Post No.: 0917
Furrywisepuppy says:
It’s always more powerful if you can get others to come to you rather than you going to them – so get networking so that others are aware of you and what you do!
Networking means making allies by helping others out so that they’ll think about you whenever you need help.
No one flourishes – in ambition, love, life – on their own. And it’s (sadly) often who you know more than what you know. The more new and diverse people you connect with, the more chance you’ll make big things happen. So use every conversation and correspondence to express what you believe in and what your aims are.
Networking raises your profile so that people know what you’re looking for, which makes it far more likely that opportunities will find you. You might make a few genuine friends along the way too. Networking isn’t merely about business, exchanging business cards or having one-off encounters but building strong, long-lasting relationships. Network or socialise for absolutely any reason you can think of – from seeking clients, discovering mutual hobbies, spreading awareness of causes, to learning knowledge, developing friendships or finding potential romance… because you care. Network to mutually enrich lives generally. It’s reciprocal – creating and connecting with a sense of community.
Sharing information is key to networking. Communication acts as the glue that binds your network closer to you. Be generous of spirit and strive to help others as best as you can, as this’ll encourage others to be generous to you in return.
Create, keep in touch, and grow. Approach and talk to people you don’t know more often. Practise your small talk as frequently as possible. Accept a wide circle of friends with diverse backgrounds.
The first requirement for success is showing up! Go out to more new places that you wouldn’t normally go. And when there, don’t hang around the same person/group you came in with or the same person/group for too long – spread yourself out to get something new. Move around and at least introduce yourself to everyone in the room. Trust people, be attentive and connect deeply and authentically. Share appropriate information about yourself.
Help others whenever you can – it’s about giving and receiving. Share your knowledge, resources and contacts with others. You’re looking for cooperative and long-term relationships and possibly friendships. Take time to keep in touch regularly with each person in your network, especially when you don’t need something. Think about how you can help others even when you don’t presently need anything yourself.
At networking events – be warm, easygoing, personable and interested in everybody you talk with. Your first impressions are vital. The most basic thing is to warmly smile and make eye contact :D. First impressions may be wrong though so, from your side, don’t prejudge others too soon because you may miss out on that crucial connection.
Be relaxed and cheerful and so will others around you. (Talking about your nerves can make others relate with you however.) Your internal feelings will externally show via your body language. It works the other way around too – so be consciously aware of your posture whenever you walk into a room or meet people, and consciously lift up your shoulders and head if you want to feel more alert and ready.
Another technique to relax yourself is to put yourself into an ‘alpha state’ where you’re aware of your peripheral vision, of what’s happening around you. It’s the opposite of tunnel-vision. By de-focusing, you’re less self-conscious and more conscious of others and the bigger picture. So expand your area of awareness. Relax your eyes and your mind. You’ll also start to notice many things around you that you would’ve missed, see patterns in the room, and notice more about what’s happening and how people are moving.
Once you enter a conversation, people don’t remember the first words you say – what’s important is the making of the contact itself and the feelings behind it.
The more you care about others, the more they’ll care about you. Aim to make the day a worthwhile experience for everyone you meet. Remember people’s names, what they do, where they work and the small details. If ever in doubt though – ask again. It’s better than avoiding it. Have them feel you genuinely like them individually. Bring others into conversations – help others to connect with others you’ve met too. Remember to obtain all contact details by the end of the night. And keep in touch with those you meet and like the following day, and regularly.
Good networking is making the most of the people you meet to your mutual advantage.
Know your goals so that you can identify any apt opportunities as they present themselves – if you don’t know what you want from each interaction then you’ll never get it. However, going with the flow and serendipity can open up new kinds of opportunities you didn’t consider before.
You get out what you put in – it’s futile waiting for others to come to you! Introduce yourself to some new people, and enjoy yourself! State your name and explain your purpose for connecting with them today.
Share your goal, vision, mission or passion. And be courageous, assertive and clear in asking for what you want from others – ask for help whenever you need it. If someone cannot help you then they might know someone else who can? It might help to directly ask the people you know if they know someone who can help you? And if they don’t know, ask if they in turn know anyone who does? (It’s putting into action the theory of ‘six degrees of separation’.) If you don’t tell and ask people then they’ll never know what you’re looking for. If you don’t ask, you don’t get.
Without being haughty, imagine yourself as a VIP. Have self-belief and also believe that others are generally friendly, trustworthy and would welcome a connection with you. Expect positive interactions and outcomes and it’ll show in your voice, body language and enthusiasm, which other people will read and reciprocate.
The benefits of making new connections (or just that one vital connection) far outweigh the inevitabilities of rejection. Rejection is on the path to connection, like failure is on the path to success. ‘No’ just means ‘no’ and not anything deeper as to why, so don’t interpret it to mean anything else because that’ll be just yourself talking. If you want to know then ask for feedback as to why? If someone is important to you then ‘no’ doesn’t mean you can’t try again on a better day or ask via someone else. It’s about being flexible with your strategy – when one approach doesn’t work, try something different. Think of a way of genuinely meeting the needs of the other person i.e. what’s in it for them to collaborate with you?
Other people’s positions and seniority mean nothing when just asking for a chat. You’re not burdening anyone – if anyone helps you then it’s because they’re happy to.
Do some background research on the people who’ll be there before a networking event if possible. This’ll give you thoughtful content to talk about and connect with. Always look out for details that could provide opportunities for connection. Avoid any negative comments, or politics or religion, which can be highly emotive and conflictive, and be careful that any jokes don’t offend any individuals or groups.
One of the main barriers to networking is that we naturally prefer to speak with the people we know. So if you’ve come with other people – go solo to meet new people. People who look alone seem more approachable too. You can all compare notes afterwards.
Once you’ve done all you can to prepare a connection with someone and have made the impression you want to give – paradoxically forget yourself, let go and be immersed in the person you’re speaking with whilst being aware of the needs of others around you.
Approaching a group is slightly different to one-to-one situations but only at the outset. It’s common for groups to actually be a collection of people talking one-to-one with the person next to them rather than one person speaking at a time.
Groups form early so arrive early or on time before closed groups have formed. If you start one-to-one conversations with lots of people and they later join another group then you’ll have a ‘go to’ person to approach who’s familiar to you to break into that new group. Or you could ask the host to introduce you to a group. (Always get to know the host of any event – try talking with them first if possible.)
Keep a close eye and furry ear for opportunities to break the ice and join a conversation. Observe people’s body language to sense if the group or a subgroup is open or closed to new people joining them. If someone you want to talk to is presently conversing with others, flag a request to speak with them later whilst acknowledging your interruption.
Try to always phrase your introduction so that people know who you are and what you do, including when you just have a question to ask. And try to describe your role in a way that engages interest rather than sounds fancy.
The simple key to keeping conversations going is to listen carefully and ask thoughtful questions. To be interesting – be interested. Listen for key information and ask open questions about it. If you’re unfamiliar with something then enquire about it. Look out for new threads of conversation from the indirect things said. Occasionally summarise and paraphrase to check understanding.
Share something about yourself that’s appropriate too. Try to link their stories to your own experiences and let it flow between you all.
To avoid going off course, share your main aims for the conversation early, especially if time is short.
If addressing a group, ensure eye contact with everybody to avoid isolating anyone. Check to see if everyone is engaged and bring in those you feel aren’t included, maybe by asking for their opinion on the present topic. Bringing in others who can add something different can keep a conversation fresh too.
Whenever you introduce two people to each other, be sure to offer a hook that’ll act like as an icebreaker for them, like pointing out their mutual interests.
Empathise with the emotions or feelings behind the words being said. Always listen and think ‘how can I assist this person?’ and ‘who do I know whom I could connect them with to give them advice or assistance?’ Then offer to make the connection without pressure but as a genuine desire to help.
And of course – no matter how well a conversation is going – remember to ask for what you want! The main reason you’re networking is to accomplish your goals. Good questions include, “Who do you know who knows…?” or, “Who do you know who would benefit from…?” or, “Who would you recommend I contact about…?” Asking the right questions is vital.
You need to strike a balance between enjoying the company of someone in particular and meeting as many different people as possible. You can meet up with anyone you like again another day. The key is to be open and ready to connect with anybody and everybody.
And the point of networking is to develop long-term relationships – not to ‘hard sell’ or make a ‘quick sale’. It’s crucial to be clear about what you do, what you want and what you can offer – but make requests not demands.
To end conversations gracefully, connect the person to someone else then step away to connect with someone else new yourself. Always be respectful to everyone because you never know if down the line this person could help you. And remember to exchange contact details!
Finally, before you leave any event – make sure that you’ve said goodbye and thanked the host.
Woof!
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