Remember "connecting the dots" when you were a kid? Starting with a page full of random points, you ran a line from dot to dot (following the numbers, of course) and got a picture of a flower, animal, or your favorite cartoon character. The "hidden" picture had revealed itself and you had a piece of art to hang on the refrigerator. Good networkers approach professional relationship-building in the same way. They find ways to make connections to create something that wasn't there before. One of the most fulfilling parts of networking is making connections between two people who could benefit from knowing each other. When you look … [Read more...]
3 Ways to Network When You’re Shy
Networking can be tough when you're shy. Building new business relationships can be hard when just the idea of attending a professional event to network fills you with dread. You're not alone - it's common for people to spend most of their time at events with those that they already know precisely because they are nervous about making new friends. But this prevents you from taking advantage of the full benefits of networking. You want to consistently add new people to your network - because they have new information, new ideas, new contacts, etc. You don't have to be the life of the party and meet everyone to be successful, but you … [Read more...]