listen to learn … about the speaker and yourself.
by steven e. sacks
the new fundamentals: thriving in disruption
there is no one right way to effectively network. you can join boards, attend conferences and sign onto various electronic forums, among other ways. no matter how you decide to get yourself “out there,” the critical factor is the approach you take. “how may i help you?” is the positive, proactive way to establish a relationship.
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you as the networker are seeking to build a relationship. if the other person or group benefits from your effort, think of it as an investment for the future. if you are looking for an immediate quid pro quo, it will become transparent to the other party. when you offer assistance, be authentic and sincere in your words and actions. follow through on your promises.
one sure way is to ask questions and listen to the responses. really listen. i am talking about what is actually being said and not waiting for the pregnant pause so you can toss in your thoughts. believe it or not, by listening you are learning – not only about the other person but about yourself as well. what did you hear that you can relate to and can apply to your own experiences?
“networking has been cited as the number one unwritten rule of success in business. who you know really impacts what you know.” – sallie krawcheck
the other person speaking is the subject and you are the object – the receiver of the information. practice being in the moment and be like former president clinton, who treated each person as if he or she were the most important person at that time in the room. show this by the questions you ask, your eye contact and your body language.
as dale carnegie said, “to be interesting, be interested.”
while there is a lot written about this topic, i suggest reading the book, “network like a fox: a targeted approach to building successful business relationships, in person and online” by nancy fox. nancy is the founder and president of the business fox. she has consulted to and coached hundreds of professionals and business owners in business development, networking and marketing.
it is an easy read, well organized and most important, is relevant to professionals in any industry or organization who want to establish or polish their approach to building relationships. because at the end of the day, irrespective of what your strategic plan is, it all comes down to people.