When you’re on a journey to self-made success, you might meet a millionaire along the way. Part of the process of becoming a self-made millionaire is to meet and network with people who are already successful. Meeting a wealthy person might make you nervous the first time, which is understandable. Unfortunately, no one ever teaches you how to speak to a successful person and make a good impression. And it could completely make or break your chances of networking with the right people.
Millionaires are normal people just like you and me. The only difference is that they are hard workers who made good choices with their money. When I entered my 20’s, I was lucky enough to begin meeting and working with more millionaires than I can count. There are plenty of cliches that people make when talking to them for the first time. There are also red flags that will tell them never to speak to you again, so we compiled some topics you should avoid when meeting a millionaire.
20. “How Much Money Do You Make?”
Asking how much money someone makes is incredibly rude, no matter who they are. It looks like you only care about this person’s money instead of them as an individual. For some reason, people assume that when you have a lot of money, you would be willing to share, because you’re proud. But the reality is that having a lot of money makes you a target for people trying to use you for the wrong reasons.
If you meet someone who is a millionaire, avoid talking about money. Even after knowing someone for years, never directly ask them how much money they have. They might eventually volunteer certain information, like how much their company is worth, but this will only be revealed when they feel that they can trust you. Sometimes, you might know a millionaire for years without ever knowing exactly how much they make.