A Dozen Simple Ways to Improve Your Networking – Part 2

Networking is not something you do when you need to get a job or attract new customers. Networking is a lifestyle discipline that should be started by the time you graduate high school.

Every skill required in networking you likely know and have used in past interactions. Now it is a matter of applying some best practices to what you already know to become an effective networker. I presented Tips One through Six in our previous post ; now let’s tackle Tips Seven through Twelve:?

Seven: Share After They Have Shared. Keep your sharing to 40% or less of the conversation. Be concise, warm, and tell mini stories. They will ask follow-on questions if they want to know more. The worst thing you can do is to go into detail they will likely find boring!

Eight: Keep it Positive.? No one is attracted to negative people, so avoid any conversation that is negative, like complaining, gossiping, or talking about how bad things are. Instead, express a level of positive excitement in all you say.

Nine: Practice Effective Body Language. Body language communicates your interest. Smile from the eyes as well as the mouth and heart. Listen with the eyes as well as the ears. Stand alertly but not aggressively. Your body language should invite conversation and demonstrate your interest in what is being said.?

Ten: Gather Contact Information. Make sure you get their contact information, which includes phone, email and possibly their social media and/or website information. Invest in business cards with your contact information to make it easier for others. Learn how to share contacts on your cell phone. Record the information in your cell phone, address book, or email.

Eleven: Send a Follow-Up. Send them a quick email or text to let them know that you enjoyed meeting them. Mention something that showed you were listening. Invite them to connect with you via LinkedIn and other social networks.?

Twelve: Seek Opportunities to Meet People. There are opportunities everywhere to meet people. Most towns and cities have local networking groups (Google “Top Networking Sites” or “Virtual Networking In {topical area}” to find events in your area or area of interest). Every profession has associations. You can meet people in the checkout line. Or in your neighborhood. Where you go to school or work. At social events. At a ballgame. You get the idea – Anywhere! And think…if you made it a point to meet just one new person every day, at the end of a year you’d have over 350 new people in your network!

Thirteen: Bonus: Grow Your LinkedIn Network. Research shows the power of LinkedIn is in the number of second level connections you have (people connected to your first level connections). Why? Because you come up more readily in their searches, making you easy to find. ?Your goal for first level connections by the end of 2024 should be 2,500 LinkedIn connections.? ?

Bottom Line

Your mother was right…it’s not what you know but who you know.? In today’s world of 24/7 connectivity, becoming a highly effective networker means greater career success.

In what specific areas of your career might you apply all thirteen of these networking principles?

This article is derived from Boyer Management Group’s acclaimed course, Leading Through People 16 – Networking for Leaders .?

About me: For the past 25 years I’ve worked with some of the world’s top employers by helping them get the most out of their talented people. Thanks to our clients, the company I founded in 1998, Boyer Management Group, was recognized by CEO Monthly Magazine for its “Most Influential CEO Award, 2023” in the executive coaching field. Our coaching programs produce remarkable results in compressed periods of time. Our extensive?leadership development course catalog provides effective skills-building for everyone in the organization, from the new and developing leader to the seasoned C-level executive.? BMG boasts one of the most extensive sales and sales management curriculums anywhere, with behavioral assessments to help develop talent. I also help job seekers, higher ed, and employment services connect people to better jobs faster.?To find out more, please visit us at?www.boyermanagement.com , email us at [email protected] , or call us at 215-942-0982.?