Book Review – “Never Eat Alone”

Never Eat Alone is written by Keith Ferrazzi. Keith is an American entrepreneur, founder, and CEO of Ferrazzi Greenlight. His company provides marketing and sales consultancy to global organizations. His book, ‘Who’s Got Your Back? was New York Times bestselling book. 

Summary:

“Alone, we can do so little; together we can do so much.” — Helen Keller. We all need help from people to achieve success in life whether it’s small or big. As per the author, no man on this earth can achieve greater heights without support. There are self-made people, but they cannot go very far. If you want to build a successful venture, you need to grow together. Successful people always make use of their connections to go ahead in life. Keith understood the value of networking right from his childhood and so he has such passion for building connections with others. He says, “Wherever you are in life right now, and whatever you know, is a result of the ideas, experiences, and people you have interacted with in your life.”

The book is divided into 6 parts

Part 1: The Mindset: “It’s better to give before you receive. And never keep score. If your interactions are ruled by generosity, your rewards will follow suit.” The author says that when you help other people, they are willing to do something for you in return. In this way, if you practice generosity towards others ultimately it is you who gets the most benefit. Successful ventures are run by people who have a strong network of relationships with other people. He says that you need to build a network before you need it. You should not look like a networking jerk for that you need to keep in mind certain things. Do not gossip and go empty-handed. Always be transparent, and genuine, and treat everyone with equal respect. 

Part 2: Goal Setting:  Napoleon Hill said, “A goal is a dream with a deadline.” Goals are necessary for our life as they motivate us to move forward. Keith suggests we write down the goals. Goals must be realistic, specific, and challenging and you should write them down. The goals should require risk. Plan your goals for the next 3 years and then break them into months and smaller goals that can be achieved. You need to add people to your goals who can help you to achieve them. Also, think about how you can help these people and how to reach them. 

Part 3: Skill Set:  Meeting new people is very crucial to grow in life. The author suggests a few practical tips before meeting anyone. He focuses on the importance of doing homework in this chapter. If you want to leave a good impression on someone then do some research about them in advance. You can check their profiles on social media and know about them, their work, their hobbies, and what is important in their life, to build a personal relationship with them. Keith has given some rules to convert cold calls into warm calls. You need to form a sense of credibility. If you are making a call to someone for the first time, find out some common connection/institution/person so that you don’t sound like a stranger to that person. In this way, you can establish your trustworthiness. Explain to them in a clear way how you can help them. 

Part 4: Following up: Keith says, “Why go to all the trouble of meeting new people if you’re not going to work on making them a part of your life?” You need to follow up the relations with your new clients/friends by making calls or by texting, within 24 hours. People always hesitate to call back but to expand your circle this step is necessary. They should remember your name. Never forget to express gratitude towards people who have helped you. Whenever you meet any new person always remember to create an impression within 5 minutes. You need to be an expert in small talk. He says, “The best way to become good at small talk is not to talk small at all.”

Part 5: Connections-– Try to connect with super connectors. These are people who have connections with thousands of people in different parts of the world. Once you are in contact with them you are close to several other connectors. The author stresses the term, “pinging”. He says, “you have to keep pinging and pinging and pinging and never stop. You have to feed the fire of your network, or it will wither or die.”

Part 6: Trading up and giving back: It is very important to build a brand where everyone can see your name and profile. You need to develop your personality by upgrading yourself in different fields. People should think of you as a trustworthy person, and they should be ready to invest their time or money in you. The author discusses social media networking and its benefits too. You can grow your professional network by connecting with new people on social media sites. He also suggests becoming a member of certain clubs. He believes that dining and socializing form an important part of networking. 

The book focuses on the art of networking and provides you with various strategies in that direction. Keith has explained the benefits of effective connections in this book. He gives the readers step-by-step advice and practical ways on building relationships. Overall, a good self-help book for business and personal growth.

Quotes from the book

“Poverty, I realized, wasn’t only a lack of financial resources; it was isolation from the kind of people who could help you make more of yourself.”

“I believe that every conversation you have is an invitation to risk revealing the real you.”

“Friendship is created out of the quality of time spent between two people, not the quantity.”

“By giving your time and expertise and sharing them freely, the pie gets bigger for everyone.”

“Power, today, comes from sharing information, not withholding it.”

“There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be the best in the world, as long as you know that doing so also means wanting to be the best for the world.”