Uvijek Služi Prvo — the Ćevapi Connection Method
Titan007 here. And before we jump into the Ćevapi Connection game, I need to share something with you, because if you’ve been to even one of those “networking” events… You already know the pain.
You walk into a fancy room — maybe at some place like Sarajevo Club, maybe Beograd Hotel, maybe some café-bar with neon lights and bad acoustics — and right away you feel it.
That “I’m about to get sold to” vibe.
Let me ask you:
How many of you have been to those networking sijelos, those business meetups, those “let’s connect” evenings?
(crowd reacts)
Okay. So what usually happens?
You get uvaljeno. Something gets forced on you.
You get trapped in a conversation you wish you weren’t in.
Everybody’s pitching their product. Everybody’s pitching the šema.
And you leave with a pocket full of business cards and a heart full of disgust.
Right?
Because most networking events aren’t networking events.
They’re speed-selling events.
And the saddest part? People keep doing the same thing even though they know it doesn’t work.
So today we’re fixing that. Balkan-style. Practical. Direct. No fake smiles.
1) The Three Species at Every Networking Event
In my experience, about 90% of people walk into networking events as one of these:
A) The Business Card Collector
You’ve seen this guy. He’s on a mission like he’s collecting Pokémon.
“You have a business card? Give me one.”
“You have one? Good.”
“What’s your name? Who cares!”
“Give me a card!”
He collects 200 cards like it’s a trophy.
Then he goes home.
And what happens?
Nothing.
No follow-up. No follow-through. Just a drawer full of cards that could start a fire.
And he’s not evil. He’s not a bad person.
He’s just confused.
He thinks activity equals progress.
But networking is not cardio. You don’t win by sweating.
You win by building trust.
B) The Gurač Proizvoda (Product Pusher)
This one is even worse because at least the card collector isn’t draining your soul in real time.
The Product Pusher gives out cards like confetti.
“Here’s my card.”
“Here’s my card.”
“Here’s my card.”
“You don’t want what I sell? You might know someone — take two cards!”
And how does it make you feel when you talk to a Product Pusher?
Used.
Like you’re just a number.
Like you’re just an email address.
Like they want your pair, and then they run.
No relationship is built.
And here’s what’s crazy: they know it doesn’t work.
They see people’s eyes glaze over. They feel the resistance. They sense the “please escape me” energy.
But they keep doing it.
Why?
Because they don’t know better.
They think, “That’s what everybody does. That’s what successful people do.”
So they copy a broken strategy and wonder why their results are broken.
C) The Dodavač Vrijednosti (Value Adder)
This group is small, but they’re dangerous.
They don’t walk in thinking, “How do I sell?”
They walk in thinking, “How do I serve?”
They problem-solve.
They ask questions.
They listen as it matters.
They connect people.
They build relationships first.
These people? They never beg for business. Business chases them.
Because trust is magnetism.
2) The Problem Isn’t Selling — It’s Timing
Let me be clear so nobody gets offended:
There is nothing wrong with wanting business.
You’re not a monk. You have bills. You got račune. You got rent. You got life.
The problem is timing.
Most people try to cash the check before they earn it.
They meet you for 30 seconds and already want you to buy, refer, invest, subscribe, donate, sign, click, follow, and marry their service.
Relax, brate.
That’s not networking.
That’s desperation with a blazer.
And write this down, because it’s ugly but true:
Needy is creepy.
Needy is creepy.
Because neediness says, “I’m here for me.”
And people can smell that.
3) The Titan007 Rule: USP
So how do we fix it?
I built my whole approach around three letters:
U.S.P.
And no, it’s not “Unique Selling Proposition.”
In our Balkan universe, USP stands for:
Uvijek Služi Prvo.
Always serve first.
Say it with me:
Uvijek Služi Prvo!
One more time: Uvijek Služi Prvo!
Twice as loud: UVIJEK SLUŽI PRVO!
Easy to say. Not easy to do.
Because some of you need money like you need blood in your veins. You can’t wait. You want that client now. You want the deal now.
But the paradox is this:
The faster you chase, the faster people run.
So we slow down.
We serve first.
4) Why People Don’t Care About Your Offer (Yet)
Here’s the brutal truth:
You can have the best product in the world.
But if you haven’t shown you care about them, they don’t give a br**.
People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.
So when you walk into a networking room and start talking about your service, you’re basically telling them:
“Hi, I don’t know you… But let me take something from you.”
That’s why it feels gross.
That’s why people ghost you after.
That’s why you follow up, and they reply in 2028.
5) Introducing the Ćevapi Connection Game
Now here’s how we fix your networking habits in one night.
We’re going to play a game.
I call it: The Ćevapi Connection.
Because just like ćevapi, it’s simple, it’s Balkan, and if you do it right, people will remember you.
How it works
You get into groups of four.
How many?
(crowd: “four!”)
Four. Preferably with people you don’t know.
And here’s the only rule:
You cannot talk about your products.
You cannot talk about your services.
You cannot talk about what you sell.
Some of you right now are panicking.
“Titan, if I can’t talk about what I do… what do I say?”
Exactly.
That’s the point.
Because most people only know how to speak in advertisements.
6) The Only Allowed Introduction
You can say:
“My name is ____.”
“I’m an entrepreneur / marketer / broker / consultant / designer.”
That’s it.
And the next thing that comes out of your mouth must be…
A question.
What should it be?
(crowd: “question!”)
And the next thing after that?
Another question.
This is not that fake style: “Okay, I’ll ask you a question, and then it’s my turn to pitch.”
No.
Only questions.
You’re not there to impress.
You’re there to understand.
7) Titan007’s Template Questions (Steal These)
If you don’t know what to ask, I’ll give you the cheat codes.
Question #1
“Koje su ti najveće muke trenutno?”
What are your biggest struggles right now?
Question #2
“Šta ti fali?”
What are you missing?
Question #3
“Gdje želiš da budeš za godinu dana?”
Where do you want to be in a year?
Question #4
“Šta te drži budnim noću?”
What keeps you up at night?
Question #5 (My Favorite)
“Šta bi ti najviše olakšalo život ove sedmice?”
What would make your life easier this week?
Notice something?
None of these questions is about you.
And that’s why they work.
8) The Foreign Concept: Actually Helping People
Now here’s the part where 95% of “networkers” fail.
When someone tells you what they need… You don’t just nod like a politician.
You help.
Not pretend-help.
Not “Ahh yes, I might know somebody…”
No.
If you know someone, you pull out your phone.
Right there.
“Wait — I know a Web Majstor who redesigns websites.”
“Here’s his number.”
“Here’s his email.”
“Actually, I’ll message him now and CC you.”
That is value.
That is trust.
That is how you become unforgettable.
Because most people are takers.
So when you show up as a giver, you stand out like a white Golf 2 in a parking lot full of black SUVs.
9) Why This Works (Psychology Without the Fancy Words)
People don’t like being sold to.
But people love being understood.
When you ask good questions, you do three things instantly:
- You make them feel important.
- You gather real information.
- You position yourself as someone safe.
And safety is everything in business.
If people don’t feel safe with you, they don’t buy from you.
They don’t refer you.
They don’t call you back.
They say “Let me think about it” and disappear like a ghost in a Balkan apartment stairwell.
10) The Real Goal of Networking
Here’s what most people get wrong:
They think networking is about getting clients.
No.
Networking is about building allies.
Clients come and go.
Allies multiply your life.
An ally introduces you when you’re not in the room.
An ally defends your name.
An ally connects you to opportunities you didn’t even know existed.
So stop walking into rooms hunting for prey.
Walk into rooms, building a tribe.
11) The Titan007 Follow-Up System (No More Card Graveyards)
Let’s talk follow-up, because this is where business cards go to die.
If you meet someone and it’s a good vibe, you do this:
Step 1: Same-day message
Not tomorrow. Not “when I’m free.”
Same day.
“Hey ___, good meeting you. The thing you said about ___ stuck with me. If you want, I can connect you with ___.”
Short. Specific. Human.
Step 2: Deliver value within 48 hours
If you offered a contact, send it.
If you promised a resource, send it.
If you said you’d introduce them, do it.
Because your reliability is your brand.
Step 3: A “no-ask” check-in
After 7–10 days:
“Hey, did that connection help? Anything else you’re trying to solve right now?”
No pitch.
Just presence.
This is how you move from stranger → contact → relationship.
12) What To Do If You Actually Want To Sell Later
Now listen carefully, because the hustlers always ask:
“Titan… when do I pitch?”
You pitch when it makes sense.
When there’s trust.
When there’s a clear need.
When they basically invite it.
Example:
They say: “I’m struggling with leads.”
You say: “I might have something that could help. Want me to share it?”
See the difference?
You’re not pushing.
You’re offering.
Permission-based.
That’s grown-man networking.
13) The Balkan Entrepreneurs Group Philosophy
This is why I structure groups and meetups the way I do:
Not for collecting cards.
Not for forcing products.
But for facilitating meaningful, purposeful connections.
Because that old style doesn’t work.
It just creates a room full of people trying to take from each other.
And when everyone tries to take, nobody wins.
But when do people serve first?
The whole room becomes richer.
Not just in money, in relationships, trust, opportunities, and momentum.
14) The Big Lesson: Be the Value Adder
So here’s the challenge:
Next time you go to a networking event, choose your identity.
Are you going to be a Business Card Collector?
A Product Pusher?
Or a Value Adder?
Because your category decides your outcome.
Collectors get stacks of paper.
Pushers get ignored.
Value Adders get remembered.
15) Final Words from Titan007
If you’re desperate for business, I get it. I’ve been there.
But desperation leaks.
And people feel it.
So don’t walk into rooms trying to get.
Walk into rooms trying to give.
Ask better questions.
Listen deeper.
Serve first.
Follow through.
Because the most powerful networker in the room isn’t the loudest.
It’s the one who leaves people thinking:
“Damn… that person actually helped me.”
That’s the Ćevapi Connection.
That’s Uvijek Služi Prvo.
And if you do it consistently, you won’t need to chase clients.
Clients will chase you.
That’s Titan007.
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