If you read the last post, you have answered the important questions. If not to do so go to the last post and answer the questions.
It’s time to be clear about what networking is REALLY all about. To do that first let’s look at what networking is NOT.
It is not about asking people you don’t know, don’t want to know, and don’t care about for a JOB!
It is not about being slick and sleazy to get someone to take your résumé to their Boss, HR Manager or someone else in their company or finding the name and number of the one person you can “sell” to get a job.
It is not about going to meetings with a goal of grabbing a bunch of business cards so you have more people to “Tweet”, add to your LinkedIn contact list, or promise to email leads from your favorite job board, or call to talk about yourself, how great you are and your job search woes.
It is not about expecting someone to help you find a job or a new client!
It is not about showing up to an event, listening to a speaker, eating and drinking, dropping a business card in the basket for a free gift, then leaving.
Okay, if networking is not about these things, what is networking REALLY about – it is about building relationships!
That is not rocket science and you have heard it before reading it here. Why is this so tough? First, when you are without a job, you may feel needy or unsure of your value. If you are new to networking or rebuilding a network, you may be asking “why would someone want to build a relationship with me”, “how can I help”, “I have no extra money”, or “what can I offer”, etc. STOP IT!
People build relationships, offer referrals, leads, share “insider information” and help people they know, people they like and people they trust. Think about the first day of school, you were in a room full of other kids, most of whom you did not know. You did not yet know if you liked them, and did not know if you could trust them.
By the end of the school year, you had some type of relationship with each student in your class. You might define those relationships as the person in my first grade class, the “kid in the back of the room-name unknown”, the “know-it-all” in my first grade class, my classmate (someone, you knew, liked, trusted but not a best buddy), your buddies, your friends, your best friend, the people you have known since first grade and stay in touch with or still have a relationship. You had different relationships with each member of the class. Those long term relationships with people who know you, like you, and trust you are “your network”.
Networking is about building long term relationships with people who know you, like you, and trust you. Those people become your connectors, people who can attest to who you are, what you do and people who are your advocates and business partners. Those people are “your network”.
Networking is about building long term relationships with people who know you, like you, and trust you and building long term relationships with people you know, you like you, you trust. Your network allows you to be an advocate for others and allows others to an advocate for you.
Networking is about getting to know people and helping people, and connecting people in your network with each other. The beauty of doing so is that those in your network will get to know you, like you, trust you and help you connect with others.
How many people are in your network?
How many people in your network are you an advocate?
How many people have you helped this week?
no comment until now