EP 294 - Make Connections, Not Small Talk: A No-BS Networking Playbook for Marketers

Fab: Hello, Rebel, welcome back to our marketing school. It's Fab here, your marketing fairy godmother and her teacher at the school. I just wanted to remind you that today you're going to hear a by-size lesson taken from our very own summer school. So if you want to hear the full conversation with our incredible summer school teacher and marketer of the record, then all you have to do is go to amschool.

clickslashsummer. repeat. amschool.co.

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In the meantime, let's hear an extract from today's class. So today we're back on marketing school, summer school. I am so excited to introduce Phyllis Thailand-Yusa, a content and social media marketer and a founder of Vibra Content. Phyllis as All right, that's your takeaway for today.

If you want the rest of the good stuff, 11 off-the-rackon conversations dropped each week over summer. And don't worry if you join us late, optional binging is also encouraged. You can join us now for free at amschool.click slash summer.

And until then, classes dismissed. 14 years of experience and background in journalism, like yours truly and communication. So not only she knows what she's talking about, what she's writing about, the stories that she tells, but also she really wants to empower independent, creative and sustainable businesses. So all the good stuff to become more visible online.

I felt that this was a great conversation to get to know a bit of yourself through your journey in the industry for sure. But also. to talk about one of the things that if you are marketing and you want to look at freelancing as an avenue, it's very important, which is the connection with people. And networking is one of the ways that we can do that.

So we're not going to talk about massive networks. It might be there, we end up with one, but we're really thinking about real relationships, simple approaches, things that you can repeat. We don't want to give performative cringey. We want to true connections and something that is sustainable for us to achieve.

as we're trying to maintain connections and relationships with people. So, Phyllis, thank you so much for being here with us today. What I'd to ask everybody, as a little welcome, is could you please share with us two truths and one lie, something that we might or might not know about you just to get us started. Filiz Taylan Yuzak: Thank you, Pev.

Basically, ⁓ first one, I didn't have a website when I first started my business. Second up, I love networking. And third, I have been in business for 10 years. Fab: Amazing.

So if we were to guess, would we say that Phyllis didn't have a website for the first year in her business? Will we say that she didn't love networking? Or would it say that she hasn't been in business as of so for 10 years? I'm going to say that the lie is that you have been in business for 10 years.

Maybe has been more, maybe has been less. Please tell us what is the lie. Filiz Taylan Yuzak: Yeah, that's the line. Less than 10 years.

Much less, actually. Fab: So when did you start your own business then? Filiz Taylan Yuzak: November 2024 actually, so almost one and a half years ago, Fab: What was the biggest lessons that the business has taught you so far then? It's been not too long, but I think it has been long enough that I'm sure there's going to be some powerful lessons in that.

Filiz Taylan Yuzak: Oh yeah, definitely. So I think it is really important to create your own opportunities as a business owner. So like especially, you know, as a new business, no one will come and say to you, you know, like, oh, you know, like let's work together or like, can you actually do a workshop for us or whatever, but you need to pitch yourself and your services to potential clients and definitely create your own opportunities. This could be, you know, basically client work in general, like the services you offer, but also like workshops, for example.

some public speaking opportunities. This could be, being a podcast guest. ⁓ So like, think it is really important to have this mindset ⁓ I have been actually working full time for like over a decade before starting my own business. And this is a ⁓ shift for me.

And the networking, as you said, is also like such a big part of it because it's all about basically the people you know. and then to build on the relationships organically, as you said. So these are, think, really important life lessons for me. Fab: So are there any ways that you can think a freelancer can meet the right people?

without feeling that sort of performative or cringe, what are some of the ways that we can maybe ease ourselves into it that feel more natural to us? Filiz Taylan Yuzak: I think you also gave some clues about it in the question. I think they cannot be like prioritizing not the quantity or the number of business cards you collected or like LinkedIn connections you had in this event. Not prioritizing this, but I think prioritizing real conversations as you said, like how can we help each other?

Can we collaborate in some way? I don't know. Maybe I can write to your blog or you can actually come to speak in my podcast or maybe. I can feature you in my newsletter kind of thing.

I think if you are really feeling that this person is like really, you are relating to this person, I think, you would feel it in your gut anyway, so that if, you know, like, and you don't have to actually be a client or they don't have to be a client, you can still actually do this free collaborations. And then you can have this like a kind of work friends, I can say, so like you can get really friendly with them. And then you can basically use each other's network to be more well known actually in each other's circles with this collaboration.

the opportunities are endless, I think. You can speak to another person's events. So basically, these are all actually only coming if you make the first connection though, obviously. I think, you know, like, just going there and basically putting yourself out there is important and then nurturing these connections with following up with these people.

lately. I, for example, like really informal and smaller networking events. ⁓ You know, and these are all really based on real conversations. So I think that's really much more important that you know, like I don't, never think like, for example, okay, like I got five business cards here, or I just, you know, actually had like, added like 10 people on LinkedIn, my job is done.

So like I don't look at quantity even if I would actually just meet one person, I think, but then I had a real conversation with them and maybe I related to them. Maybe we have some common points, I don't know, maybe common hobby is something that we can actually connect us on a human level. It's even better than actually meeting five random people and not really talking. So I think that's really important.

go to very informal, very small events and they are also much less cringe as well. that you feel much more comfortable and confident as well, I think. And in most of the events I go, people never exchange business cards or like, you know, it's not a big event anyway. So it doesn't have this corporate or stuffy feeling that some of the big events have.

So I avoid them like consciously. And I also like to go attend webinars and workshops actually in person or like online. So basically I think that can be one of the ways you could meet right people in events. Like it doesn't have to be a networking event.

It can be a networking event, but also I think a talk, a workshop or webinar is also, they are also great ways to meet the right people, I guess. Fab: I love that. What I'll add to that since we do a lot of training, which is in the name of talks and workshops, right? I think within that is thinking about it as yes, you can consume the content and learn something up fully and be that to kind of take something out of it.

But if you're comfortable, that's where you can use the chat, that little fun space known as the chat as a way for you to actually connect with people. I think. Sometimes we don't feel like it and that is totally fine. We're just there to sink in and let it kind of take in.

But I find that there's some really lovely and natural connections that just happen through the chat as people see others coming back again and again. And there's a little bit of a way for them to actually share something, some of their takes, of the things that jumped out at them as the session goes on. So that's a really great point. And also the point that you mentioned, I just wanted to reiterate it, of you're not there to count.

How many people have added a LinkedIn today out of this event? Was this worth my time? think sometimes we naturally slip into that. it worth my time from a perspective of I've taken this many public transports, I spent this much time and money.

This is what I could have done instead. And I think that's the balance between, you know, then as you are becoming busier, potentially really understanding, like being present there for that one thing. And as you say, thinking about how can I be of best support, which you mentioned, and I want to reiterate, how can I help this person? How can we help each other?

That one person that you talk to means you can actually follow through and then do something potentially with them and explore something, which leads me to a little follow up, which you talked about following up with people after that first connection. Is there anything that you do to help you keep on track with that to know who to follow up with, you do it straight away, is it more an organic thing you just kind of remember because my brain would not. I would not casually remember to follow up with that person that I met because probably my mom brain has got already 50 tabs open.

⁓ So I was kind of wondering, is there a little process that you have for that or you just naturally go with the flow with it? Filiz Taylan Yuzak: Yeah, the membrane improves later on, so it will improve. I had the same news, guess. I can definitely relate to that.

Yeah, I forget too, basically. So what I do is to try to basically send them a message right after the event, if I can, or the next day. So the sooner the better, then you can actually remember as many details as you can. And I also actually, Fab: Get to know more next time.

Filiz Taylan Yuzak: when I add them on LinkedIn or when I follow on LinkedIn, look up. when I add them on LinkedIn or when I follow on LinkedIn, look up. their profile so I try to actually find something common it doesn't have to be professional but you maybe took the same course you are maybe ⁓ both singing in choirs I don't know like you are doing the same class for example something can be really so I take it from there if if we something shared then I actually include this in my message as well and if their profile so I try to actually find something common that we might have maybe and this can definitely be something personal as well if it's there because sometimes it's not there but you know if they actually share this it doesn't have to be professional but you maybe took the same course you are maybe both singing in choirs I don't know like you are doing the same dance class for example something can be really so I take it from there if if we have something shared then I actually include this in my message as well and if there is something that I really there is something that I really appreciated.

For example, they did something that I want to do. Maybe that can be like a training. It can be like maybe an award that they won. So I always also like make compliments as well.

When I actually see something that I'm like, ⁓ my God, that's awesome. ⁓ You know, this is really I think. ⁓ It's not, you know, it a long way. ⁓ You don't have to do all the time or like, you know, not in an exaggerated way.

And I don't go far and wide to find something to complement them with. So it's not like I do it in a natural way. If I really appreciate them doing that, whatever that thing was, then I definitely mention this. Because I think also it's important people want to be appreciated, valued, and seen.

All of us, actually, are after this. So it would be really making a person happy, I guess, if you would like. Don't be shy basically to share your appreciation with them. like definitely I would like upload them.

would like or encourage them or you know, wish them well something positive basically to include in the message is also important, I think. Fab: thank you so much for being here. people want to connect with you though, can you please remind us of where should they go and what will they find there? Filiz Taylan Yuzak: Yeah, sure.

Thank you. So I'm on LinkedIn and I have my personal profile on LinkedIn and they can also find me on Instagram and Facebook. My handles there are Vibrant Content UK and I have my website vibrantcontent.co.

uk. I also have a free marketing newsletter. This is a fortnightly newsletter every other Friday and I share some tips and recommendations, some networking events to go to. in that newsletter as well if they want to sign up.