Truemors
For more than 40 years Carl Terzian’s successful brand of business networking has been attracting clients, accolades and his ever-expanding database of friends and business acquaintances, while ignoring conventional wisdom.
Chairman of Carl Terzian Associates, Terzian also demolished the myth that there is no free lunch. He’s turned the free lunch into an art form. Every day, at least 800 times each year, he personally extends invitations to a small number of diverse business people, both established and newcomers, to attend roundtable lunches, breakfasts or cocktail parties.
At these events, held in the nicest hotels and private clubs of Los Angeles, there is no pressure to buy anything, commit to any cause, or do anything other than connect to a group of strangers. The meals are paid for by for-profit and non-profit clients looking for prospective business volunteers, donors, supporters, board members, opportunities or friends.
Each participant leaves with a stack of business cards, and a brief recounting from other attendees about their outside interests. These passions are what Terzian describes as “the back side of your business card.” Through these remarks come future business relationships, volunteer opportunities, friendships and more. There have been 17 marriages that began at a Terzian table. More than 50 new names are recommended daily as potential new guests. Terzian personally invites each guest, MCs each event and supervises appropriate follow-up.
These year-round networking events have plugged literally thousands of newcomers into the community, and helped hundreds of non-profit groups find new, energetic board members. Although the bulk of his company’s work is traditional public relations and crisis management services for commercial companies, aiding non-profits is what’s dear to his heart. His “secular ministry,” is what Terzian calls it.
“We are definitely becoming more connected,” Terzian says. “One reason is we have more non-profits. California has 140,000 non-profits and we have about 50,000 of them in the greater Los Angeles area. Los Angeles is a jewel because you can come from anywhere and make a difference quickly as opposed to some cities like New York, Boston or Chicago where that’s often not the case. Today, we’re also seeing more younger people on non-profit boards, which is encouraging.”
His unique brand of networking has developed deep friendships, created powerful business relationships, triggered some of L.A.’s most lucrative business transactions and has generated significant donations to non-profits.
Of Armenian parents, Mr. Terzian graduated Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, Senator-at-Large and Student Body President from the University of Southern California in 1957 and almost went into the Lutheran ministry. Although he chose a different career path, he helped found Cal Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, California.
Prior to establishing his own firm in 1969, Terzian served as an international goodwill ambassador for President Eisenhower and Secretary of State John Foster Dulles; director of public and church relations for the Lutheran Hospital Society of Southern California; civic affairs consultant to Coast Savings and Loan Association; dean and professor of government and speech at Woodbury University; and public affairs director for architect Charles Luckman.
Terzian’s very first client was Norris Industries. He helped launch the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center in downtown Los Angeles.
He has been honored by dozens of individuals and organizations including Her Majesty the Queen of England, Congress, the California Legislature, and by the City and County of Los Angeles. He regularly flies around the country and is invited on cruises to give motivational speeches.
His firm has had more than 4,500 clients throughout the country, many of them household names. Yet his public relations agency rarely operates with written contracts. A handshake is all Terzian needs, and he still considers a person’s word to be his or her bond. Even though it’s unconventional, it’s been very successful so far. ###
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