Why you should proactively meet fellow BP Members In Person

[Franky Aikens]

In today's age of digital communication, the art of meeting and socializing with new people has become a lost art. Humans are wired to be social beings and that'll never change no matter how many lines of digital connectivity exist. Devices will never replace the impact of in-person engagement. There will never be an iPhone that would be able to communicate the vibe or aura of another person that will tell you if this is a person you would consider having an ongoing business or personal relationship with. This brings me to the point of this post - If you haven't done so already, make it a point to proactively meet other members of the BP/Real Estate community. Here's why I say this.

I had the pleasure of meeting a local fellow BP member over breakfast this past weekend. It was the first time I've had a blind meeting and I had no expectations. Only to go into it with an open mind. Before our food even arrived we discovered a handful of coincidences between our lives (both of us had two year wedding anniversaries that were 3 days apart). Right away there was some familiarity. I'm not saying everyone will have the same serendipitous experience but you'll never know this if you don't get out folks. Most of us have more in common than we know. So I'd bet there would be a common thread somewhere in some facet of life or business. Moreover, this person I met with was a very interesting guy with a pretty remarkable professional background. I was super impressed with his real estate knowledge and most importantly, most of his knowledge came from actually doing what he was explaining to me and not just excerpts from books that he read. I was sitting in front of someone whose priorities and ambitions mirrored mine and was doing exactly what I want to do. There was one part of our conversation that made me so excited to be sitting across from this person - he outlined how I could achieve a real estate goal, which before then, I thought was out of my reach. Again, he wasn't regurgitating something he read, he had done it and he was willing to help me do it as well! Fast forward and before we knew it, two hours had gone by. If it weren't for pressing commits we both had that day, I'm sure we could've continued to talk for another two hours. Aside from the REI talk, the icing on the cake was we both had our firstborn children three weeks apart this past August (both girls) so there will be some playdates in the future.:)

With all that said, I can't stress enough how incredibly beneficial it can be to come from behind your keyboard and get out and meet people. It can open doors for opportunities and inspiration. You can learn and you can teach. Even if there's no business to be done between you and the people you meet, there is the possibility of beginning a brand new friendship.

If you've met fellow BP members in person before, let me know about the experience and what benefits came from it for you!

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