Forward 10: Ways to Effortlessly Network for Business and Pleasure
If you are in any “customer-facing” profession, whether it’s Public Relations, Marketing, Customer Service or practically any management position, networking is a necessity.
I am good at relating to people. Nice way of saying I’m a good schmoozer! I have always been comfortable talking to people – at all levels and walks of life. It’s probably the primary reason I got into public relations in the first place. I like talking to people.
Networking is an art that can be learned. You don’t have to be inherently gregarious and outgoing. Just have a genuine curiosity and interest in others. The result can be rewarding in your work and in your personal life. Here are a few tips on how to network effectively and, for those who may have difficulty networking, rather painlessly.
1. Join a good networking site. My favorite? www.linkedin.com It’s a strong business-based site that is so much more. It allows you to find people from all over the world with similar interests that can be valuable in the future. I found my job through my Linkedin connections. But maybe more importantly, several good friends found me on the site. LinkedIn is just one example. You just need to decide what’s best for you.
2. Practice. You read correctly: practice networking. Talk to your friends, you coworkers, the mailman. Learn to listen and relate. Don’t just say “hi” in the hallway, stop and chat for a minute, strike up a genuine conversation. How many times have you had the exchange: “Hi, how are you?” “Fine, and you?” “Fine!” Any information exchanged there? Not hardly!
3. Listen, then talk. Take the time to hear what the other person is saying, add to their thoughts and relate it back to some of your experiences. If you have something in common, you’ll know soon enough.
4. Take the opposite view of networking and watch your contacts grow. Instead of going into a potential networking relationship hoping to find out what’s in it for you, do the opposite. Find out how you can be of service to the other person. I don’t mean buy every insurance policy from every salesperson you meet. But understand the other person and how you can help them in their business – and even personal life.
5. Network in your interest areas first. Are you in public relations, marketing, industrial design? Find networking groups that cater to the interests of your profession. If you’re new to the industry, learn from senior members of these groups. The point here is that you will probably feel more at ease with other professionals who have similar jobs to yours. It’s a great way to start.
6. But don’t stop there. After a while, you’re preaching to the choir. You need to branch out to other organizations that help your overall business and professional development. Find a new media group or a Chamber of Commerce where you will be exposed to a cross-section of industries and professions.
7. Embrace the “mutually-beneficial” mantra. Enter into a networking relationship that is mutually beneficial. Take the initiative to develop that relationship. You’d be surprised how many networkers will be more open to a connection when you start the conversation with “what can I do for YOU?”
8. Reserve the right to say “thanks, but no thanks.” While open networking is, in general, important to developing a network, it should also a permission-based activity. You will not offend a potential contact if you say, with tact, you are not open to the relationship because you don’t know how it might be mutually beneficial. Wouldn’t you rather have someone say no upfront, as opposed to three months and 10 emails down the line? Networking, in my humble opinion, is about being transparent and straight forward.
9. (Borrowed from a previous Forward 10) Keep it genuine. The cliché is it’s always easier to tell the truth than to lie, because you don’t have to remember what you said. Pretty close. It’s easier to be true to yourself and others because it feels so much better than being a fake. This applies to networking too.
10. Use your online networks to develop key relationships. Join a professional community and a “social” community. Don’t just lurk, engage. Comment on posts, offer direct contact information. Meet the people that you have an affinity for by exchanging ideas, information, things that are important to you. Engage!
I’m writing this at a conference centered on engagement. I have already picked up eight new contacts in the first hour and will probably have 30-50 by the time the two-day meeting is complete. I have no true sense of how the contacts I will make over the two days will impact my business, and possibly personal, life – yet. What I do know is that the more contacts – genuine contacts – I cultivate, the better chance I have that someone in my network will someday make a difference for me. And more importantly, someday I may make a difference for them.
Technorati Tags: networking, network, career advice, forward 10
Very interesting post - effective networking is definitely an acquired skill I think. I like point number 6 — something I need to work on.
Comment by Drew Meyers — February 7, 2007 @ 10:19 pm
I hated the entire idea of networking. I always felt like a phony. But now that I’ve had some practice and I realize that there’s a way to go about it while still being genuine, I find myself perfectly comfortable with it.
That hardest part is the approach, working up the courage to speak to a complete stranger.
Another thing to practice is getting good at telling stories. If you’re interesting and entertaining, people will remember you.
Comment by Owen Lystrup — February 8, 2007 @ 5:49 pm
I have always thought of myself as an excellent schmoozer as well. I can talk to people with ease and about anything. Of all the people pleasing tactics I have implemented in my life throughout the years, these ten have opened my eyes to many new concepts. In the past I haven’t utilized the online world in any way. Again, the blogging world is new for me, and I am learning everyday how many doors it can open. I am still trying to figure out how I will use it in the field of event planning, but I am sure I will find a nook for it.
Comment by Christopher — February 11, 2007 @ 9:24 pm
Your tips were extremely influential and beneficial, thank you for your advice. I love the art of networking and I, too, think that I am good at relating to people and that is why I chose PR as my major as well. But what I find the hardest is sensing true genuineness and moving forth with that. It seems today that it is getting easier and easier for people to fake sincerity.
How can one network with a higher-up executive and come across truly genuine, not just schmoozing, all while mutually benefitting both parties? (Especially at an intern’s position?)
Comment by Ashley — February 13, 2007 @ 4:12 am
Be curious. And perhaps make your aim not to “network” with the executive, but just have a conversation. If you’re genuinely interested in what the other person is saying (a story about their own career, what they’re currently working on, how their weekend was), you’ll be a great networker — whether the other individual is another intern or the president of the office. And be confident. They’re just human. And pretty much all humans enjoy a good conversation.
Comment by Erin Caldwell — February 13, 2007 @ 7:32 am
I second what Erin has said, Ashley. As a 27 year veteran, I am flattered when a “junior” person comes to me for advice. I teach as well, and the joy of that is in the giving back. Find a mentor in the industry, one that can give you advice on a periodic basis.
Erin is right, we’re all human,and crave interaction in one form or the other.
You might be surprised with the response to my favorite question to start a networking conversation: what can I do for you?
Feel free to contact me directly too, by the way at chuck@broadwick.com
Comment by Chuck Hester — February 13, 2007 @ 7:37 am
Chuck,
Good tips. The single best thing I ever realized about “networking”, particularly at events, is that almost nobody likes to do it. Most people at these events are thrilled when you come up to talk to them, simply so they don’t have to have the angst of standing there alone either. Knowing that made it much easier to approach someone.
Comment by Jim Tobin — April 18, 2007 @ 4:29 pm
[…] Networking is an art that can be learned. You don’t have to be inherently gregarious and outgoing. Just have a genuine curiosity and interest in others. The result can be rewarding in your work and in your personal life. Here are a few tips on how to network effectively and, for those who may have difficulty networking, rather painlessly. Read the 10 ways at Blog Forward. […]
Pingback by North America » Blog Archive » 10 Ways To Effortlessly Network For Business And Pleasure — July 25, 2007 @ 8:04 am
[…] Networking is an art that can be learned. You don’t have to be inherently gregarious and outgoing. Just have a genuine curiosity and interest in others. The result can be rewarding in your work and in your personal life. Here are a few tips on how to network effectively and, for those who may have difficulty networking, rather painlessly. Read the 10 ways at Blog Forward. […]
Pingback by United Kingdom » Blog Archive » 10 Ways To Effortlessly Network For Business And Pleasure — July 25, 2007 @ 10:04 pm
[…] Networking is an art that can be learned. You don’t have to be inherently gregarious and outgoing. Just have a genuine curiosity and interest in others. The result can be rewarding in your work and in your personal life. Here are a few tips on how to network effectively and, for those who may have difficulty networking, rather painlessly. Read the 10 ways at Blog Forward. […]
Pingback by Denmark » Blog Archive » 10 Ways To Effortlessly Network For Business And Pleasure — October 6, 2007 @ 3:59 pm