Are you putting yourself out there on a regular basis and meeting new people?
Networking can be a nerve-racking experience for many people, and most people would rather stay home than mingle with a roomful of strangers.
Especially, in our internet era it’s so easy for people to get stuck behind their laptop and relate to everyone through the veil of a computer screen. I recently read a story about a guy who preferred dating an animated woman to real women and went as far as marrying her. Yes, it’s kinda funny but this really made me think about how we communicate with one another and the importance of having real face time and stepping outside of our comfort zones.
When you think about it relating to others only via email is very safe. You can carefully craft what you have to say and respond when you are ready. There really is no improvisation and thinking on your feet involved. There really isn’t an opportunity for your to mess up or look like a fool and do all the wonderful quirky things that make us human.
Although, I love meeting new people online it’s just as important to go out and meet the people you’ve been interacting with face-to-face whenever possible. This is one of the fundamentals of relationship building.
One of the other fundamentals is GIVING.
It’s all About Giving
Are you a great giver?
You may be asking yourself, “What does giving have to do with networking?”
Everything.
Many people view networking as a way to “get” something out of someone however true networking is really about building meaningful relationships based on reciprocity and mutual respect. I’d go as far to say that true networking is not about networking at all but about building lasting friendships.
Think about it. Wouldn’t you do anything to help your friends achieve their goals? When you look at the best networking relationships you will see at the core is also a friendship that surpasses the “what’s in it for me” attitude.
Are you really interested in other people beyond their resume? If not, you’re not truly building relationships. I suggest finding out what other people’s hopes and dreams are. You’d be surprised that even the most successful people still have dreams. Better yet once you find out what those dreams find ways to help that person achieve it.
When you come from a place of giving you also take off the pressure and meeting new people becomes a pleasurable experience.
I made a video for you all about networking after a meet-up I attended which served as my inspiration. Check it out.
Here are some ideas to network and deepen your relationships:
-Connect with people you meet on Skype. This adds spontaneity and also the conversations can be very simple just saying hello and finding out how the person’s day is going.
-Create a video telling your new friends how much you appreciate them.
-Make a special list for these folks on twitter and be sure to communicate with them on a weekly basis.
-Make a note of their interests, hobbies, children names, pet names, goals and dreams.
-Find local meet ups you can attend. Visit meetup.com to find out local events near you.
-Meet people who are outside of your industry.
So what do you think? What are your best networking tips online and off? Also, where do you go and network? Do you attend events? Please share your thoughts and ideas below in the comments section.
And of course please also share this post with your friends on twitter and facebook.
And be sure to check out the sister post that I mentioned that’s all about getting you in the doing. Click here to read it now.
I appreciate you all! Thank you for reading and watching!
Here’s to building lasting friendships,
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