How to Build the Relationships that Get You Booked with Lirone Glikman - 332

If you've ever been told, just network more to grow your speaking business, to get booked, then this episode is going to save you a lot of awkward coffee meetings, because most networking advice isn't that great for speakers. Liron Glickman, my guest today, is an international expert on building relationships and the author of the Super Connectors Playbook, and she's gonna share exactly why that advice is so bad. She has worked across 28 countries. She is an international speaker on building meaningful connections, and I'm really looking forward to her sharing some gold with you. Now, if you're already a speaker, you know that relationships matter. You probably got gigs from referrals, or your biggest opportunities came from people introducing you to the right room. But many speakers still approach networking in a way that's not optimum for us. So, in this episode, Liron is going to share how we move beyond that transactional networking to become what she calls a super connector, building trust, opportunity, and influence wherever you go. So, this is definitely going to be worth listening to. There's some gold in here. And without further ado, let's dive in. Welcome to the Speaking Club, Liron Glickman.

Hi, Sarah. Thank you so much for having me. How are you today?

I'm very well, thank you. It's sunny here in the UK, so I can't complain. And whereabouts are you based, Liron?

So, right now I'm in Berlin, Germany.

Oh, okay, cool. Excellent. I lived in Germany for about 3 and a half years when I was 21, but near Munich. So, I haven't been there, but I will. I'm planning to go there at some point. So, yeah. Excellent.

Good.

Well, thank you for coming on the show. I'm really excited about the topic that we're going to be discussing today because I know that it's something that people, you yearn to get right, but so often fall into the pitfalls, and there's quite a few of them that are hanging around this area. So, the first thing I wanted to ask you was, you've worked across 28 countries. You're in Germany at the moment. You've been all over the place.

Yeah.

And what, in your opinion, what separates the people that are able to build those powerful, global relationships from those who just network?

I love this question because, you know, I think, and I see that being, first of all, a people person, meaning that someone who's maybe friendly enough or open to other people or curious about other people, it's kind of an across-the-board trait, I would say. And even though there are cultural differences which are distinct and you see them from Asia to the US, There's still those basic fundamental human reactions that we all share, which I think it normalizes the fact that, you know, oh, maybe I should feel uncomfortable around other cultures and so on. But to your questions, what differentiates between good networkers to better ones? Let me start with a story. When I was in Japan in 2018, I gave a talk and then after the conversation, you know, some of the audience lined up to speak with you. And there was a nice Japanese guy who held this kind of folder in his hand. And when I'm standing there and there were more people behind him, he says, can you please come to the side of me for a moment? I want to show you something. And I, it was uncomfortable, but he showed me this folder and he tried to explain what he's trying to sell. And it was a bit awkward. And also I couldn't really understand his accent. And again, maybe I always say that maybe I lost Once in a lifetime opportunity, but it was a bit off because I think he wasn't able to read the situation that there are more people wanting to speak with me and maybe I'm not so comfortable to have like a very deep conversation with him about his offering. So this is, for example, I think, so to your question, I think it's about understanding the situation. When should we dive deep? How to start slow and build the relationship? So basically, it's pretty much about how do I get you to know, like, and trust me? How can I serve you? How can you maybe see something in me and open your curiosity? And then the next time I will try to share what I do and maybe do business together. So I would say that the difference would be the shift from what can I get to how can I serve?

That comes across really clearly in that story. Like, he It's not just about, you know, the talking to the other person, it's reading the whole context as well and being emotionally intelligent around that sort of thing. And yeah, I think you're right. Just, you know, if you can, if, but I think if you do that, if you put the other person first, then those things kind of naturally follow, I think, in a way, don't they? So, oh, cool. Okay.

Sure.

Now, you've written a book around this topic, and as you probably know, there are shelves and shelves and books on networking and personal branding. Why did the world need The Super Connectors Playbook?

So if you don't mind, I'll also show The Super Connectors Playbook. This is my bestseller. It's out for a bit over half a year, and I mean, on the one hand, we do networking and we communicate with people all the time, right? But then I'm sure you and I and many others know that we, we don't get to learn that at school. We usually don't have networking classes or communication classes. Maybe we have some social classes, but it's not about how to use this as a skill to grow your knowledge, connection, access, achieve your career. And even for me, this is a guideline, a guide to how to be fulfilled in life. So my book, and I've read a lot of books and I watched a lot of, you know, information, and I actually researched some of the world's leading networkers like Dr. Ivan Misner, who invented BNI, the biggest networking group. And I'm leaning on How to Win Friends and Influence of Dale Carnegie and Never Eat Alone of Keith Ferrazzi, which we've just— well, he just endorsed my book the other week, which was very exciting. But I mean, I'm taking those on the one hand, timeless realization of, hey, it's about being authentic. It's about really caring for others and giving them, and I'm tying it to strategic aspect, which means that it's okay to be strategic. It's okay to want to get something from other people because that's how it connects you, but you have to be authentic first. So that's for once understanding that in order to use it to be a better networker or achieve your goals relationship, it's about being authentic first, giving, and then strategic. But this book also has AI tips. So we really use AI and modern, I would say, situation that you can, many people can relate to. And maybe the most important part that it has a very clear methodology. This is my human factor methodology of 6 pillars, which actually explain to you how to achieve your goals. And then what I actually found really interesting is that I wrote it for those maybe introverted or developers or maybe women or people who feel uncomfortable. But you know that actually the top networkers, people that like salespeople or people that are really good at building relationships, they also found interest in this book, which I was surprised, which actually got me to understand why the world needs it because it gives you a clear methodology that on the one hand helps you identify in which parts of it you're doing well and which parts of it you can do better, but it also gives you confidence because it's very modern and it's very relatable. So, confidence, methodology, relatedness, modern.

Excellent. So, a few sort of extra boxes ticked. Now, I want to ask you, normally when people become an expert in something, It's either because they felt that it was their big flaw before, and they discovered that this was going to be the way that they would change their situation around, or it was a kind of an accidental discovery on the way to getting something that they wanted. How did you...? And why did you become an expert in connecting?

Wow, I love your question. I think for me, it's maybe a bit of both. So on the one hand, I was always a dreamer. I grew up in a house where my father, my father is a pilot and he always, his dream was to become a commercial pilot with the biggest airlines, which eventually he was. And through my childhood, the The theme in my family was, let's help our dad to be a better pilot so he could get to the biggest airline. And you know what it means? So I learned from a very young age that to help people achieve their dreams, meaning to be quiet between 2 to 4 at noon because he has to sleep and then he has to fly 250 people. But we really cherish the, how important it is to fulfill your dreams. And so I was, I had a lot of dreams. I wanted to be in the circus and I wanted to be in NASA. And then I realized that I don't know anyone in the circus and I don't know anyone in NASA. NASA. So my big dreams got blocked when I realized I don't know how to, how the hell am I going to do it? And I realized that the gap between me and achieving my dream would be the people I have to know. And that's how I started to understand. And I was always a big dreamer and I always wanted to work in the world and I realized that I don't know anyone in the world. Fast forward today, working in 28 countries. But I mean, I, so that was the frustration. I wanted to live a fulfilled life and I didn't know how to meet the people. I want. But then again, I realized that meeting people or knowing people is more than just achieving my goals. It's this shared knowledge. It's adventures, it's learning. It's, you know, opened my mind and my horizons. So that's what brought me to learning more and eventually becoming the one who knows how to do it.

Excellent. And what was the first time, can you remember the first connection that you made? That was meaningful to you and how you approached that situation.

Yeah, so at the age of 16, I was actually, my father like signed me up for this radio course in a local radio station. And when I was there, I suddenly understand, you know, today we have podcasts, but back then we didn't have much podcasts. It was over 20 years ago. And I realized that, hey, if I will be a broadcaster or even a producer in this radio station, I could impact how people people think and maybe I could make their life happier or I was always a happy person. So, I wanted to share, you know, good music and maybe good insights. And then I decided at the age of 16 to knock on the CEO's door. I kind of sneaked out of one of the classes and I remember my hand, you know, knocking on his door and I told him, Aaron, my name is Liron. I'm here at the course and I would like to work for you. And then there was this awkward silence and he's like, you know something, I'm going to pay you $20 per month for commute and come and work for us. And this was my life's biggest deal. And I became one of the youngest radio presenters in my country as well. And looking back, you know, back in the time it was, well, I have to do it. But looking back, it was like, oh my God, you know, I had some balls over there.

So before you had that, were you like, if I had, had you assessed the sit— and I know that you might've done this subconsciously in terms of, assessing the situation and what was your best chance at getting where you wanted to be? Had you done that sort of, you know, calculation in your mind around this situation, or was it just, I'm gonna go for it, that's the top bloke, he's the one I need to speak to?

So I knew he's the one I need to speak to, but I always knew that I, I can, I can broadcast. I knew I can be a broadcaster. I knew I could be a really good speaker, but there was a gap between knowing it to actually letting the world believe me that I actually know what I'm doing. So, um, and that maybe it's this gap is called value. And, and I knew something inside, but between that to, to feeling value enough, valued enough to bring it out there, there was a little gap. And then when he believed in me, he's actually is my friend until today and he's in my book.

Mm-hmm.

And he was the first person who believed in me. And maybe that goes to another point of how, how our surrounding is so important and we all need someone who'll believe in us, whether if we're 16 or, or 58 or whatever, you know, we always need someone to believe in us.

Cool. And so, so you went on to do the broadcasting. At what point in your life did you decide to focus on this as an area of expertise and what triggered that for you?

So actually now I'm 43. So in my, the, the 20th decade, I leave, I moved by myself to Sydney, Australia. And within the months I got a radio show with really broken English. Then within 3 months, I got to work for Westfield Marketing, Westfield headquarters in the marketing division, the shopping centers, and without knowing anyone. I landed in Sydney, I had 3 people I knew, and then, you know, kind of networked my way up. 7 years later, I moved by myself to New York. I was smarter. I used the methodology I now teach in a way, and within 3 weeks, I got to work for PR firms. So looking back, I realized like after this, the decade of the '20s when I did my degree and everything in marketing, I realized that I developed this skill, but I'm also very driven to teach it to other people because I realize people, again, they, we don't know how to do it. And then I realized that I learned something, I'm onto something, researched, and later on, again, it's been over 12 years that I've been teaching it around the world. So I think through Kind of trial and error, um, learning, researching, trying to be better all the time.

That's really interesting. So what seems to be coming through is a, a fearlessness in terms of you making the ask. And I, I wonder if there is, you know, if one of the real barriers to becoming a superconnector is a lack of strategy or the fear of rejection, or is it both of those? What's your view on that?

I love your question because first of all, I think we all have a certain amount of fear of rejection or a fear of some social interactions. Even the US research that I usually use says that about 90% of the population, I guess it's from the US, has some kind of social anxiety. It could be if I'm speaking to an authority or I speak to 2 or 20 people. And I love this bit of information because it kind of normalizes that, hey, we all have some kind of fear. And I think technically or physically, each of us, any person mostly can reach out to any stranger and say, hi, my name is X, what's your name? The reason we don't do it, it's not a capability issue, it's about mindset issue or fear issue. And that's what I see with a lot of people. And then when I kind of, outline the mindset aspect of it. And also, you know, some more, it could go for mindset, spirituality, even connecting them to the goal. If you need to find a job, then you'll do anything and you will meet this person. And if you need, you know, to find a car, you will meet strangers and tell them what you wanna do. So I think that really helps people when you have a goal. It's like your why to overcome this fear of rejection. For me, making the ask is, It's not that I'm fearless. I just try to see, and maybe that's a really important point, understand how, in what way this ask is right for me. So how can this idea of asking someone something work for me? So many times if I feel uncomfortable, I try to look at the, let's say if it's a text message or what I'm going to tell them, and I ask myself, what if someone would send it to me, the same text I'm about to send someone else? How would I feel about it? Many times I give people an exit strategy. I say, hey, um, I, I have a request. You can say yes or you can say no. I will appreciate any answer. And then I ask it. So I give them kind of an exit strategy.

Yeah.

And another great way, it's what I like to call the oldest trick in the book, the Benjamin Franklin effect, which is just asking for advice. Because if I ask someone for advice, they can say yes, not now. And usually we love Being able to share a true scent with someone. And when we do so, we kind of convince ourselves, hey, we're investing this time and energy to think for them. And you know, Sarah, that many times when we ask people for advice, they actually give us what we want even more than just advice. So maybe these would be a few tactics that I recommend to try and see how could they work for you. So I think for advice, giving people the exit strategy, I will appreciate any answer, and maybe just reading your request before sending it and see if if you wouldn't accept it as well, if you would receive it.

That's some really, really, there's some great tips there. Yes, you can register with agencies and speaker booker, you know, but a lot of it, you need to be able to, you know, build your own pipeline. And that requires you to reach out to people and start conversations and connect. And there's a lot of resistance to doing this, and that because people make assumptions about how their message is going to be received. And when you do flip it to like, well, if someone asks you that, how would you feel? And they go, well, you know, I'd just say yes or no or whatever. And I think that's a really important point that you're making there because for speakers, you know, doing this well can make the difference between 1 gig and 10 gigs. Is there anything else that you've seen or in relation to speakers or any other people in terms of what they're getting wrong in this area of relationship building?

Yes, so it applies on speakers and as you mentioned, I also am signed with different agencies and I also have, you know, my own direct relation with different organizations and what I see that people are doing wrong, and again, I try to do it as good as I can, is the part of nurturing and maintaining relationships. So let's take the example again of speakers' agents. So they are great people and they find you relevant for their agency. That's amazing, but this is not where it ends. This is actually where it starts. So you want to build a relationship with them and nurture the relationship with them on an authentic way. When I mean authentic is really you can be planned behind the scenes, but they should see it as authentic. So for example, I try to maintain my, the relationship with my network and catch base on the people that are in my phone or are more close to me at least once or twice a year. So New Year's or Easter or, you know, big holidays, even if they're another in a different religion, then I usually also send them the message I just now sent to someone in Vietnam. I was there a few months ago. Happy Chinese New Year. He's like, My God, do you know about our culture? I'm like, of course. First of all, I know because I worked a lot in Asia, but second of all, I care.

Yeah.

So show them that you care. It doesn't matter if they're business-related or personal-related. You want to show them that you care. And then when you keep in touch with them and send them those, again, happy holidays, or just how have you been, or just send them an article or some achievement that you just had in your career, then you build a relationship. And then when you meet for your, I don't know, quarterly or annual or whatever meeting, you already built something and you're also on their mind. And maybe that's the most important thing because they have a lot of amazing speakers and eventually they are choosing from the pool of speakers that maybe are more available to them. And then you want to be top of head, top of mind. But through the authentic way, it's much stronger because, you know, we want to help people. We We know, like, and trust, and if you're able to have an intentional, deeper relationship with someone, then yes, it might help your business, but it also builds a very special relationship with someone.

Yeah, yeah, there's a thing that I talk about with people around following up, which I call thoughtful persistence, but this feels like it's thoughtful nurturing. You are Putting that person front and centre of your mind so that you stay front and centre of their mind as well. It's just, you know, again, it's reading that context as well and having that emotional intelligence to see what might be important to the other person and, you know, and sort of showing that you're thinking of them. That's really helpful.

We all know so many people and as years go by, we know more and more. And what I'm trying to do, and I use the method by Michael Port, an American marketer, he called it the 90 list. So create a list of relevant people up to 90, 20, 30, maybe in different sectors, maybe my agents, my speakers' agents, or I don't know, whatever other relevant people, managers in your company, and just make sure to have this specific list for you that works for you behind the scene and put a time in the calendar, maybe an hour a week or half an hour a week. And just intentionally follow up with them. So again, they don't have to know that you did it intentionally and that you planned it, but if you won't plan it, it probably won't gonna happen. So when you approach them, approach them authentically, but if you will plan it, it will happen. If you won't put it in the calendar, it's probably not gonna happen and you won't see any friendships and business results.

That's really, that's a good one. I've heard there's another sort of strategy around this, which is called the Dream 100, which is when you're approaching people. It's like, who are those 100 people that are going to make the difference?

Exactly.

And first of all, it's getting a foot in the door. And then secondly, it's making sure you focus on those people, like you said, authentically, but also strategically. And I think that's a really, really good point. Okay. Now, what's one principle— I'm going to switch slightly into into personal brand here, because I think the two go hand in hand. What's one principle from the Super Connectors Playbook that completely changes how someone should approach building their personal brand?

Okay, so let me share. I really agree with you that personal branding and relationship building goes hand in hand, and if I— this is actually how I build my methodology. So the Human Factor Method means that in order to achieve goals through relationship building, First of all, you need to know what your goal is, and sometimes it's not as easy as it sounds. Then it's about people plan. So the same as we have business plan and marketing plan, let's make people plan, which goes back to the Dream 100 or the 90 list. Then it's about personal brand because when you approach someone, whether it's on at a conference or online, they would wanna know who you are or Google you.

Yeah.

So then it's about your brand. And then this is kind of, you know, the first thing that, the first impression that we build with people. Then it's about connecting, creating this bond, maintaining relationship, and leveraging and making the ask. So we already talked about some of those, of the pillars.

Mm-hmm.

In terms of branding, then sometimes I hear people saying, you know, it's a new thing called branding. It's not new. It was always here. You know, we are human beings and by nature we have some bias. You know, we have, there's so many different cognitive bias and some of those bias, Meaning that we would probably prefer someone over the other, not because he's better at his job or less good. It's really about how we feel about them and what we kind of, how we see them. And maybe it's about their reputation or how we perceive them. So we are able to design to a certain extent how people see us and how they perceive us, which shouldn't create an unfair advantage for us, whether we work in a corporate and whether we have our own business. And maybe business owners and entrepreneurs feel it much much more. That's why this is not a privilege. So my main one important point when it comes to building a brand is that it's not a privilege. We all, we already have a brand. So if we won't manage it, someone else will. It could be Google or ChatGPT, which will kind of scramble the information, or other people will say stuff about us, which are maybe good or bad. So maybe the first thing I would ask you to do, because building a brand It's online, but it's also face-to-face. So maybe 2 tips around that would be, first of all, to try to Google your name. And if you can, um, go to the incognito window, which doesn't have the memory of your past searches, and, or maybe try, ask a friend to do it and try to see what does it say about you. So when other people are Googling you, and maybe they would be your stakeholders, do they learn the information you want them to learn about you? And maybe sometimes there is wrong information, maybe there is right information, and maybe there is nothing at all, which is okay.

Mm-hmm.

But you want to be aware of what's out there for one.

Yeah.

Second, it's about what is understanding, what is my promise? What do I want people to know about me? And let's say in the business world, it probably would be different than if I'm now going to date someone or my family or friends. So what do you want people to know about you? And the best way to get them to know about you, to know that is just talk about it. Talk about it from different angles.

Yeah.

Repetition builds your identity and your brand in a way.

Cool. What's really interesting and what I'm thinking about, and I've obviously interviewed a lot of people, I've met a lot of people, and what is coming across to me, like in this space, in your particular space, is that you are coming across to me As really warm and authentic, and there's no, I don't feel there's any sort of facade here. And I think that is partly also why you've been so successful. And I had a question on the back of this is, do you think that ego... can get in the way of becoming a true super connector?

Thank you so much for the kind compliment, and same here. You know, I feel so comfortable speaking with you and your questions and how you delivered it. So it's such a fun conversation, and that's, again, it's very important how do you make other people feel. Now, I mean, ego is something many people have, and I mean, it also has some Good parts to it. I mean, it can drive us, it can make us do more things, but I think it goes back to being conscious. Yes, maybe I, I mean, I'm a speaker and I, I wanna find the gigs and, and I wanna, you know, put myself out there. And if you see my Instagram full of my videos, it doesn't mean that my ego is here, but it's, it's really ego is about knowing how to manage it. So sometimes if I will be in, in a conversation and what I'm doing many times is I'm actually lighting other people's advantages up or, Or I kind of shining, you know, shining the spotlight on other people or sharing how amazing they are or giving them compliments. And then it actually goes back to me. I mean, I'm not doing it in order to earn something from it, to gain something from it. But if you know how to put yourself back and put people in the front, if you can understand, again, read the situation and not, it's not about me, me, me, and not about taking all the time, then you'll be, first of all, more likable and more acceptable. And also, people will remember you for it. So again, we need to understand when the ego is driving us to do more, but when it actually blocking us from being open to people, being open to learn. I know for me, when I was younger, sometimes I didn't want to learn. I mean, I wanted to learn, but I felt I don't want to ask people to know, to see how they do what they do because it's my ego. What do you mean? Like, I'm an I know what I'm doing. Now I'll ask them, what would it say about me? But then I realized it's such a wrong way of thinking. I'll ask them, they will share something, then I will, I, then they will ask me and I will share something, and maybe we'll do great things together. So it's about changing our approach.

I love that. One thing, it's really interesting actually having this conversation with you today because I realized something, and I don't know, I think partly this is a me thing, but it may also be A female thing.

Yeah.

So, I remember when I was younger, on a few occasions, people called me a show-off. And it's something that I would say I've been conscious— and I do, you know, don't get me wrong, I love an audience. I do. That's— but I think when it comes to self-promotion and building that brand, I back off because I think I have that thing in the back of my head that if I do promote myself, and there's opportunities that I've missed, like when I've been doing speaking gigs, you know, to promote in a, you know, not in a sort of, I love, look at me, love myself, but just even just low-key because of that belief from the past. it stopped me from doing that. And I think there's also another layer around women as well, holding themselves back in this area. And I just wondered if you had a view on that. It's something that I think I need to work on, but have you got any view on that, perhaps on the female side? I know you can't talk about me specifically, but yeah, have you come across that?

So, Sarah, first of all, I really agree with you. I think, and I see again, that many women, and also I talked about not knowing or not expressing my value for many years. So I think we as women, usually because of society norms and, you know, how we grew up or how we were brought up, we may sometimes feel uncomfortable putting ourselves out there. And many times when people can tell us, you know, sentences like you heard, like you're a shawf, then we might take it to the negative side and it might, you know, turn us off rather than saying, okay, I own it. And as I said earlier, you know, each of us is different. So maybe some people are more to the, you know, extreme energetic people So they, women, they shouldn't turn themselves off, but they should, you know, know how to use it to their advantage because this is who they are. And if you're an introverted and a quiet person, then this is who you are. So maybe you, there is some kind of scale where you need to go out of your shell to each direction. So what I'm trying to say is that first of all, who you are is amazing and we wanna own ourselves first and not let other, you know, sounds, um, um, influence us much. But I also think that there is this, it's also about the environment. So when I was like a decade ago, someone who was a very close friend of mine told me who, I started writing my book a decade ago and she's like, who are you to write a book? Who do you think you are? And that actually turned me off for a decade. Now looking back, now was like last year was the best timing and everything was good, but I'm still a bit upset of myself that I listened to her because I know it really took me a few steps back in other ways. So to summarize it, there was a sentence by a woman called Hannah Ratto, which I really like, and she says, modesty is not a practical trait.

Repeat it.

Modesty is not a practical trait. It's a beautiful— being modest, it's a beautiful trait and it's important. It's not about, you know, being all like bragging or out there all the time, But we need to have our own kind of, um, understanding that this is a scale. And now I wanna be more in the show-off side or more, uh, in the, in the bragging side because I worked hard and I earned it. And I feel like I wanna share the world what I earn and what I do.

Mm-hmm.

And then tomorrow I'm in a meeting and I understand I need to be more in the quiet or modest side. So modesty is not a practical trait and you get to choose how and when you wanna use it. to your advantage. And if some people are uncomfortable about you shining, then it's their problem.

Yeah, I like that. Well, thank you for sharing that. I appreciate that.

Really what I believe in, because I think we all experience that. And actually, there's some men that always, whenever I talk about it, some men always say, hey, but we also have this, you know, uh, sometimes we feel uncomfortable marketing ourselves. So it's not only women, a women problem, but this is really what I believe in.

Yeah, I appreciate that. Good. I will take it on board. And myself as well. Good. Okay. So, I wanted to just switch into some practical strategic tips for people. So, if a speaker listening today wants to become known as a super connector in the next 12 months, what are the first 3 moves that they should make? And I know we may have covered them, we might bring them back in here, but what would those be?

So if you don't mind, I'll give you the 6 because my method is—

Oh no, let's do it. More is always welcome. Yeah, absolutely.

So I said, first of all, it's about understanding what is your goal. So being a speaker known for, or in which region or area, um, and understand where do you want to go and where, where do you want to be in 12 months? Then as I call it, the people plan. So who are the people that on the one hand are decision makers? So maybe it could be agents or HR in companies and corporate that they are making the decision that, hey, Sarah, I want to have you now. And also there are the other, like kind of the second or third circle of people around them, like someone who works in a company that has access to the HR or another speaker that maybe can recommend me on their agent. So create this 20, 30, 90 list of relevant people. And usually what's interesting about it is that many times we already know them or they're within our network. So first of all, have a look at your network, go over your phone, you know, your phone contacts, or maybe think about your community or someone who goes to the gym with you. Usually those people are around us. And also look at how to create, how to increase your network. So I'm, I really love meeting new people. So I just now joined this business group in the US and, you know, I'm trying to be out there in different communities. So I will increase my network and get to know more people. So that's about your people plan. Then it's about your brand. Make sure that if this agent goes over your LinkedIn or Google you or your website, is it ready for them to learn that you're the best speaker or connector that can, you know, do whatever you want to do? Then when you reach out to them, try to reach out to them in a place that first of all, respect them or give them a compliment and connect with them again in a congruent way, whether it's on LinkedIn or through a friend. The best way to connect to people is through a mutual friend because then if I trust you, then the other person probably would trust, you know, me as well because we both trust you in the middle. And then it's about building the rapport and really connecting with people In the right way. And then, as I said, just maintain relationship, write them like a comment or try to give them value when you, when you keep, when you maintain the relationship with people. So I can even sometimes source for an article and then, hey, I just found this article that I think you'll find interesting, or just congratulate them about something they just posted on LinkedIn. So try to be every now and again in their life, not too pushy, but so they will see you. And then make the ask. So many times, you know, I kind of start slow because I know that there is sometimes time for people to know, like, and trust me. So maybe I'll write to them on LinkedIn, then I comment about something, then we'll have a conversation, then I'll send them, I don't know, hi through a mutual friend. And then at some point when they know who I am, I can make the ask, hey, can I consult with you? Or hey, I think I'm now ready for your agency. Now it might sound like a lot of work for people, but again, try to focus on 2, 3, 6 people, like a number of relevant people that you can actually digest and work through and maintain relationship with. Quality is better than quantity here. So having— know your goal, have a people plan, know who you want to approach and where they are. Make sure that your social media and website looks good and how you present yourself to them. Try to connect with them maybe through a mutual friend, maintain relationship through value.

Excellent. Cool. So thank you very much for sharing all of that. And I'm going to come back to where people can find out more about the book, about you speaking, working with you in a little bit, because I have some standard questions to ask first, Liron. So the first question that I've got for you, because I know that you are a speaker as well, as we've talked about, is what's the best thing that speaking has done for you?

Wow. You know, the best thing that speaking has done to me is the opportunity to really make a difference on other people. You probably know this, that sometimes the short message you get after that, like, oh my God, this was amazing. Oh my God, thank you. I feel so comfortable to do things. So knowing that I really made a difference on people, that's like, it's actually why I do what I do. So it's, it's, yeah. So that's the best thing. I can really give people something from me and that I learned and that really can make a difference for them.

Cool. Excellent. I know that it's lovely to see light bulb moments and to feel that you've made a difference to someone in the way that they're going to do things that maybe they've struggled with before. So that it is rewarding. Absolutely right.

Now, it's always nice to see, you know, money in the bank, but it's, you know, it's the outcome of doing what you love. But obviously, this comes first, the giving, the information, and then also being able to earn money from it. And again, sorry, I'm sure there are some beginners here, but I spoke for the first 2 years, I did things for free. You know, I even flew to the UK to give a talk for free on my expense in order to have a first global country, you know, so we work really hard to get there, so we earned it.

Yeah, absolutely, and I think this is something that people need to be mindful of. There's nothing wrong with doing free gigs, and I've said this many times, but they need to be strategic free gigs. So, either strategic in terms of building your brand, building your profile, Or that you are able to, you know, have a talk in front of your target audience that will help you grow your business. So, I think it's important to be mindful that there's no wrong gig unless it's not like it's strategic. And I think it's important for people to understand that if you can get paid on the way to getting paid, that's actually a good thing too. So, thanks for reinforcing that. I think it's important for people to hear that.

Yeah.

Now, next question. Have you had a gig that you were like, oh my God, that was awful. I want to forget that ever happened. Has that happened to you, Liron? And what did you do as a response?

Wow. Um, I remember speaking at a corporate a few years ago. Um, and I, I, I am known for my ability to engage the audience and get them so excited and, you know, getting the energy high and It was just really hard. The chemistry was not there. And I think they were also in a way forced to come. Not that I'm not saying I'm interesting, but I think, you know, maybe something didn't really work there. And I took it very bad because again, I'm there to serve. I'm there to teach them stuff. And it was energy-wise and, and again, culturally-wise, something didn't work. And I felt really, really, really, really bad because, you know, I, I, I wanted to give value and it was, very specific, a specific one that happened. And then a mentor of mine told me, you know, even if you think the way you think because, you know, you want it to be good, there is no way no one took, like, no one took like little things from you. So I'm sure they took something and even this small thing is worth so much. So stop feeling like you're feeling right now.

Excellent. Now that's really, really good advice. And also I think that's something that speakers do do. They misread their audience reaction. I'm not saying that it wasn't the case, Yeah. Because those gigs do happen where there is a briefing mistake or an energy mismatch into the topic mismatch. But also, there are cases where someone is stony-faced because they're absorbing what you're sharing, and it doesn't mean that they're not getting value from what you're sharing. I'm talking to you guys listening here. So, yeah. So, you know, be mindful that you don't make assumptions about what your audience is feeling. Now, I'm gonna jump on what you said, Liran. You are known for having high energy, getting people engaged. What are some things that you specifically do when you are speaking to get that response from the audience?

So, here is a professional secret. So, you know, I know you were a comedian, right? You did a lot of Yeah. Uh, so I found that there's some specific comments or stories that I know that makes people laugh. And then as you know better, uh, it's always good. So I, I usually use them, uh, especially at the beginning, like when I introduce myself, I have this in a very like big, uh, like slide about myself in 28 countries and logos. And then I tell them, you know, there is 2 things I want you to know about me. One, that I love yoga. Anybody here loves yoga? And second, that I love Whiskey, and then people are laughing, but no, don't take them together. You know, there's a lot of, yeah.

Mm-hmm.

And it's kind of, you know, uh, lighten the, the vibe. So I'm, I'm really trying to make them laugh, uh, based on kind of the, the jokes I know that would work. Um, and also I use names, so I, I, I learn, I train myself to, to remember names. So I try to ask them what their name is and I always try to, to call them in their name. And even if I don't remember, I'd say, hey, remind me your name again. Because they see that I really care, I really ask, and it doesn't matter if I forget the name an hour later. So these would be 2 things that I'm doing to connect with the audience.

Nice, nice. Thank you for sharing those. Yeah, I think self-deprecation is a great strategy to bond with the audience, and it's something that comics do. Just, yeah, you just have to be mindful, everyone listening, there's a difference between self-deprecation and self-depreciation. where you undermine. So, you have to be strategic, which I'm sure you are, Liron, in terms of using that, but that's really cool. Thank you for sharing that. Okay, next question. What's the book that's had most impact on your life and why?

I think it's The Four Agreements by Ruiz Miguel. I think that's his name. The Four Agreements is There's kind of 4, I would say, again, agreements or rules to live by, which are about not making assumptions, not talking bad about people, about always doing your best. And the best one for me is not to take things personally because everything people do or say, it's about them, which actually goes back to what you're saying about the way we behave or how people react to us. And I remember reading it. when I was a teenage— teenager, and it really helped me to, hey, I always will do my best. I don't like to talk bad about people behind their back or not in front of them. I just think this is just, just not my style. And yeah, and, and when I, I understood that most things that people say and do, it's not about me, then for the most part, it really took a big weight off me.

Mm-hmm.

Because, you know, especially when you're young, you're like, oh my God, they said this and that and maybe I was wrong. And then like, No, it's theirs. I choose if I should get, you know, let it, give it room in my space or not. So I love that.

I really love it. Yeah, because I mean, that's, that's the thing. We are meaning machines. All we do all day is make meaning out of things. And if we can get to the point of having detachment so that we don't take those things, that baggage that other people are carrying around, it's brilliant. God, it's amazing that you had that opportunity to get those sort of principles into your life at such a young age, because I'm sure it's made a huge difference to you, for sure. Excellent. And we'll put a link in the show notes to that book in case you haven't read it and you want to check it out. Okay. Penultimate question. What's the best bit of business advice that you've had and why?

Wow. So, the best bit of business advice. Is, is just be proactive and do. Don't wait for things to come. I mean, it's amazing when you wait and they come, but you know, just, just do it. Maybe it's Nike said it, uh, but I, if I want to speak somewhere, just like I told you, so I, I closed a gig at a, like a BNI group in London and I took a ticket and, and, and just went there because I knew it will make a difference. If I want to, for example, uh, TEDx. I've been waiting to be a TEDx speaker for so many years, and we, and me and my team, you know, we, we scrapped the internet and we found and we, we approached and we reached out to many, and I haven't got it yet. Maybe soon, I don't know. Um, but I know I will get there, so I'm doing whatever I can. And, and for now, I heard a lot of nos, but the yes will come. So just, just do it. Just go after your dreams. And even if you won't get them, you know that you tried and The journey is important too, right? How do you accept the no or the yes? Um, are you really doing anything you can to enjoy the— to enjoy your journey and to make an impact on other people or to fulfill your dreams? So yeah, that's, that's really, that's really me. Just, I love that, what I want to do. Yeah.

I love that. And I think this is a really important distinction that you made there because I'm into the spiritual stuff. And I love the idea of manifestation and all of that good stuff because, you know, if you have a desire, it usually means that it's meant for you. But so many people misread or misunderstand manifestation, and they will put it out there and then sit back and wait. And it isn't— you've got to go for it as well to help, you know, bring it into reality, bring it into fruition. So it's really— Good point that you made there. You put it out there, but you're still going for it. You're not sitting there waiting. Yeah, absolutely. Love that. Cool. Okay. Last question then, Liron. If you could have one mentor and they can be alive or dead, fictional or non-fictional, who would you choose and why?

Wow. I have a few figures running in my head, but maybe I have 2 people, Oprah Winfrey and Steve Jobs.

Okay.

Oprah Winfrey, she's a strong woman. She came from, you know, the bottom of the bottom and she was able to build herself so wholeheartedly and so strongly. And it seems like every time I read her books or listen to her, she has something wise to say. And also Steve Jobs because he was very creative, thinking out of the box and And I think, you know, this, this type of thinking really makes a difference. So it would be the 2 people I would love to meet.

Excellent. I love that. Cool. Well, listen, Liron, thank you again so much for sharing, um, all the wisdom around connection and building your brand and all of the good stuff that you've shared today. Where's the best place for people to go to find out more about the book and you, perhaps if you, they want to get you to speak or they want to work with you?

Thank you. So essentially the book is on Amazon. There is an audiobook, ebook, softcover, The Super Connectors Playbook, and I'm everywhere. I'm on Instagram, mainly Instagram, LinkedIn. I have my website, lironglickman.com. So I think I'm pretty reachable. I'm trying to be such, so they could definitely find me on my website, Instagram, LinkedIn.

Excellent. Good. So everywhere we will find you. And your brand and all that good stuff. Well, listen, thanks again.

YouTube, of course, Matt. Yeah, I'm everywhere. That's good.

Well, thanks again, Liron. Best of luck with, uh, the book and with everything that you're doing. And I really appreciate your time and sharing your journey and wisdom with us today.

Same here. Thank you so much, Sarah.

That was really cool. I loved, uh, Liron's energy, her authenticity. She really is what we call in the UK a whizzywig. What you see is what you get. And I think that really sort of reinforced one of the key points that I took away from this. Real influence isn't about broadcasting your expertise. It comes from building those meaningful relationships. And also that you don't have to have this huge network that becomes unmanageable, but a small targeted group of people that you add value to, and you, you know, help others succeed within that group. And then lastly, that your next opportunity might be just one relationship away. So, what landed with you? Let us know in the comments below if you're watching on YouTube. If you're listening to the podcast, come and let us know on LinkedIn. Connect with Liron or I. Let us know what really landed with you, what value you got. And if you're interested in finding out more about this topic, or you want to get Liron to speak, then do check out her website. The link is in the show notes, and have a look at the Super Connectors Playbook. So, what's left for me to say is thank you so much for listening to the show, for watching the show. Don't take your time for granted. If you're new to The Speaking Club, And you want to hear more or watch more, subscribe, and also leave a rating or review if you're up for it. Makes a big difference to helping us get this show out to more people who might really benefit from it. And you can do that over at ratethispodcast.com/tsc. So, once again, thanks so much for tuning in, and until next time, you know what's coming. Don't forget to go out, grab your life by the nuts, and get cracking. Bye-bye. It's a nightmare. You're an expert with so much to say, but now that you've been booked to speak, you're struggling to know exactly what to talk about. You want a talk that engages the audience and wins you new clients without you losing your personality. Personality or anyone feeling pitched to. But what happens when you sit down to create that talk is that you end up staring at a blank page for ages, or worse, surrounded by hundreds of sticky notes with content that you could include. With so much material, you just don't know where to start or finish.