will be the result of words or words alone. So I think in this particular video, I have tried to give something actionable. I actually work with a real volunteer to understand his problems. To see how we can solve his problems. I have shared my experiences. Which I genuinely feel has helped me. And of course, we have added resources that you can use. Like your business card or the handbook or the introduction. So tell me if this helped you. And I genuinely believe that the relationships that we create. They lead us forward in the world. Not just for growth, I think for development and just to be happy.

And please keep telling me how I can improve. How can I make this better? And how can I create value for you? Thank you.