Networking

Networking is a means for you to exchange information, learn from and help others, and discover new opportunities. Build your network inside and outside of your company by including supervisors, coworkers, customers, members of organizations to which you belong and personal friends. Actively cultivate these relationships. Look for opportunities to reconnect with people with whom you have not recently spoken. 

Become an extrovert when it comes to networking by approaching people outside of your normal environment, such as while attending conferences and professional meetings and events. Introduce yourself and briefly talk about your profession and expertise. Exchange business cards with people who would be valuable additions to your network. 

Joining a professional organization in your field shows you are serious about your career and provides you important contacts. Become an active member by attending meetings and volunteering for committees, which will increase your visibility, develop your social skills, and demonstrate your leadership abilities. In addition, your contribution can have a significant impact on the organizations goals. Keep up with the latest industry news so that you can discuss new methods and technology, company expansions, and downsizing, individuals who hold top positions in companies, etc., with other members. You can learn about professional organizations in your field  by researching online, asking coworkers, or contacting your local library or chamber of commerce. 

Join one or more of the many professional and social networks on the Internet (i.e. Linked-In, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) to take advantage of the information provided by these sites and the professionals that have joined them. 

Read blogs related to your field or area of expertise or start a blog of your own.

Build a solid network.

Develop a personal trademark

Good advertising causes us to remember something about the advertisement or the product that was being advertised and creating your own personal trademark can have the same effect on people that good advertising has. Sports broadcaster Don Cherry is known for his highly starched shirt collars, musician John Lennon for his round granny eyeglasses, and comedian George Burns for his constant companion, a cigar. All are personal trademarks that help to instantly identify these people as these items have become a part of their identity and will never be forgotten. A personal trademark can extend beyond and item to include a physical appearance like Don Ki’s wild hair, a pattern of speech or phrase like Ali’s “Float like a butterfly and sting like a bee,” or a physical movement like Rodney Dangerfield’s continuous necktie straightening and eye rolling. The common denominator of personal trademarks is that they are remembered and instantly linked to the person who uses or owns them. Developing your own personal trademark can be very effective for networking purposes. Once again it can make you stand out, and be easily remembered. Of course you have to keep in mind your profession and the practical approach in terms of creating a personal trademark. Try to find a balance and not go to extremes. A lawyer with dyed red hair will likely be remembered for all the wrong reasons, while a lawyer who wears tennis sneakers with a suit will likely be viewed and remembered as a down to earth professional who is on the move. Both memorable trademarks, but one is likely to be viewed and remembered in a more positive way than the other. Try to create your own personal trademark as a way to stand out and get remembered in networking circles.

Stand out in the networking crowd

A decade ago I was at an evening social networking meeting at the local chamber of commerce. Most people in attendance were dressed in smart casual attire and some were wearing the business attire because they came straight from the office. The room was a mixture of a business blue and brown. About halfway through the informal networking meeting a man showed up wearing a wetsuit and had goggles and a snorkel dangling around his neck. He was a new member who owned a scuba dive shop that gave lessons and sold equipment, and this was the first meeting he had attended. Needless to say he stood out from the crowd and for the next hour was bombarded with questions, humorous greetings, and the odd strange glance. A few months after this meeting, my wife and I were planning a vacation to Mexico. High on our agenda was to learn scuba dive so that we could take full advantage of the many scuba diving opportunities in the area where we would be vacationing. Guess who we called to take the required training to get PADI certified before the trip? You it, the man in the wetsuit.  In fact we didn’t even both to inquire at other dive shops in our area. He made such a positive first impression on us that we felt totally comfortable with dropping into his shop and signing up for the required courses. Not all networking meetings are suitable places for these types of unforgettable promotional tactics, but at the social mixers there is no reason you cannot dress to leave a lasting and positive impression by standing out in the networking crowd.

Enlarge your networking circle

To truly master the art of networking and to leave no “opportunity for new business” stone unturned then you must go beyond your traditional networking model to include networking with people who are not like you and to places that you normally would not traditionally be networking. Build friendships and alliances with people who are from outside your ethnic, social, economic, and cultural background. Develop a wide base of “people alliances” to broaden your networking circle, referral, and  word-of-mouth marketing opportunities. At some point staying within your current networking circle will become counterproductive, not entirely but mostly as you reach critical mass. You could however make much better use of your networking time by including your current networking strategies and enlarging your networking circle to include new people and places. One of the best ways to enlarge your networking circle is to join a new club, a social or sports activity club, something that you have never tried before. Perhaps a skiing club, a book club, or even getting involved with a local charity. In a nutshell look for ways to make new contacts in new places so that you can broaden your marketing reach to include a new audience through networking activities. Here are a few ways to broaden your networking circle.

• ·         Join or start a new networking club.

• ·         Enroll in night classes or weekend workshops.

• ·         Become involved in community politics and issues.

• ·         Join social or sports teams and clubs.

• ·         Get involved with community charities.

Tricks for being a brilliant conversationalist

Any person who ever met Dale Carnegie, noted author and motivational speaker, always commented about what at great conversationalist he was. The man himself described this as simply listening to what people had to say, asking them questions about what was important to them, and being interested in their responses. In short he kept the spotlight on the person he was speaking with and off himself. You control the conversation by asking the questions and carefully listening to what the person is saying. Talking is not about controlling, listening is. A detective takes control by asking questions and taking notes. You should be taking mental notes and writing them on paper, the back of their business cards, or in your networking notepad after they leave. Here are some more great tricks for becoming a brilliant conversationalist. 

• ·         Take a greater interest in what the person you are speaking to has to say than what you have to say.

• ·         Enter into a conversation knowing what you would like to say and learn, but don’t have any preconceived ideas or judgments about the other person. In other words, keep an open mind.

• ·         Don’t interrupt, remain silent when the other person is talking.

• ·         Never argue, even if you disagree with what someone is saying, or react emotionally to a statement and always keep your cool.

• ·         Never offer and opinion unless you are asked to do so. And address the other person by first name frequently throughout the conversation. As Mr. Carnegie noted, “There is not sweeter sound to a person’s ears then the sound of their own name being spoken.”