People Buy You | Jordan Harbinger - 2029

Your prospect isn't only buying the product or the price. They're buying you. That's the idea behind one of Jordan Harbinger's most popular keynotes, and it's why we're pulling this archive conversation back out. Jordan went from a bored kid who got into trouble to a Wall Street attorney to the host of one of the biggest interview podcasts around. And the thread running through all of it is relationships. The principles here haven't aged a bit. This episode explores all of it.Why Jordan Started Studying This in the First PlaceJordan assumed people with strong networks were either born into them or got there through some elite club or school connection.That changed on Wall Street, when he realized everyone around him was just as smart and just as hardworking. Being the smartest or the hardest worker in the room was no longer a real advantage.A partner at his firm who was rarely in the office turned out to be out generating business through relationships, not hiding from work. That single conversation changed how Jordan thought about his entire career.Relationships Are the Foundation, Not the Finishing TouchJordan compares skipping networking to building a house without a foundation. You don't add the roof and windows first and figure out the foundation later. It doesn't work that way with a business or a career either.The most common mistake people make is pushing networking to later. Entrepreneurs tell themselves they'll focus on relationships once the website, the product, and the ads are all dialed in first.By the time most people realize they skipped it, it's already cost them. Jordan points to the classic moment of watching someone else get promoted to become your boss, when the real difference often wasn't skill. It was who built relationships along the way.Skip Networking Events That Aren't CuratedJordan's rule: avoid any networking event open to the general public. If anyone can walk in, there's a strong chance the room is full of people looking to take, not give.He describes his own experience at open mixers: a rotating cast of financial planners, car salesmen, and life coaches all working the room for a stale cookie and a captive audience.A curated event, like a real chamber of commerce meeting full of actual business owners, is worth your time. If you can't get invited to one, Jordan's advice is simple: build your own.Why Giving First Actually Scales Better Than ClosingJordan contrasts the old "always be closing" mindset with what he calls ABG, always be giving. Closing limits you to the handful of people in a room who happen to need exactly what you sell.Giving opens up nearly everyone in the room, because you're looking for what they need instead of trying to match them to your offer.Jordan's example: instead of pitching graphic design services to someone who doesn't need them, he'd ask what they're working on, then connect them to someone in his network who can genuinely help. That's scalable in a way that chasing a single sale never is.Don't Keep ScoreGiving only works if it's not secretly transactional. Jordan warns against what he calls keeping score: doing favors while quietly expecting something back later.He illustrates this with a story about a friend who drove a neighbor to the airport repeatedly, expecting it to eventually turn into a relationship, then got upset when it didn't. The resentment showed up in every interaction afterward, and the other person had no idea why.The same pattern shows up constantly in sales. A rep gives a free tip, then pitches the very next interaction. That turns a relationship into a quid pro quo, and people can feel it immediately.Dig the Well Before You're ThirstyJordan's core advice: build relationships long before you need them. Waiting until you need a job or a referral to start networking is like keeping a spare tire in the trunk and only thinking about it after you're already stuck on the highway.His practical exercise: write down the ten people you'd call if you lost your job tomorrow, then reach out to them this week, while you don't need anything from them.That single habit, reaching out with nothing to ask for, is what separates people with a real network from people scrambling to build one under pressure."You have to give first, not just because it's a great Zig Ziglar quote or a Brian Tracy principle. It's because it's logistically easier for me to find a need that you have than it is to match a need you have with a service that I provide." — Jordan HarbingerResourcesListen to The Jordan Harbinger Show, wherever you get your podcasts, or visit JordanHarbinger.com.Check out 6 Minute Networking, Jordan's free course on building real relationships.Join our LinkedIn cohort and learn to prospect the right way.Visit Blue Mango Studios for help creating podcast production content.Sponsorship OffersThis episode is brought to you in part by HubSpot.You don't become the world's most valuable women's sports franchise by accident. Angel City Football Club did it with a little help from HubSpot, unifying their website, email, and fan experience in one platform, and growing their database 300 percent in two years. Visit hubspot.com to hear how HubSpot can help your team grow better.This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn.LinkedIn Sales Navigator uses AI-powered recommendations and real-time account insight to help you spend less time searching and more time selling, all powered by LinkedIn's network of over 1.2 billion professionals. Try it free for 60 days at linkedin.com/sell.This episode is brought to you in part by Blue Mango Studios.Imagine using a podcast as a lead generation source, attracting your ideal customer while getting qualified leads. Find out more at bluemangostudios.com.CreditsThe Sales Evangelist Podcast is created by the Sales Evangelist Sales Training Organization. It is produced by TSE Studios. Our podcast production manager is Nancy Paul. Our audio engineer is Jerchin Obyale. Our video engineer is Dasan Kunado. Guest management is done by Jill Vito and Christy Vertus. Our content writer is Carlisa Galbreath. Our graphic designer is Urvish Savalia, and Donald C. Kelly is your host and executive producer.