Networking Works!

By: Sandy Srebnick

Networking, if done correctly, can dramatically expand both your professional and personal horizons and that of your family. You may think this is a very far-fetched statement but it’s true.

I started networking in full force when I was downsized during the recession 10 years ago and did it very badly. Everyone said you had to network but no one ever explained how to do it effectively. I would network with many people (breakfast, lunch, dinner) but with little to show for it. I never had a strategic plan. It took me the better part of the last decade to learn that networking isn’t just about adding connections to LinkedIn or handing out business cards at networking events. Nothing happens from this unless you put in the hard work required. And it takes patience for your efforts to pay off.

Networking is about listening to and learning about the other person and asking how you can help them. It’s NOT about you. It’s about strategically and thoughtfully building relationships with people from all avenues of life – both personally and professionally. Your neighbors, friends, hair stylist, real estate agent, former and current colleagues, financial planner, accountant, lawyer, vendors, etc. Everyone has a network!

Developing mutual bonds takes time and effort and it’s usually not a quick reward. On average, it takes six months to a year or more for people to feel that they know and trust you. And when individuals know and trust you, they will introduce you to their network, to opportunities, and much more. From there, it takes on a life of its own. But you have to keep developing these relationships.

I strongly believe that networking should be taught in high schools and colleges to prepare students on how to utilize all the connections they’ve already made (teachers, professors, coaches, etc.) to better prepare them for entry into the field of their choice. Most graduates don’t have the first clue about how to network and why it could benefit them.

Using Zoom in the last thirteen months has given me the chance to connect with people I normally wouldn’t have met. Having one-on-ones or attending virtual networking events has afforded me the luxury of making new connections despite never leaving my office. It has also given me the time to cultivate these new relationships. In addition, I’ve reached out to many of my former colleagues who I hadn’t spoken with in years and have reestablished our friendships.

Networking during Covid has also provided introductions to my colleagues’ network which has resulted in business opportunities that I normally never would have had access to.

What I enjoyed doing the most during this time working from home is introducing various people from my own network to each other. These are professionals that may have common synergies, don’t know each other, but can actually benefit from this new association. I already have countless examples where these introductions have paid off handsomely.

Networking really works. And if you don’t know how, my friend, Jack Killion, has written a fantastic book to explain it all: Network: All the Time, Everywhere with Everybody: Master Your Life & Career.

There will always be naysayers who are not interested in talking with you or are suspicious of your motives, but the majority of people are open to the possibilities that networking brings. Try it. It may actually change your world. I can certify that this process can produce amazing results.