Networking Insight

How Do You Stay Relevant with Your Network?

The more people who you meet that become part of your network the more difficult it is to stay in front of them.  In order to maintain your network, you need to find ways to stay relevant.  Below are some techniques to consider:

Email or Newsletter

Send out an email or newsletter on a regular basis so your name is continuously in front of your network. However, don’t just send anything out. Make sure that the content is valuable and interesting to people. 

Blog

Create your content by setting up a blog. Share your thoughts and respond to peoples’ comments so you have a two way communication.  Share your blog posts with your network.

Twitter

Become active with Twitter by tweeting content that is relevant several times every day.  Follow others in your network and re-tweet them, which shows that you are paying attention to them.

Website

Set up a personal Website that shows your expertise and provides valuable content.  Link all of your activities to this site so your network can go to one place to find what you are doing.

Speak

Find opportunities to speak about your subject matter expertise. Inform your network of these speaking opportunities so they may not only listen to you speak, but also they may see you as an expert.

Articles

In addition to a blog, find opportunities to write and publish articles in publications or blogs. By others accepting your articles, you are further demonstrating your expertise.

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Why Your Network is Your Greatest Personal Asset

Throughout your professional careers, you will amass a good sized network. Don’t take this lightly. Your network is one of your greatest personal assets for the following reasons:

It is Portable

Relationships are built between individuals not companies. Therefore, you can take your network with you no matter what company you work for or start. If you are in sales or business development, then this is a key hiring decision for many employers.

It Defines You

Your network to a certain extent defines you because it is a reflection of who you associate yourself with.  Your personal brand resides with your network so they are your most important allies.

It Opens Up Doors

Having a sizable and diverse network can lead to new opportunities.  As long as you stay in front of  your network and provide continuous value, certain people will approach you with new opportunities.

It is Your Life Line

In times of need, you should be able to reach out to certain people in your network for assistance. It is good to have a diverse network so you always can find someone to help you.

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Act as a Resource to Provide Value to Your Network

 
One of the best ways to engage your network is to continuously act as a resource for them.  Establishing yourself as a resource takes time and effort and requires credibility and trust. Proactively help others and let them know that you will be a resource for their needs.

Ways to help include making connections, performing research, answering questions, and providing recommendations. Over time, people in your network will come to you with various needs. The more that you help the more that you will be taken serious.

Let others know about your subject matter expertise.  Once this happens, many requests for help may fall into your expertise, which will add to your credibility.

Establish yourself as a connector. The more people who you meet the larger your network could become. With a diverse network, you will be able to connect people together. Making connections is a great way to be a resource.

In order to sustain your network over time, you need to provide value so they not only remember you but also appreciate your relationship. Acting as a resource can provide ultimate value.

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Leverage Your Existing Relationships for Strategic Introductions

One of the benefits of networking is that you get to meet a variety of people.  As you get to know people, they become part of your extended network. It takes time, effort, and patience to build quality relationships. If done effectively, then you will be able to build a sustainable network of people who trust you.

It is important that you continuously provide value and assistance to people in your network. Make connections when possible. Over time, your network will view you as a trusted resource. Once this happens, you will be able to ask certain people for help.

Leverage your network to meet others who can be helpful to your business or career. Utilize LinkedIn to find out who is connected to whom. Also, let people in your network know who you are trying to meet so they can make introductions if they know the right people.

Don’t just ask to be connected to anyone.  The connections should be strategic to your end goal whether personally or professionally.  Give your contact guidance as to why you want to be connected. Chances are that the introduction will be strategic for all parties involved.

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Seven Ways to Take Advantage of Memorial Day Weekend for Building Relationships

 
Each year, we get together with family and friends for Memorial Day weekend. It is a nice time to unwind and socialize with some of the people we care about. It is a great opportunity to get to know people better, which can strengthen your relationships.

Below are seven ways to take advantage of this holiday weekend to build stronger relationships:

1. Accept a colleague’s hospitality, whenever possible, to join in on his/her celebrations

2. Get to know people on a personal level by socializing in a new environment

3. Follow up and follow through with email communication since you will have some down time

4. Strategize on who you want to connect with when the holiday is over

5. Share with family and friends what you do for a living and what you are looking for

6. Write blog entries or articles that you can leverage for your personal brand

7. Relax and show your fun side with people

What other ideas do you have?

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What Kind of Networker Are You?

Everyone has a different reason to connect and build relationships. We each have our own agenda and goals. Some of our goals are shorter term than others. What kind of networker are you? 

The Taker

When you meet this type of networker, you are usually asked to provide some help.  These networkers are more focused on themselves so they are more interested in how you can help them. They may or may not ever ask how they can help you.  It is okay to often help but make sure that it goes both ways. You don’t want this kind of networker to take advantage of you.

The Giver

The flipside of The Taker is the networker who is always asking how he/she can help you. Some of the more successful relationship builders are givers and don’t expect anything in return. However, it is important that when you do need help that you ask for it. 

The Salesman

When talking with this type of networker, he/she is trying to sell you on his products or services. Most often, this person only cares about making a sale before getting to know you. These types of networkers can turn people off from the process of relationship building.

Long Term Builder

In order to build sustainable relationships, you should be thinking long term. This type of networker takes time to build a relationship because he/she wants to keep in contact with you for years to come. Therefore, you won’t be sold and this person is more of a giver.   

What other kinds of networkers are there?

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10 Phrases that Describe Successful Networking

The process of networking takes time to see results. Don’t expect your efforts to pay off overnight. Building relationships is a long term activity. Below are 10 phrases that describe successful networking:

1. Continually connect with new people

2. Build new and existing relationships

3. Follow-up with new people who you meet

4. Follow through on what you promise

5. Personally brand yourself as a subject matter expert

6. Always offer to help others first

7. Consistently stay in touch with your network

8. Make introductions to bring people together

9. Always be genuine and attentive to other people’s needs

10. Be yourself and have fun

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Stay Connected to be Connected

In order to truly be connected with people nowadays, you need to connect through various methods. While face-to-face interaction is still extremely important, don’t rely exclusively on it to stay in touch. You need to find what communication tools your network is using and connect with them.

Most of us are now using some form of online networking such as Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter. Continue to use these services if you want to stay connected. In fact, you should be using multiple services to stay in touch. Each service will provide a different perspective about each person.

In today’s world, you need to utilize both online and offline methods to stay in touch. Regardless of how you met someone (online or offline), you should combine online and offline interaction. While a purely online relationship works, it can’t replace in person interaction. Obviously, it is difficult to see everyone in person, especially if they are overseas. Try using a service like Skype so you can have a live conversation.

If you met someone in person, then technology is a great way to stay connected and manage your relationship. If you met someone online, then connect in multiple ways via technology and find a way to speak with or meet in person.

Take the time to use various methods to stay connected with your network. Otherwise, you will have a difficult time managing your relationships.

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10 Encouraging Words about Positive Relationships

Having the right relationships can make or break your network. Therefore, spend your time and effort building quality and sustainable relationships. If any of your existing relationships become hard to manage or turn negative, then it is okay to part ways. Below are 10 words of encouragement about having positive relationships.

1. Easy

2. Helpful

3. Friend

4. Partner

5. Advice

6. Connect

7. Listen

8. Comfortable

9. Brand

10. Strategic

What other words can you think of?

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What is the Make Up of Your Network?

 

Each of has our own network of people who we personally and professionally leverage. In fact, for most of us our network defines us. How do you define your network?

As you look into the make up of your own network, who is it comprised of? By categorizing each contact, you will get a very good sense of who you are connecting with on a regular basis. Organizing your contacts is critical for you to efficiently manage your relationships. While it may be painful to do so, take the time to go through each contact in your database.  It is a good idea to do this every couple of months so you can keep your Rolodex up to date.

As you go through your contacts, you will notice if you are connecting with people in your industry, executives, investors, etc.  Is your network comprised of who you want to be meeting? Think about who you want to meet and focus your efforts on meeting those people.

With each new job or opportunity, you usually have to build new relationships. With an organized Rolodex, you will know right away if you already have these relationships in your network or if you need to meet new people.

Treat your network as one of your biggest assets. It is something that you can take with you to each employer or company you may start. No one can take it away from you.

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