Simple and Effective Networking Tips

All of us knowingly or unknowingly do a lot of networking in our day today lives .

Networking is based on the premise that we humans need each other . It helps in building long lasting relationships and also to use our existing skills in a focused way.

Here is a list of “Dos” and  “Don’ts” for networking the right way so that it is effective and productive.

Dos:

1.   Be Positive , it rubs on others and often acts as a magnet for folks around.
2.  Be passionate , enthusiastic and objective but not emotional and subjective.
3.   Seek feedback and criticism , it is the most valuable market research one can obtain and its totally free.
4.   Always follow-up everything that you will say you will do however small the suggestion may be.
5.   Say “Thank-you” to people whenever the opportunity arises – especially to people who get taken for granted a lot.
6.   Understand what empathy means and bring it to practice during your interactions.
7.   Visit groups that spark your interest  in order to notice the tone and attitude of the group and to identify competent leadership.
8.   Ask open ended questions as opposed to the ones which can be answered with a simple “yes” or “no”.
9.   Listen with your eyes and try connecting at a deeper empathic level than normally business folks employ.
10.   Master networkers keep their eyes and ears open for opportunities to advance peoples interest whenever they can.
11. Big , relevant and strongly connected network inevitably captures lot of opportunities.  Last but not the least, try to be known as a powerful resource -  people remember to turn to you for suggestions, ideas, names of other people, etc. This keeps you visible to them.

Don’ts :

• Often network to network hopping ; it reflects the dissatisfaction levels and finicky nature of the person.
• Talking more than listening.
• Networking at inappropriate opportunities

“Successful people are just like you and me who possess refined networking skills”