No matter how great of a networker you are, everyone had networking experiences that aren’t as great as we hoped. From bad handshakes, being unable to connect, rudeness, selfishness, we’ve all experienced poor networking experiences. They waste our time, and ultimately are not worth it. There are some ways to reverse the damage, or prevent a networking experience from going poorly.
Here’s some great advice to prevent and salvage bad networking experiences.
Time is one of the world’s most valuable resources. With only so many minutes in the day, we are constantly rushing to beat the clock. Everyne is so busy, and has a high valuation on their time.
Some people are easier to reach than others, but often it is harder to reah busier and higher level executives and proffesionals.
When reaching out and communicating with these people it is important that you make sure to value their time and also value your time as well. By putting a high valuation on time you will make your conversation more efficient, and will show your new connection that you value their time and expertise.
Here is some advice for reaching out to the very busy.
Engagement during a conversation is essential to making great connections. When networking, making sure the person you are talking to is engaged is crucial, because it will help make your conversation memorbable and personal.
Here is the best question that people love to answer when networking.
Your circle of influence is one of the most important aspects of your professional development.
Reid Hoffman once said that the fastest way to change oneself is to hang out with people who are already the way you want to be.
The people you surround yourself around have a great influence on you. So why not surround yourself with the best people to help you reach your ultimate potential. Here are 4 steps to grow your circle of influence.
I’m an introvert.
I always have been.
The idea of networking, and going out to meet new people used to be something that scared the life out of me. In a way it still is.
However as I’ve gotten older, I’ve become to see the importance of networking and realized that you don’t need it to help you get places, you need it TO GET places. I’ve slowly learned that networking is a necessity in the professional world. It took a while to get comfortable with the concept of networking, but once I got used to it I realized that it was an invaluable tool for career development.
Here are 7 networking tips and tricks that helped me get out of my shell and learn to enjoy networking.
Following up is such an important action when it comes to networking, and the industry standard is to follow up with an email. Emails are so crucial to networking because they allow you to contact a person in a professional manner. However when sending emails many people do it incorrectly.
“Curiosity is more important than knowledge.” ― Albert Einstein
Being Curious is such a crucial skill when it comes to life. The ability to ask new questions allows you to get deeper insights and learn so much more. They say curiosity killed the cat, but in the right amounts and in the right situation, it can help you. Curiosity is more important than knowledge, because it encourages you to ask more which will help you learn more and expand your knowledge.
When it comes to networking, asking these questions will help you get the most of networking.
Email signatures provide you a way to express your voice as you sign off your message. They are crucial in ending your message, because it allows you to chose the tone of your message and provides meaning to your message. Most of the time your signatures are professional, but sometimes you have the opportunity to put a little life and humor into your sign off.
Here are 7 hilarious Email Signatures to brighten your day.
Networking is like a game of strategy.
In order to get the most out of networking, you have to approach it strategically. You can simply go out and introduce yourself to people, but in order to make meaningful connections you have to put a little more effort in and really plan out your networking strategy. Here are 6 tips to maximize your networking potential.
When it comes to networking, its all about standing out from the crowd and making that killer first impression. One of the easiest ways to impress a new connection is to write a simple thank you note. That new connection spent some of their valuable time to talk to you, so writing them a thank you note shows that you valued their time, and is a great way to help build your relationship. Sometimes the small personal touches are the touches that count. So the next time you want to leave a lasting impression on someone new write them an unforgettable thank you note using these tips and tricks.
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