How Can We Improve Our Networking?

Networking is a necessity in every area of our lives. Be it professional or personal, we need to get out there and meet people. In the case of mortgage professionals, where building and maintaining relationships is a big part of the job, we can’t afford to have lackluster networking skills.?Here are some strategies for networking that actually work:

Social Media

This is probably glaringly obvious these days, but social media is a tremendously effective tool for networking. You can share information and find like-minded people to connect with to build your networking circle. But just having social-media profiles isn’t nearly enough. If you want it to be an effective networking tool, you have to actually network. That means being social, reaching out and interacting with strangers, and responding in a timely manner. Some social networks are better than others for mortgage professionals. Your best bet is LinkedIn for referral partners and other professionals, followed by Facebook and Twitter. How you prioritize those last two depends on your target group, but wherever you start, start with one and go at it aggressively. Statistically, you should start to see positive results from social media at around 6 hours per week of effort. So, schedule an hour each day, every day, posting new content, reaching out to new connections, and commenting on things of interest.

Get Out There

What I mean by get out there is, go out into the real world. Conferences, events, shops, and other places where people gather are all great for networking. Strike up balanced conversations, trying to get to know others, and ask questions. Make sure that you go to places that align with your interests or industry to find the connections that are most beneficial. If you’re in a big city, you can probably find a group for anything and anyone. But if you’re in a less populous area, you may have to get creative and start your own group.

One Meeting Won’t Be Enough

Whatever the relationship is, you’re going to want more than one meeting. You want to talk and get to know them to build some rapport. The goal isn’t to just have more acquaintances, you want to build your relationship and turn a one-time meeting into a real networking opportunity.

Listen More Than You Talk

It’s important to talk about yourself, sure, but listening and learning about others’ interests can be vastly more beneficial. Share some information about yourself, your life, your business, your interests, but then ask questions and really listen to the answers.?

Relationships Require Maintenance

You should think of these networking connections in the context of a friendship. You might not be looking for a new best friend, but you want someone who can be a contact for you. That means talking, being there, and continuing to build on the relationship rather than letting it sit. Every relationship needs care and maintenance to prosper.

As your number of connections grows, you won’t be able to dedicate the same amount of time and attention to each relationship. But organically with time, you’ll begin spending more time on the relationships that hold greater importance and less on the others. Having a regularly-updated CRM is invaluable for keeping track of information for every relationship — whatever the degree of importance you place on it.

If you’d like to discuss any of this, or if there’s something else I can be of assistance with, don’t hesitate to get in touch. I’m always happy to set aside time to connect.