Your social capital (the people you know) is extremely important in today’s fast paced world. Relationships are everything when it comes to business. That is a big reason why I spend so much of time and effort interacting with people.
Keep in mind that it is not the size of your network that is most important but rather the quality of individuals that you associate yourself with.
Be Seen in the Community
It is of utmost importance that you show yourself in your community. Attend events and interact with people. Do this on a regular basis so you get to know people better and are constantly meeting new people. Over time, you will have built a large network based on this activity alone.
Reach Out to Your Network
A quality network doesn’t happen overnight so you need to find ways to reach out to people. Create a newsletter or blog so you are constantly sharing valuable information to people. Invite people out for coffee or lunch so you can see them in person from time to time. Send articles of interest in various individuals. The point is that you need to always be in front of people.
Brand Yourself as an Expert
Focus on branding yourself as an expert on a particular topic. Once you decide on the expertise you want to be known for, let people know as much as you can by speaking at events, writing articles, publishing a blog, etc. The more consistently you let people know your expertise, the more you will brand yourself as an expert.
Display Good Character
You want people to see you as a trustworthy and dependable person so make sure that you adhere to this standard at all times. When you say you will do something, you better follow through. Always act in an honorable way and treat people how you want to be treated. People will want to be associated with you if you act in this way, thus, allowing you to grow your network.
Build a Database
As you meet people, you need to decide on which ones you would like to integrate into your network. It is impossible to maintain a quality relationship with everyone you meet. My goal is to meet 1-2 quality folks at an event that I can add to my network. You need to make sure that you are organized so put contact information in an electronic format so you can search and pull up names. Categorize people by industry or function so you can quickly pull up information. Take good notes from meetings and discussions with people and add to each person’s profile. This will be helpful for future conversations.
What other techniques do you use?
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Branding is so very important. Good article! Thanks for the encouragement!
Posted by: Lori | August 30, 2008 at 04:47 PM
Thanks. Yes, glad that you agree that branding is important.
Posted by: Jason Jacobsohn | August 31, 2008 at 07:55 AM
I would add to this: give before you receive. If you are giving something of value, then you are in a better position to ask favours should you need to. I like to think of it as putting a deposit in the bank of networking karma.
Posted by: Kate Saltfleet | September 01, 2008 at 10:30 AM
Yes, thanks Katie for reminding us of this. I like your phrase "deposit in the bank of networking karma". Very creative!
Posted by: Jason Jacobsohn | September 01, 2008 at 09:11 PM