According to Shel Horowitz, award-winning author of "Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First," networking is the cornerstone of business building. Like many of the experts I talked to, Shel emphasizes the importance of focusing on what you can give to others, as opposed to what you want to get. His top tips:
- Look for ways you can add value and help others; they will in turn add value for you, eventually
- Find ways to encourage others to sing your praises within the group
- Provide--and seek--a balance of personal information and help, so you stay human, but are also seen as a well of useful information
- Ask others about their family, interests, etc., and then perhaps send little gifts or article links/clippings relevant to those interests
- In general (there are exceptions), keep private the thank-yous and other chatter that doesn't add value to others (unless you can demonstrate a lesson or principle through it).
I asked Bill Saleebey, Ph.D., author of "Connecting: Beyond the Name Tag," how one maximizes their networking potential. According to Saleebey, the key to successful networking in today's marketplace is to "cross" network by belonging to different, yet complementary groups, online networks and consistent follow up. "Go wide and deep at the same time," says Saleebey. "Get to know a lot of people and simultaneously nurture and develop those relationships. Online networking sites
not only favor introverts and tech savvy people, but also provide a free digital presence that allows you to be known to many people in widely disparate locations." Saleebey's method of networking
utilizes the findings of psychology and brain researc to inform business people about how to really connect with others.
|
Please keep your comments relevant to this entry.
Use the form below to add comments. Inappropriate or purely promotional comments may be removed. E-mail addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. Your e-mail address is what makes your comments unique, not your user name.
|
