Getting the most out of our Networks.

Photo credit: thenextweb.com

Networking is a key component of our daily lives whether at work or at social events, it is always an opportunity to network and create relationships.

In our day to day lives, business networks are key to enable us sell our ideas to other people, grow our businesses and learn from other people.

What is business networking?

Business networking is defined as the process of establishing a mutually beneficial relationship with other business people and potential clients and/or customers.

To grow our businesses, improve in our corporate work places and learn faster, networking is very important.

Networking doesn’t have to be slimy or icky. You don’t have to bring 100 business cards and hand out every single one nor do you have to shake every hand in the room. If you network for the sale you may get one sale but if you network for the connection, then you have gained so much more.

Some tips on networking that will help you build a solid foundation and grow a strong circle of connections include:

Figure out who matters most. These are the contacts whose presence in your life is clearly valuable to your career. Once you've identified your critical few, make sure to keep regular contact. You should know what their interests are and follow up with them around those.

Be yourself from the start. Anyone will see right through you if you’re putting on “airs” in order to impress them. People want to do business with people they like so be authentically you.

If you want to connect with someone, find a way to help that person. It's easy to assume that a wealthy and successful contact already has everything he or she desires and wants nothing from the likes of you. If you're thinking that way, get over it. It's always worth the trouble to find out a contact's desires and concerns. The chances are high that you'll be able to find something worthwhile you can offer.

Think people, not positions. It's a lot easier to get to know someone and form a connection early in that person's career. It's not that easy to break into the inner circle of 50- or 60-year-old executives. It's a lot easier to build up that equity early. So think about who in your network seems to be going places and is really interesting and make a strong connection. Even if they don't become an influencer, it'll be an interesting relationship.

Make the effort. Events are high energy and people get wrapped up in the moment. As soon as they return back to work, that quickly weans and its business as usual. Make the effort to stay in touch. A short email, text, or even snail mail communication is often met with pleasant surprise.

Be a good addition. You meet people every single day and not every person is going to be a good fit for your network. The reverse is true. Many people will meet you and not jive with you in that way. When there is a mutual connection, be sure to be a good addition to their network. Be someone they can count on and it is very likely that they will do the same.

Be generous. You have to have a generous spirit. The greatest networkers genuinely like to help others. They're always doing it. And if they ever do need anything, people will fall over themselves to help them.

Networking doesn’t have to be filled with horror stories. Sure, not everyone is open and welcoming. You will be met with resistance from time to time and that is just the nature of the beast.

A professional network can help your career in many ways including getting a job, promotion and even leveraging a raise. However, to achieve all of that you need to step outside your comfort zone and start connecting with other people in your field. 

Remember that you can’t just build the relationships, you need to maintain them by following and keeping up with all of your connections.

Your net worth is only as good as your network.