What happens when we talk to people?

I’m self employed, have been since 1997. I don’t think I am employable any more. This gives rise to some challenge at in the current economic climate. Between September and Christmas last year work was very quiet, I used to think the good people, in my business, were busy and the bad ones were quiet – I’d always been busy so I assumed it was because I was good ... then I got quiet.
It dawned on me, I was either bad at my job or any of us could be quiet. I then had 2 options, sit there and wait for the phone to ring, as it always had, or start talking to people.
Now, even as a confident person socially, I’ve always disliked the ‘selling’ word, felt it was pushy or manipulative. That was until a good friend of mine, Richard, showed me another way, a different perspective. If you are reading this Richard, thanks and hi. Actually, selling could be just talking to people, about stuff, about what is important to me and what is important to them and sometimes, there is a cross over and we can do business.
So for 3 months I started talking to people and amazing things happened. I met some very interesting and fascinating people, I travelled to some great places, I learned some really interesting things and, since Christmas this year, I have been really busy.
Funny that, I started talking to people and I started working again.
I wonder how that happens, what forces are at work?
On the question of what I say and what do we talk about I have taken to contacting people with whom I might have something in common and asking to meet up, asking for advice, asking questions about what they do and how I could help them and their work. Yesterday I met a guy called Julian, I’ve featured his creative artwork stuff on my blog previously, and we had a great chat about everything from business and permaculture. If you are reading this Julian, Hi.
Will I get any work from it? I don’t know and as I think about it I’m not sure I really mind. I think he will be great for one of my clients and I’m going to put them in touch. If I can be of real use to my clients then they will keep me in mind for the stuff I can do and if it isn’t my specialist area then I’ll introduce them to someone whose it is.
Those forces I asked about above, I think they will bring it all back around somehow anyway.
What happens when you talk to people? You set the forces in motion, the ripples begin to spread out and when they reach the edge of the pond they bounce back and you feel the effects of them again.
Who have you talked to lately?
Piers Carter
Coach & Leadership Consultant