Networking at 35,000 feet

[Hvr]

Any airline flight is likely to be peppered with powerful people who cannot escape. If you are canny enough, you can turn chit-chat conducted at 35,000 feet into connections that give your small business added oomph.


Consultant and speaker Peter Taliangis, who describes in-flight networking as fun, gives his take on how it is done.


For starters, Taliangis suggests, wear a T-shirt boldly displaying your business logo.



Get to the departure lounge early and try a spot of networking there.


Also arrive at the gate early to see who else is on the flight. Be one of the first travellers aboard and grab a seat near the front, so you can see everybody file down the aisle.

Read more: Networking at 35,000 feet
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Now I know we have a few business owners here, would you ever do anything like this? Or is it just a bit too out there for you?

 

[Simo]

I have done some networking at 35 000 feet and got a few small sales and if nothing else I had a ph call from someone who wanted to know something but we could not help out.

When travelling for work I do wear a company polo shirt with our logo on it.

Can also start conversations that you can not win as they just want to tell you how cough everything is or a smart cough remark about one of our call centres.

 

[mella2007]

I have worn my business dress before with logo due to a meeting I had interstate. Didn't think anything of it, though I doubt many FF's would have an interest in what I do.

 

[Simo]

I have worn my business dress before with logo due to a meeting I had interstate. Didn't think anything of it, though I doubt many FF's would have an interest in what I do.

Lucky you.

I sometimes get the nut jobs wanting to make stupid comments or stupid remarks and how much we rip them off every month.

Sitting in J can make it worse some times as they think what we over charged them has just funded my J seat.

I wish that was the effect.

 

[atreides]

I have sat next to a few well known figures in my time and always try and respect their privacy and not bother them with hardcore sales or opinions.

Saying that, sharing experiences and stories in the air with seat buddies has taught me a lot about life and business.

 

[casanovawa]

Lucky you.

I sometimes get the nut jobs wanting to make stupid comments or stupid remarks and how much we rip them off every month.

Sitting in J can make it worse some times as they think what we over charged them has just funded my J seat.

I wish that was the effect.

Not sure where you work, but if its Telstra or the big 4 banks etc i guess you may as well resign yourself to not getting too many bouquets your way...

Alternatively you could maybe try wearing your main competitors logo/t-shirt and slag off the validity of these complainants unmercifully??? Perhaps even talk about the irregular funding source for the actual flight your on but ask them to keep it hush hush??

 

[horseman]

Lol just the thought of doing this is amusing to me

 

[ReLoad]

I try and avoid wearing the logo when travelling, I only wear it when I'm going straight to a meeting.

I much prefer the anonymity and no responsibility of being just another face in the crowd.

 

[Simo]

I try and avoid wearing the logo when travelling, I only wear it when I'm going straight to a meeting.

I much prefer the anonymity and no responsibility of being just another face in the crowd.

Bit hard when you are going straight to meetings most of the time.

 

[Simo]

Not sure where you work, but if its Telstra or the big 4 banks etc i guess you may as well resign yourself to not getting too many bouquets your way...

Alternatively you could maybe try wearing your main competitors logo/t-shirt and slag off the validity of these complainants unmercifully??? Perhaps even talk about the irregular funding source for the actual flight your on but ask them to keep it hush hush??

Great Idea,

Could cause a head ache for a PR department with the competitors and hope it is a media type person talking to

 

[Skyring]

Martin Bryant, when he came into some money through the odd deaths of those close to him, would take long flights because he had a captive audience.

If somebody tried networking at me on a long flight and I had no interest in the subject or the person's behaviour, it would be a thoroughly unpleasant experience for me and I would tell everyone I met about it for weeks afterwards.

"Years," says my wife. "Decades."

I think, if one has to force one's product or company on someone through such means, it should not be done.

Conversely, many people have a charming and delightful manner. A flight with such people is never long enough. I'd tell everybody about the lovely experience with the sweet man from XYZCo for years after.

"Days," says my wife. "Hours. Your next coffee."

 

[TonyHancock]

I can't imagine anything worse.* Most of my flying is long haul, the last thing I want to be doing is "networking" 16 hours into a flight to the UK. I just want my space and for the flight to be over.



*Actually I can imagine worse things....such as being forced to visit France.

 

[Simo]

I can't imagine anything worse. Most of my flying is long haul, the last thing I want to be doing is "networking" 16 hours into a flight to the UK. I just want my space and for the flight to be over.

Yep I full agree,

I don't want to talk business if I can avoid it.

I had someone want to have a whinge about us and I gave them my card and politely said if you want please give me a call and I can try and resolve your issues at another time but right now I have no access to do that.

Never heard from them afterwards.

 

[ReLoad]

Although to save time and the effort in explaining, I'm thinking of printing shirts* with large letters printed on them "DYKWIA" I think they will be hot sellers and would make "networking on flights" a whole lot simpler.

*Shirts would of course be brand labelled and may or may not have the same fabric pattern of Gucci luggage

 

[TonyHancock]

I'm thinking of printing shirts* with large letters printed on them "DYKWIA"

My lawyers will be in touch about potential copyright issues.

 

[pshepvic]

The article says to arrive early at the gate, and board first to grab a seat at the front.

I'm not sure what kind if networking you're going to do on a LCC that doesn't have allocated seating. You don't really see many corporate types on Ryanair or Easy Jet do you? Even JQ has allocated seating these days, and there ain't much networking going on there!

 

[JohnM]

My lawyers will be in touch about potential copyright issues.

I think DYKWIA is generic - but if they used the 5* Elite Plus Iridium your lawyers could flay them .

I was thinking of getting SFSC printed on a tee-shirt but I'm not sure of its networking value :mrgreen:.

 

[samh004]

I know a member here who would often come to the lounge with his company logo plastered on his shirt

Not sure he networked though...

 

[seanpodge]

Oh goodie, just want I want, a glorified telemarketer yapping at me for up to 16 hours in a confined space about 10 kms up in the sky. There's definitely no way that I'd start considering boycotting said person's company for life at all.

Hopefully there'd be some empty seats available, although I'd be sure to request that the nuisance themselves is forced to move.

 

[Awesom Andy]

On a 9 hour flight, I started chatting to the person next to me, only to find that she's a client of the company. Holiday unexpectedly cut short.