Roman Dzhunusov
My name is Roman Dzhunusov, and I'm the founder of the digital agency FireSEO . All of our clients come to us either through word of mouth or leads from our website. I decided to try other sources. Tendering wasn't working out for me: the competition is fierce, and I don't accept cold calls. I decided to try networking services. I was specifically looking for clients, naively thinking that I could meet someone once and land a good contract.
In the end, the entire financial gain consisted of two small transactions—not at all what I expected. But there were a ton of interesting connections, insights, ideas, increased motivation from meetings, and several people with whom I keep in constant contact.
Below I'll talk about different services, their pros and cons, the people I met, and my approach to running meetings.
Networking services
Random Coffee
My first service, and arguably the best. I use the "Lite" plan (1,500 rubles, 2 months). Everything is convenient, well-thought-out, and the service is constantly evolving. We select our interests (from categories like "entrepreneurship," "marketing," and others), and a Telegram bot sends us potential contacts every Monday. This is roughly how all similar networking services work.
One of the advantages is that you can choose several directions. The bot sends me three offers. It's also convenient that you can choose the meeting format—online or offline. I tried online meetings a few times, but they weren't quite my thing—the connection wasn't as lively. That's why I rejected the online group sessions format. I think if you're looking for specific information or concrete experiences, that's fine. My goal was different.
The service is lively; people are eager to connect and meet, and rarely does anyone "drop out." I'd also like to point out that everyone I meet is engaging and proactive. They play sports, read a lot, hold senior positions in large companies, or are entrepreneurs. These meetings are inspiring and informative. You can also learn a lot from a practical perspective, meaning that based on the person you're meeting with, estonia cell phone database you can think through the questions you want to answer in advance. Everyone communicates openly and is happy to share. Sharing experiences, without fluff, is invaluable. Most of my connections have been made through this service. Some examples:
An SEO specialist from a large company, whom I later invited to hold a call with my specialists. It was quite useful: sharing experiences and reviewing projects.
A female journalist from Yandex who gave me some sound advice as I began my journey as a writer
An entrepreneur with whom I became friends over chess (even though I'm a beginner). He introduced me to the world of business clubs and explained how to quickly find a personal assistant .
A fitness trainer. He told me how he advertises his services through VK and Instagram (not exactly our profile, but interesting). I told him about alternative advertising sources.
By the way, if someone is also looking for a relationship, you can choose this goal too. It's a good way to find a kindred spirit.