Tachles Series - Benzi Ronen shares insight, anecdotes, and expert hacks for Israeli entrepreneurs looking to grow their business in the US.
"It's the little differences." - Vincent Vega
Find out how to:
Understand the differences between networking in Israel and abroad.
Expand your network and improve your skills in the United States.
Network better, anywhere, with tips from best-of-the-best entrepreneurs.
Nu, get to the point:
Israelis can connect with anyone in Israel, but punch below their class when networking in the USA. Why? We don't have any patience — we want immediate results, no small talk.
"Will you make an investment?"
"Can you introduce me to them?"
"Are you interested in paying for our service?"
Israelis are very good at building deep relationships very quickly — with other Israelis. In part, it comes down to shared experience: as a people, we’ve adopted a “life is short” philosophy and make things happen as soon as possible. There’s also an unspoken bond that develops when you grow up fighting for your right to exist. Plus, Israel is small; you probably have one to two degrees of separation from anyone you want to meet.
In America, that framework is gone — and it can be bewildering to know how to connect with new people. Engaging with someone from outside your cultural context requires skill and practice; you need to create a real connection to make asks of people.
“Natural” networkers move through different social circles, inspiring others to help them make their vision a reality. In Israel, you don’t grow up learning to insert yourself into different groups — you’re drafted straight into a you-watch-my-back-I’ll-watch-yours environment. It’s no surprise, then, that most of us fall short on networking skills.
In 2013, I moved my family from Israel to Brooklyn to establish the headquarters for my business, Farmigo. To launch and scale the business, networking was vital — and the need for it started well before relocation.
Building a local support system is invaluable. Though it’s nearly impossible to measure the immediate ROI of some of the hacks I share below, they are without a doubt some of the best investments I’ve ever made. Of course, priority number one in a move should be to ensure your family settles in — but more on that in another post.
HACKS
Find Your Tribe
Don’t try to create a community from scratch — join one that already exists. When I started out, I joined the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO), which immediately gave me access to a 100-member chapter of local business leaders. The group (including its 22,000 members worldwide) is incredibly responsive, and I’ve built meaningful, lifelong friendships with many of the people I’ve met. Networking organizations like YPO and others (Entrepreneur Organization, Vistage, Venwise, Chief) are structured to foster supportive relationship-building; take advantage of it.
Present at Events
Presenting at an event is an infinitely more effective growth tool than simply attending one. It’s also an exceptional opportunity for networking backstage, where you’ll get a chance to meet your competitors, industry leaders, founders, and big-time executives — and, as a fellow presenter, you’ll be meeting on an even playing field. Another presentation perk: rather than needing to seek people out, they will come to you after your talk. If you’re not sure where to get started, try hiring a PR agency to help arrange speaking engagements at events that relate to your industry.
Leapfrog Networking, Go Direct With Cold Emails
Embrace your aversion to small talk, and get to the point: just try asking. Effective outreach emails to people you don’t know can work well; I’ve had a high response rate on LinkedIn when I’ve reached out to CEOs of Fortune 1,000 companies. Of course, it requires well-structured, personalized messages (no mass cut and paste emails) that emphasize why this is important to them and how they’ll benefit. Make it concise. If you need more detailed tips, try reading How To Write a Great Cold Email That Will Actually Get a Response.
Good luck!
This is a great piece Benzi, looking forward to more!
This is really well written. Great call on speaking at events.