Maybe you have been in my shoes...my first networking event

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Maybe you have been in my shoes...my first networking event

Yadira Gutierrez
Fort Lauderdale, FL · Member since 2015 · 45 posts · 6 votes

Hello REI Community,

I am educating myself obsessively!

I am close to a make decision on the best strategy for my first venture. However, I am missing the networking part. 

Just so you can have a laugh on me here it goes:

After some hesitation I finally attended a REIA meeting...I was eager to attend and learn from the PROS, so there I go looking very professional with all my questions and NO FEAR. I started to ask questions and then BOOM, they starting asking for my business card and what kind of investments I do? I almost collapsed, I did not think about that! You should have seen me, I deflated like a balloon. I laugh out loud now of course!

I was so into asking good questions, absorb information like a sponge, and give a good impression that I missed that important part...who's going to take me seriously if I can provide a possible contact with something as basic as a business card? I will NOT go again without one!

Hence the reason of this long  story and post.

How should I present myself? What should I say that is not a lie but that would not discourage experienced REI people to add me to their network? How do I show them how serious I am about REI despite my lack of experience?

What kind of information should I put on a business card? Should I put my current 9-5 position and something else related to REI?

Thank you in  advanced for your thoughts and input...

Yadira

Would be great to have your 2 cents on this one  @Brandon Turner

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Brandon TurnerPro Member
Investor · Maui, HI · Member since 2009 · 13k+ posts · 3k+ votes
10y

first - congrats on getting out there and meeting folks. Awesome :)

Secondly - don't worry too much about the lack of cards. Business cards are an excuse people use to pretend they are investing. Yes there is value. But not as much as you think. Still, get em. Something simple. 

Third- to get people to know you are serious: ask a lot of questions. Be honest about being new. Smile a lot. Ask people about their story. People love to talk about themselves, so let them.  They'll naturally like you and wanna help you. 

Keep hustling! And hurry up and get a photo here on BP. It's hard to take someone serious and build trust and relationships with someone who won't show their face! ;) 

Podcast Guest on Show #92
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  • Jake E.
    Real Estate Agent · Arlington, TX · Member since 2015 · 57 posts · 23 votes
    10y

    Yadira

    You did a great job, for most people would have not had the courage to even ask questions. I'm not putting  them down but i seriously  takes a lot of courage to get out of that comfort zone. Relax and just be honest, letting  them know that you are just starting  out and what kind of investments interest you.

    A lot of people put so much emphasis on the cards but thats not what matters the most. If you want to be different then gather therir cards and follow up with them the next day.  You can meet a lot of interesting  people that can help steer you in the rigt direction. Surely you will meet others not so helpful but just look past them. Have fun and build a great network and always look to connect  them to others that may be beneficial  to them. I wish you the very best! 

    2Reply
  • Yadira Gutierrez
    OP
    Fort Lauderdale, FL · Member since 2015 · 45 posts · 6 votes
    10y

    Jake,

    Thanks so much for the kind works, encouragement, and advice. Truly appreciated. I am planning on attending another one in a  couple of weeks so I am hoping for the best.

    Yadira

    0Reply
  • Yadira Gutierrez
    OP
    Fort Lauderdale, FL · Member since 2015 · 45 posts · 6 votes
    10y

    Correction to post:

    ...who's going to take me seriously if I can NOT provide a possible contact with something as basic as a business card? 

    0Reply
  • Brandon TurnerPro Member
    Investor · Maui, HI · Member since 2009 · 13k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    10y

    first - congrats on getting out there and meeting folks. Awesome :)

    Secondly - don't worry too much about the lack of cards. Business cards are an excuse people use to pretend they are investing. Yes there is value. But not as much as you think. Still, get em. Something simple. 

    Third- to get people to know you are serious: ask a lot of questions. Be honest about being new. Smile a lot. Ask people about their story. People love to talk about themselves, so let them.  They'll naturally like you and wanna help you. 

    Keep hustling! And hurry up and get a photo here on BP. It's hard to take someone serious and build trust and relationships with someone who won't show their face! ;) 

    Podcast Guest on Show #92
    5Reply
  • Matt R.
    Blue Springs, MO · Member since 2015 · 481 posts · 313 votes
    10y

    Here's what I did.

    I bought some print-at-home business cards at the local discount store.  Office supply stores also have them.  They come 10 cards to an 8.5x11 sheet that you can feed though your existing printer (laser or inkjet).  You can download a template for Word that sets up all the margins and such for you, so the printing comes out in the right places.

    On the front of the card, I have my name (in big type), my email address, and my user name here (MattR36).

    On the back of the card, it says:

    ---

    New to real estate in 4th quarter 2015.

    Looking to purchase and rent out a single-family home or duplex in Blue Springs, Lee's Summit, or south Independence, Missouri.

    MAREI 13 Oct 2015

    ---

    That last line is the local real estate investor's group, and the date of the meeting where I passed out the cards.  If I did it again, I wouldn't pre-print this; I didn't pass them all out at that meeting, so at later meetings, I had to cross that out with a pen and write in a later date.  If it wasn't pre-printed, I could just write on them as I needed them.

    I chose not to put my mailing address or phone number on the cards.  If someone asks, and if it's someone I am interested in talking to, I will write my phone number on the card.

    It's all in plain black laser print; I didn't get fancy with colors or a logo or anything.

    1Reply
  • Jeff Rabinowitz
    Investor/Landlord · Farmington Hills, MI · Member since 2011 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    10y

    The life expectancy of a business card is about 10 seconds. Want to make yourself stand out? Collect the business cards of others then send out an e-mail later that night or the next day and let that person know that it was nice meeting them or thanking them for their time or a tip they gave you. Look for them here on BP, Linked In, etc. and ask to connect. Give a reason. Many requests to connect are ignored if the person making the request doesn't even bother to write a reason why they would like the connection. Very few people take the time to do this.

    While we're at it--take the time to load a photo to your profile and tell us as much about yourself as you are comfortable sharing on your profile. Give us a chance to get to know you.

    2Reply
  • David Dey
    Investor · Lakeland, FL · Member since 2015 · 344 posts · 606 votes
    10y

    @Brandon Turner said it perfectly.  You don't need to worry so much about a card, concentrate on making good relationships.  

    If you do want to do something different that will catch their attention and make you stand out in the crowd, try this...  embrace your newness.  

    Go ahead and get your business cards and put on the front in bold letters where the name would go,

    --------------------------------------------------------------

    NEWBIE!!  Entirely green but willing to learn!!

    Looking for GOOD contacts

                       GOOD information

                       GOOD time :)

    -------------------------------------------------------------

    (Or something like that)

    We all were newbies at one time, and were scared speechless as well.  The fact that you embrace your newness will bring a smile to the veterans and will let them know you aren't afraid to put yourself out there.  This is one of the best traits for an investor to have.

    Other than that, look for the silver backs in the room.  (Yes I am using a gorrilla analogy for real estate investors)  

    You can always tell the silver backs in the room, they are the ones surrounded by the newbies telling their war stories and answering questions.  There is a wealth of knowledge in them as they have been in the trenches and have been there and done that.  You'll be able to gleen amazing knowledge from them.

    1Reply
  • Yadira Gutierrez
    OP
    Fort Lauderdale, FL · Member since 2015 · 45 posts · 6 votes
    10y

    @Brandon Turner Excellent advice as usual!  It was certainly intimidating but now I know better. Pic is coming SOON! You can bet I will keep hustling until I make it, failure is not an option...

    @Jeff Rabinowitz

    @Matt R.

    @David Dey

    Thanks so much for providing specifics and details and for sharing your ideas. I will implement each one of them to see what works best for me and my market! You guys go above and beyond; good things happen to noble people.

    I will share my next experience, if not for anything else, so you can have a good laugh on me :)

    0Reply
  • David Dey
    Investor · Lakeland, FL · Member since 2015 · 344 posts · 606 votes
    10y

    The only laugh is because we remember when we'd been in your shoes.  :)

    0Reply
  • Yadira Gutierrez
    OP
    Fort Lauderdale, FL · Member since 2015 · 45 posts · 6 votes
    10y

    And here I am ... Now you have a face to my Real Estate adventures!

    0Reply
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