5 Things I Learned from “the King of Networking” Luis De La Hoz

I have had the honor of knowing Luis De La Hoz for the past 10 years. Luis is the regional director of community lending in New Jersey and New York at Valley Bank. He also serves as chairman of the board of directors at the Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of NJ. Luis has been hugely instrumental in helping entrepreneurs and Latino small business owners. On a personal level, I consider him both a close friend and mentor. If not for Luis’s insightful business advice and other assistance, my business would not have achieved the same degree of success that it has today. Under his tutelage, I was able to enhance both the profitability and efficiency of my company. I am extremely grateful to Luis for all the guidance he has given me.?In particular, Luis instilled in me the importance of networking. The lessons he taught me about this crucial skill can be divided into five parts:?

1. Be in it to win it.

Networking is essentially a game. You must fully commit yourself to it and capitalize on?every opportunity that is given to you. Specifically, this means you should devote time to finding networking events and like-minded people with whom you wish?to connect. Afterwards, you must act upon your research and attend these networking events in order to create those professional connections. You should also be sure to accept any and all offers from others that could enable you to further network.?

2. Your network is your net worth.

There is a saying, “tell me your company, and I’ll tell you who you are.” This phrase rings?especially true with networking. Your network is indicative of the power and influence you hold in society. More and more these days it is not what you know but who you know. One of the things I learned from Louis is the value of continuously building your network, which in turn continuously builds your net worth.?

3. It’s not what others can do for you, it’s what you can do for others.

An intrinsic aspect?of networking is providing value to others in your network. People are going to be more likely to want to connect with you and your business if they see that they will benefit from the relationship. Do not just think about what you will get out of networking with another person but also what that other person will get from you. From Luis I have learned the phrase “giver’s gain,” which exemplifies networking and the need to provide value to others. He has also taught me that you do not know where someone will be in the next decade and so it is always good to pay it forward and help others out in your network.

4. It takes time.

Everyone wants the shortcut, but that is not the way networking works. A strong relationship is not built overnight. A key aspect of networking is committing to continuously build the relationship. You need to follow up and continue to provide value to others in your network. It is through the long haul that you build the most beneficial and long-lasting connections. Louis has really taught me about patience in networking. His ever-recurring phrase is to “be patient”. I would venture to guess that he has given that exact advice to me over 500 times.

5. You get what you give.

Networking is a two-sided game. If you do not provide value to others in your network, you likely will not benefit from your network. Additionally, the more work you put into making connections and networking, the larger your network will be.?At the same time, you need to let networking come around naturally. Just because you help someone out does not mean that they owe you one.?