Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
Interviews with entrepreneurs and business leaders who’ve “made it” in Thailand. Real stories of ambition, setbacks, and strategic wins on the path to success. Built for founders and operators who want to win in Thailand.
Guests from the US, UK, Australia, and Thailand. Honest journeys and cross-cultural lessons. Inspiration for anyone building in the Thai market.
Apply to be a guest:
https://madeitinthailand.com/apply
Hosted by Scott Pressimone, a US expat based in Thailand for 13+ years and owner of Fractiond, a Thailand-based strategy consultancy.
#ThailandBusiness #ExpatSuccess #ThaiExpat
Most expat business owners get
networking in Bangkok all wrong.
They rush to make quick
deals, or even worse,
they send their staff to networking
events to collect business cards.
I'm Scott Pressimone and I've
seen firsthand how networking
has benefited my own consultancy.
Today I'll share the shift that I made
that changed absolutely everything for me.
Now listen, if you serve the local market
in Thailand or if you have operations
in Thailand, networking is not optional.
It's how you unlock partnerships,
referrals, and other opportunities.
But too many owners
make the same mistakes.
First, they assume that networking
will not work and they don't
attend any events at all.
Second, they give up too quickly,
maybe attending one or two
events saying, oh, there's not
an ROI and not going back after.
Or third, they send unmotivated
staff members to network for
them, because after all, they're
too busy running the business.
Might as well get someone
out to the events.
And so they send someone
off and hope for the best.
I've seen people attend events
because they're just following the
boss's orders, and for them it's
a complete wasted opportunity.
But on the other hand, I've
interviewed several successful
business owners here, and when I ask
what they attribute their success to,
the most common answer I get is that
they're highly involved in networking.
The shift that changed absolutely
everything for me is this.
I stopped chasing quick wins and I
focused on forming genuine relationships.
Networking in Bangkok isn't about how many
business cards or name cards you collect.
It's about people recognizing and
associating you with your expertise.
People do business with the people that
they trust, so aim for depth, not breadth.
One real connection is worth far more
than dozens of forgotten contacts.
The way I look at it is this.
You're not trying to sell directly.
You're just trying to meet people.
The people that I've met that have
had a big impact on my business
aren't necessarily end customers.
They're people that are other
connectors, and those have resulted
in helping me form other connections
that turned into business.
But if you're ready to network in
Bangkok, how do you actually do it?
Well, here are the four simple fast steps.
Step number one is know your value.
You need a very clear,
jargon-free introduction that
people can understand quickly.
Do not just state your job title.
Do not just state your industry.
Don't say something like, oh, I'm the
founder of an immigration law firm here.
That's not gonna cut it.
Instead, identify who you
help, the problem you solve
and the benefit they get.
So you might say something like, I help
expat businesses in Thailand simplify
visa and work permit challenges.
It's very simple.
It's very short, and at the end of
it, the people you speak with, they're
probably just gonna remember the keywords.
They're gonna remember.
Oh yeah, that's the guy that
helps with visas and work
permits for expat businesses.
But that's still a win.
It's better that you share a sentence
and the value proposition, and
then they remember the keyword,
rather than you just sharing the
keyword and hoping they remember it.
Step number two is to
pick the right events.
Don't waste your time on every mixer.
Choose just two to three events
that you can attend every
month and become a regular.
The Bangkok expat community is super
small, so if you become well-known
to some, then others will hear
about you outside of that group.
Industry meetups like Bangkok
Entrepreneurs and the Chamber events like
Australian Chamber of Commerce, American
Chamber of Commerce, Singapore Chamber
of Commerce, they're all a great start.
I've listed several other options
in the description of the video.
I personally get the most value outta
the events with entry fees, like 500
to 1500 baht because you just get
a bit of a better attendance there,
and it's people that are more serious
about meeting higher level people.
On the other side though, even
casual groups like Bangkok dads
or hobby based events can be
a great place to meet people.
Because remember, you're not
there to just pitch your services.
You're gonna meet people that
are like-minded and they probably
will form into some sort of
business connection in the future.
The key here is just to make sure
that you're going to the events that
you enjoy that overlap with the type
of audience that you want to have.
Don't just attend things that you
don't like, burnout, stop attending.
Then you're getting
nothing from it at all.
Step number three is to show up prepared.
If there's an attendees list, check to
see if there's someone who's attending,
who you actually want to talk to.
The event coordinators will generally
be very good at assisting you with
introductions, but again, that
comes once you become well known.
When you actually begin to know
the people that are organizing the
events, then they'll ask you, or you
can ask them for an introduction.
The second thing related to this
though, is to show up on time.
I know it's tough, you're busy, I get it.
But if you're attending an event where
there's like a presentation before the
networking event starts, then try to go
to the presentation because when everyone
begins to show up, it gets a lot more
busy and it's gonna be a lot harder
to have those deeper conversations.
You might get some value from
the presentation, but honestly,
you're probably getting a lot more
value outta the people that you're
speaking with at the start and before
the networking really kicks off.
Step number four is to
follow up with intent.
You might have a ton of great
conversations, but if you don't follow
up, you're absolutely gonna get forgotten.
Focus on just the two to three
quality connections that you made,
and then follow up with them within
48 hours with a personalized message.
Now, this doesn't mean a pitch.
This is certainly not a pitch deck.
I'm suggesting if you talked
about something interesting, send
them a message or an email saying
that you enjoyed the conversation
or offering something of value.
This is not a time for you to pitch
your services, but rather just to
begin to nurture that connection.
And maybe it turns into a friendship.
Maybe it turns into a business connection,
but you're taking that first step.
Now, the other side of this
is to invite someone out to a
coffee conversation or a lunch.
I would be mindful about this
because people are very busy and
if it wasn't a great conversation,
they're not gonna waste their time.
Realistically, you're only gonna
spend time with people that you really
trust and people have limited time.
They're not gonna say, I wanna sit
down for a lunch with you unless they
actually think it'll be worth it.
So you have to moderate this and do this
only with the people that you really think
you're gonna be able to provide value to.
Just remember one quality connection
can lead to a client, a partner,
or just a referral down the line.
Now here's the challenge I have for you.
Attend just one Bangkok event
for the next three months.
Aim to make just three quality
connections that you wanna nurture.
That's it.
Super simple.
One event, three months.
Three solid connections.
Now, to be clear, I don't think
that's all you're gonna need.
I think you get the most benefit
when you get highly involved in a
group more than just attending their
events, like joining a committee.
However, this is just the start.
I absolutely believe that if you
do this, you'll start to see the
benefit of networking and you'll
realize that it's worth your time.
Bangkok has a very tight knit
community and if you make just
a few good connections, you
definitely will open some doors.
Alright, well I hope you
got value out of this.
If you did, hit the like and subscribe
button and share it with a friend who
you think might benefit from a little
nudge to get out there more and network.
Lastly, if there's an event that you
like or one that you plan to attend, go
ahead and drop it in the comments below.
Alright, I'll catch you on the next one.