Make Networking Work for You

Make Networking Work for You – 10 Tips and 10 Mistakes to Avoid

Knowing how to network can open up doors and create opportunities for you and your business. Polish your networking skills and you’ll be able to identify potential collaborators, develop mutually beneficial relationships, generate leads, and expand your influence and reach.

Follow these 10 tips (and avoid these 10 mistakes) and you’ll be on your way to great success as you make networking work for you.

10 Networking Tips:

1. Meet People Through Referrals

The best way to expand your network is through a referral from someone you know. That way, your mutual friend or acquaintance can put in a good word for you, connect you with someone compatible and truly helpful, and provide assurance that the person is trustworthy and reputable.

I have found Rotary to be an excellent place to ask for, share, and receive referrals over the years. Rotary is an international service organization that will help to make networking work for you.

2. Prepare Your Elevator Speech

An elevator speech is a quick explanation of who you are and what you do. It should be so concise that you could deliver in the time it would take you to ride an elevator. Rehearse it, but don’t memorize it word for word. Adapt your ‘pitch’ depending on who you’re meeting and the environment.

3. Do Your Homework

Before a networking event, research the people who will be there. If it’s an online event, see who has marked themselves as ‘attending’. If it’s an in-person event and you don’t have access to the list, hone in on the speakers and presenters. This way, you can better prepare what you’ll say and what you’d like to know about them.

4. Make a Good First Impression

Meet each person with a confident smile, steady eye contact, and a firm handshake. Practice at home in front of a mirror if you’re nervous or unsure of how you come across to strangers.

5. Look for Common Interests

Quickly establish something you have in common. Shared interests will build rapport much more effectively than generic small talk. As an employee while I was working as a classroom teacher, we mostly had similar interests; as an entrepreneur, I’m still amazed at the experiences people share with me.

6. Ask Questions and Listen Attentively

When networking, take the focus off yourself and place it firmly on the new people you’re meeting. Don’t ask questions that can be answered with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Instead, ask open-ended questions that will encourage discussion.

Practice active listening: summarize and paraphrase what they’ve said, nod your head in encouragement, and really pay attention. Remembering details about them will help you during follow-up conversations.

7. Leverage the Power of Social Media

Social media offers a variety of ways to network virtually. Use LinkedIn to connect with people online, while at the same time finding and attending offline networking events. Work your way towards a one-on-one meet up, either online or in person.

I like to use Twitter to connect with people all over the world. Just one tweet can and will speak volumes about who you are, what you believe, and how you show up in your life. For example, as I write this post it’s #InternationalSelf-CareDay and I was excited to share more about this on my Twitter feed.

8. Keep Your Online Presence Up to Date

Make sure your online presence is up to date, as people you meet will search for you afterwards. This includes all social media profiles and anywhere else you can be found on the internet.

NOTE: Use a current photo of yourself to build trust and make networking work more easily for you.

9. Be Proactive to Make Networking Work for You

You can make great connections by attending networking events, seeing who’s there, and meeting people by chance. But even better, decide who you want to meet and then find opportunities to connect with them.

10.  Get Out There and Mix with Others

Attend networking events and opportunities as frequently as your schedule will allow. The more you get out there and mix, the more you’ll establish valuable connections.

As an introvert, this was painful for me in the beginning. But once I took action and began connecting with people, it became more natural for me, and sometimes even fun.

I belong to an online networking group called Alignable – come aboard and connect with me at no cost – and these are the results of a survey they recently sent to the members…

10 Networking Mistakes to Avoid:

1. DON’T Network Without a Plan

Clarify your goals before you get out there and network. Decide what kind of relationships you’re looking for and how you want your new contacts to benefit your business.

2. DON’T Get Nervous

Everything’s going to be fine! Get into a relaxed state of mind and ready to have fun. You may want to practice some relaxation exercises before you go out. These days I meditate, and a five minute meditation in the car or my hotel room before I go in to a networking event works wonders for my mindset.

3. DON’T Make Assumptions

You’re there not only to make connections, but to also learn about the people you’ll meet. Don’t make assumptions about who they are or what they do. Ask and listen.

4. DON’T Deliver a Boring Elevator Speech

Your elevator speech should not only tell the other person who you are and what you do, but how you’re unique and why it’s beneficial to know you.

5. DON’T Stay in an Awkward Situation

If a person you meet is rude or unresponsive, don’t stick around. Move on to the next person. There’s nothing to gain by wasting time with someone who you won’t get along with.

6. DON’T Talk Too Much

You should be friendly and outgoing, but don’t dominate conversations. The best balance is to let the other person talk twice as much as you do. This was a learning experience for me, as I tended to dominate the conversation because I was so nervous. Once I relaxed into the situations I would encounter, I relaxed into being able to hear others in a way than honored the relationship I was building.

7. DON’T Get Negative

Don’t complain about the snacks, badmouth other people, or say negative things about companies you’ve worked for. Sometimes people try to build rapport by having a common enemy. This is dangerous in a roomful of strangers – you don’t know who they’re connected to. Instead, focus on constructive and positive conversation.

8. DON’T Cling to People You Know

We have a natural tendency to stick with what we know. This goes back to our experiences in high school, or even earlier for most of us. At networking events, make sure you mix with a variety of people, not just familiar faces. Approach people who are alone and draw them into conversation.

9. DON’T Demand Too Much from New Connections

Try to create opportunities to get in touch with new people you meet, but don’t ask too much of them at first. Focus on offering something beneficial to them instead. I love to offer to send them a copy of one of my books, and this opens doors that might otherwise not have been a way to further connect with someone.

10. DON’T Forget to Follow Up

The follow up is the most important part of networking. If you want to nurture a relationship, email or direct message them shortly after the event. Imagine running into those same people a year later, and having to make excuses for why you didn’t follow up with them earlier, as you promised to do.

I hope you can now see that you can make networking work for you, if you’re willing to learn some tactics and strategies and take action.

I’m author, publisher, and entrepreneur Connie Ragen Green and I would love to connect further with you. If  you have an interest in hosting video live streams, even if you’re an introvert, to help you skyrocket your way to success, please check out my comprehensive training for beginners at Video Live Streaming for Introverts so you may get started right away.