Today we’re running a podcast that I guested on in September of 2024 called “Networking and Marketing Made Simple.” The show focuses on how LinkedIn can be used to grow your business. It’s hosted by Scott Aaron, who for the last seven months was my LinkedIn coach, an experience that is already paying dividends in our businesses. On his show I focused on one of my favorite topics, harnessing the power of serendipity to be successful in business and life.

It often takes a bit of luck to accomplish extraordinary things, and that luck almost never happens on its own. You have to do specific things to cause it to happen, and that’s what I talk about in the episode.

Scott also guested on Swarfcast in episode 221 and shared some eye opening LinkedIn strategies.

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Link to Graff-Pinkert’s Acquisitions and Sales promotion!

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Serendipity Strategies from the Interview

Connecting the Dots

The more people or “dots” you have in your network the greater the chance you will get lucky. I’m always trying to meet new people because you never know who is going to become someone who brings you business deals or becomes a friend—or both.

Also, whenever I meet new people I find interesting, I try to think about who else I know who could benefit from knowing this person, and then I try to introduce the two of them. Doing this makes the bonds between me and all the parties greater. More possibilities for new magic are created. It also just feels great for me to get to be the serendipity that helps others find success.

Serendipity Hooks

Using serendipity hooks means introducing multiple conversation topics to increase the chances of making connections. I used to think that just being a great listener enabled you to make great contacts and learn important stuff. But eventually I learned that it’s important for YOU to talk in a conversation to make it more worthwhile. The information you tell about yourself and the specific questions you ask your counterpart can determine if a conversation leads to an interesting and significant outcome or is a waste of time. Some serendipity hooks I like to use when I’m getting to know a new person is to tell them I have podcast, I’m a fairly new father, or I work with my dad. I also tell people I’m a used machine tool dealer, but the more interesting topics you bring up, the likelier chance you will find a common interest between you and your conversation partner.

When I speak to new potential customers who contact us about a machine, I always try to look their company up first to give myself ideas for interesting serendipity hooks. If I can find out what machines they have on their website or what industries they serve, I will be armed with more things to discuss in the conversation that may turn out to be more important than the original thing they contacted us about. For instance, a customer might contact Graff-Pinkert about a Citizen we have for sale, and before I call them back I go to their site and see they own Acme-Gridleys, which Graff-Pinkert also buys and sells. I then will know to ask if they want to buy or sell an Acme when I make the call. They might then say to me, “really, you would buy my old Acme machine that I’m trying to get rid of?” I came to discuss one type of machine and finished by talking about an entirely different machine of which there could be a bigger opportunity.

Serendipity Bombs

Instead of focusing on one dream client or opportunity I try to connect with multiple prospects to increase my chances of success. It’s like dropping a big bomb. It’s going to blow up a lot of stuff all around it, not just the space it falls on. For instance, if I have an INDEX CNC machine for sale, I try to contact as many INDEX customers that I can find—not just the few customers who I’ve sold machines to in the past. Like many of these principles, it’s a strategy that seems obvious, but it’s important to identify it. I need to be mindful of the strategy so I remember to use it.

My Daily Mindfulness

In the morning I want to prepare my brain to be ready to see the potential opportunities for serendipity floating all around me, so I start my day repeating the following affirmation:

“I am a serendipity magnet. I create, I see, I seize opportunity everywhere.”

This keeps my eyes and ears open and reminds me to keep thinking about the serendipity creation strategies that I have at my arsonel.

Also, at night before I go to bed, I always write down one serendipitous occurrence that happened to me that day. They’re usually pretty simple, like learning something useful in a conversation that may help in a future machinery deal, or discovering an interesting used machine for sale while searching the web looking for something unrelated, or meeting a new person who will be an important resource.

The more I write about serendipity, the more I think about it, and then the more I notice it all around me.

Question: Can you share a time when something that seemed like bad luck actually led to something great?

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