The following article appeared in a recent issue of Magazine Soho, which can also be found at Sohobiztube.com.
Tap Into a Network of Experts
Without effective and proper networking techniques, you may not be maximizing your time while attending events or when reaching out to other professionals. While people have their own networking style that works for them, it may not work for others.
You need to do what works best for you and your personality. At the same time, it never hurts to learn new ideas about networking from other professionals who have been successful.
Learn From Speakers, TrainersFrom time to time, you may notice that events or seminars exist where a professional is speaking about networking. Take these events seriously if you want to improve your networking skills.
Most of these professionals are speaking from experience and you will have a chance to learn about networking techniques that have worked for others. Some of the ideas talked about will resonate with you while others may not work for you.
If you need a refresher on networking and would like to get advice from an expert, you might want to consider signing up for one of these seminars. It’s worth your time if you come away with one new idea. Also, what you learn may reinforce some of your own techniques.
Read Articles, BooksAnother great way to learn about networking is by reading articles and books written by experts. These are great resources that can put your networking efforts into perspective. Because many of these writers are also professional speakers, you may be able to learn from them in more than one way.
Some of these writers walk you through exercises that can help you to focus your networking while others give you quick and basic networking information that’s easy to remember. Depending on your level of networking sophistication, you can find articles or books that will be helpful for your current style or take you to the next level.
Seek Advice From Your ColleaguesAn easy way to learn about networking is to talk to people you know. Brainstorm with your colleagues about their networking style to find out what works and what doesn’t work for them. At the same time, share with them your networking techniques so they can also learn from you.
If you’re not sure what to do in certain situations, ask your colleagues for their advice because they may have been in a similar situation. As always, it’s helpful to learn from others who have networking success stories to share.
By reaching out to other professionals for networking advice, people in return may seek advice from you. After all, each person uses different networking techniques that work for some and not for others. When you share advice back with your network, you are continuing to build your relationships. This is very important for relationship building.
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