Ah, July. We're all sitting on a beach, enjoying the summer. But soon the fall will be here and with it the mad dash to accomplish our 2012 goals. Make it easier on yourself by having your network poised to help you as the weather starts to cool. Here are three ways you can make your networking more effective: 1. Create a plan – Many people fail at building a strong professional network because they don’t develop a strategy first, they just blindly flail about. Networking is much more effective when you create clarity around your objectives first. Think about the questions that journalists ask: Who, When, What, Where, Why, and How? Who … [Read more...]
Good Networkers Always Have Jobs
People that are good at building and maintaining a strong professional network are rarely unemployed for long; and it’s not just because they know a lot of people who can hire them. It’s because the competencies that are necessary for successful networking are highly sought after in the job market. When you are actively networking, you are both a) continually honing these skills and more importantly, b) proving that you have them! Intangible Business Skills Here are a few of the areas involved in successful networking that have an impact throughout your career: Interpersonal Communication Skills Networking is communicating. If you … [Read more...]
5 Important Networking Tips You Can Steal from Your Dating Life
If you have ever stepped back and watched the action at a business networking event, the resemblance to a singles bar is uncanny (and slightly unnerving). Think about it, there's a bunch of people wandering around, nervously approaching people they don’t know because they’re hoping to meet that special someone that will make their life better. And most prefer to stay with the group of people they already know (or by the bar) because it's more comfortable. Professional networking has a lot of similarities to dating - which shows you why a lot of people don't like networking, because let's face it, dating is hard. But if we look at the … [Read more...]
3 Keys to Introducing Yourself to a Group
At some point in your professional career you are going to have to stand up in front of a group of people and introduce yourself. It might be at a formal networking event where everyone is going around the room and giving their “elevator speech”, or maybe it’s a professional conference where you are each introducing yourself during a seminar or a break-out session. Whatever the scenario, you are going to be standing in a room of strangers, telling them who you are. And like it or not, they are going to make judgments about you based on how you introduce yourself. They are going to decide how competent and skilled you are in your … [Read more...]
The Secret Ingredient of Amazing Networking
There are a lot of ideas out there about how to become a better networker. There always seems to be a new trick or tool that promises to help your networking be more effective and get you more business (heck, I’ve probably given out a few of those). And it doesn’t hurt to have some strategy to your networking. But the most effective idea for power networking: Have fun! Networking is about relationships, and relationships work best between people who are enjoying themselves. Find the fun in learning about other people and their stories. Because the more you do that the stronger the connections will be between you and your … [Read more...]
You Aren’t Using the Correct Communication Technology
Over the last century (and decade), there has been an ever-growing number of communication tools available to us. It used to be that the only way to talk to someone was to find them and actually speak to them (or maybe mail them a letter). Now with the rush of new technologies, there’s a virtual buffet of options when you want to reach out to someone. It’s important to remember, though, that not all forms of communication are created equal. This is especially true in the business world, and even more critical when having a conversation where your goal is to influence someone else’s actions (for example, a sales call). Business success … [Read more...]
This Big Mistake in Online Networking Can Sink You
It used to be that bad spelling and poor grammar would only hurt you if you were writing an essay for English class. Now, because so much networking is done online, it can put a damper on your career or lose you credibility in the professional world. With the explosion of written forums that are open to the public (social networking, blogs, online reviews, etc.), how you write can be just as important as what you write. If you are using the internet in any professional capacity, you need to make sure your writing skills aren’t sending the wrong message. You Are Always Being Judged It has gotten easier to communicate with new … [Read more...]