Why your Networking is not Delivering Results
At various intervals throughout your career, it is highly likely that you will be told that networking is critical to the success of your career goals. Most career professionals will agree that business networking can deliver great results but the chances are that there will be plenty of times when people think it is a waste of time.
Networking that isn’t delivering results is almost certainly driven by the fact that it isn’t being done properly. Many people believe that just turning up in a room full of people is an example of networking. It’s not. Networking is what happens when you’ve entered that room, and if you aren’t clued up into what happens next then you won’t be delivering results. Here are some of the things that you could be doing wrong.
You don’t have networking objectives
Time spent networking needs to be used wisely. Your time is, after all, a precious resource. If you have no networking objectives then it is unlikely that you will achieve anything. When making new contacts or meeting existing ones, it is always worth asking what you hope to achieve from the conversation. That could be something quite simple. It could be part of a longer-term aim, but if it’s just a conversation for the sake of a conversation then the chances are that you will be wasting your time.
You haven’t done your homework
Some networking is, of course, spontaneous and unexpected, but the chances are that you will have some advanced knowledge of a forthcoming meeting because you will have planned for it. Part of thatplanningincludes doing your homework. It is important that when you want to meet a new contact, you can clearly articulate what you can offer them and or what it is that you need from them. Similarly, when meeting somebody for the first time, it pays to have a plan about what it is that you want to say. Forbes.com recommends that you “introduce yourself with a prepared statement that gives people enough information to act on your behalf without putting them to sleep.”
You didn’t follow up
“We must catch up soon”. “You must send me over your resume”. “I’ll call you”.
These are fine sentiments, but worthless if nothing actually happens next. Always ensure that you do what you said you would do, when you said you would do it. It’s a simple rule, but one that so many people ignore or forget. Busy people might meet hundreds if not thousands of people every month and you will just be one of many. You need to work hard to ensure that you continue to build and nurture every relationship.
You’re selfish
Networking is only ever successful when it works both ways. You must see every member of your network in terms of what you can do for them, as well as what they can do for you.Hitek Consultingrecommends that you “forget about what you can get and focus on what you can provide”. This sensible train of thought works on the basis that if everyone is providing a service then, by default, plenty of people are receiving one. Selfish networking never lasts long.
You only ever deal with people you already know
Todd Pillars believes that this is probably themost common networking mistakearound. IT can be much harder to break into the unfamiliar and meet and greet new people but this is often where the most benefit can be found. Todd Pillars recommends that you “scan the room for the people that look lost and ask them if you can help and then see what happens”. What have you got to lose?
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