Networking Insight

Find a Key Employee Through Your Network

Your network is such a valuable asset that you should be able to find a key employee. Figure out who you need and put together a description.  Once the description is ready, think about who in your network that you should ask for assistance. Be strategic and start asking those who you think would best be able to assist you.

Initially, focus on contacting those who you have a good relationship with because they know you the best. Hopefully, you have provided enough value that they will assist you.  People feel good about helping others so put yourself in that position with your network. Make sure to reciprocate as well.

The power of numbers is extremely helpful when trying to find a new key employee. The more people who you ask to assist you the more potential candidates. Those who you contact should know you well enough to be able to find some quality people who are a good match.

Most job opportunities are found through someone's network. The same thing applies for finding a key employee. Leverage your biggest personal asset, your network, to find key staff to assist you in growing your company. Entrepreneurs find most of their early hires this way.

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Five Ways to Stay Top of Mind with Your Network

Building and maintaining relationships takes time and effort. It can be challenging to stay connected to everyone in your network. As a result, you may lose touch with some good contacts.  By staying top of mind, you will stay more relevant with certain people and you will be able to maintain more of your relationships over the long term.

Below are five ways to stay top of mind with those in your network.

1. Create a newsletter - Develop your own newsletter that you send out monthly or quarterly. Make sure to have valuable content vs you just selling your product or service.

2. Host your own events - From time to time, host your own event and invite those in your network. Events are a great way to bring your network to you.

3. Make introductions - When appropriate, connect people together. Your contacts will appreciate you thinking of them, especially if they end up doing business together.

4. Meet for lunch or drinks - Each week, you should make an effort to meet with someone in your network for lunch, coffee, or drinks. You should have most of your lunches full each week. Face time is important for relationship building.

5. Write articles - Spend time writing blog posts or published articles. Once completed, send them to your network. Branding yourself around a subject matter expertise is a great way for people to remember you.

What other ways can you stay on top of mind with your network?

Seven Reasons for Entrepreneurs to Get Excited About Their Network

Building a quality and diverse network can be a great asset to any professional. So, if you take the time to nurture your network, then you will reap the benefits, especially if you are building your own company.

Here are seven reasons to get excited about your network, especially if you are an entrepreneur:

1. Clients - You should be getting introductions from people in your network. The new referrals could turn into new clients. Take the introductions serious. You never know what could happen

2. Employees - You should be getting introductions to potential employees. Or you may meet potential employees at events. Either way, most potential employees will be found through your network.

3. Strategic Partners - You should be getting introductions to potential partners. The more that you build up your brand and reputation, the more that people will think of you and make these introductions.

4. Capital - The main way to raise capital is through your network. Leverage your network when you are raising capital. At some point, you may get introductions to investors.

5. Friends - One of the benefits of building quality relationships is that you will also form friendships with some of your business acquaintances.

6. Your Personal Brand - Over time, your personal brand will be enhanced. The more that you positively interact with others, the more they will see you as a subject matter expert. When this happens, referrals and opportunities will come your way.

7. Learn - By interacting with various people, you will learn about businesses, industries, products, services, etc. Make sure to absorb what people have to say. You will become more in tune with various areas of business.

What other reasons should be you excited about your network if you are an entrepreneur?

 

What Does Networking Mean to You?

Business networking has various meaning and impact for people. For some, it is a means to an end. For others, it may be a natural part of every day life. Regardless of the meaning, we can admit that is an important aspect of doing business.

So, what does networking mean to you? Why do you take part in this activity? Do you even realize that you are networking? Let's take a deeper dive into what networking is according to Wikipedia:

Networking is a socioeconomic business activity by which businesspeople and entrepreneurs meet to form business relationships and to recognize, create, or act upon business opportunities, share information and seek potential partners for ventures.

Let's break this apart further:

Networking is a socioeconomic business activity - We can agree that networking is a social activity with people talking to one another. Also, it often takes places in a business environment whether physical or virtual.

Businesspeople and entrepreneurs meet - Often networking is associated with the business world so professionals, which include entrepreneurs often interact on a regular basis as part of doing business.

Recognize, create, or action upon business opportunities, share information, and seek potential partners for ventures - The reason that businesspeople interact with another is for a reason. They want to make something happen to move their career or companies forward. Many times there is an action step that needs to be taken after talking with someone. When this happens, then networking starts becoming relationship building.

So, why do you network? Are you looking for a particular result?  

 

11 Inspiring Words about Relationship Building During the Holidays

Holidays are a great time of the year to get together with family and friends. It is a time to build up your relationships and connect on more of a personal level with people in your life.

Below are 11 words of inspiration during the holidays as you build your relationships:

• Friend
• Family
• Trust
• Connection
• Rekindle
• Love
• Fun
• Happy
• Time
• Appreciation
• Understanding

What other words come to mind?

Eight Benefits of a Good Connection

Every business network contains a variety of people. It is important to maintain the relationships that are close. At the same time, it is good to nurture the newer relationshps because they could turn in close relationships. Below are eight benefits of a good connection:

• Receive referrals
• Become friends
• Get advice / guidance
• Assist one another
• Build up your credibility by association with a particular person
• Build up your personal brand
• Get career opportunities
• Get company opportunities

What are some other benefits of a good connection?

Top Ways to Stay in Touch with Your Network

Staying in touch with your network is critical to maintaining your relationships. You should find ways to connect with certain individuals as well as your network as a whole. So, you need be committed and consistent. Otherwise, some of your relationships may go away. It is hard work but worth the effort.

Below are several top ways to stay in touch with your network:

Set up email newsletter or group email - Create a newsletter or group email that will allow you to send a regular message to those in your network. Make sure that it provides value and keeps people informed on what you are doing.

Set up individual meetings - On a regular basis, set up individual meetings either in person or by phone to catch up with people. Find out how you can assist someone during the conversation. Live communication is critical for building your relationships.

Host your own events or gatherings - Take the time to organize a network event or casual gathering. Once it is set up, invite your network. They will appreciate the opportunity to see you. Make sure that you connect people together at the events.

Invite individual people to events or outings - When appropriate, invite someone to join you at an event, outing, etc. so you can get to know one another better. The other person will appreciate you thinking of him or her.  Make sure that you bring the appropriate person so this person will gain value.

What other ways do you stay in touch with your network?

 

 

 

20 Words to Describe Networking Excellence

Building relationships takes time, effort, and energy. The results can be very rewarding or disappointing. If done effectively, then you can reap the benefits during your entire career.

Below are 20 words that describe the feeling or result from efficiently building long-lasting relationships:

1. Excitement
2. Respect
3. Connections
4. Trust
5. Friendship
6. Expert
7. Reputation
8. Client
9. Career
10. Job
11. Partner
12. Happiness
13. Satisfied
14. Speaker
15. Brand
16. Referral
17. Capital
18. Mentor
19. Alignment
20. Fun

What other words come to mind?

Build Strategic Partnerships to Make Things Happen

When building business relationships, it is important to be thinking about synergies and ways to assist one another. As you feel comfortable with certain people, you should discuss ways in which you can work together.  Rather than selling your services / products to one another, you can form a strategic relationship.

Strategic relationships have both parties in mind so you both can benefit at the same time. Figure out what type of relationship you want to have such as referral partners, event sponsors, business partners, etc. Once you decide on the strategy that works for both of you, then you can take your relationship to the next level.

Spend time putting a plan together as to how you will assist one another. For some relationships, you may form an exclusive arrangement where you will only send prospective clients to your strategic partner. For other relationships, you may cross promote each others' services at an event or in marketing materials. While with other relationships, you may pursue clients together in one proposal.

Over time, these relationship will flourish if nurtured properly and effectively. Having these type of strategic partners in your network is critical to making things happen. Take some of your relationships to the next level by matching synergies and goals so you can grow strategically together.

 

Five Ways to Engage with Your Network

Your business network is one of your most important assets. Make sure to nourish it and take it very seriously.

Below are five ways to engage with certain people in your network:

1. Invite people to lunch - An easy way to re-connect and continue to build relationships is to invite people to lunch.  Focus on having lunch several times a week with new people.

2. Connect via Social Media - Take the time to engage via social media with the business community. Seek out your contacts and follow them. LinkedIn is a must tool for business professionals.

3. Invite people to events - Let people know which events you will be attending. That way, they can decide to join you. Events are a great way to re-connect.

4. Make introductions - One of the most important actions you can take with your network is to make introductions with new people. Find synergies to connect certain people together. People in your network will appreciate the gesture and often return the favor.

5. Send information of interest - When you find articles or resources that you believe someone in your network will benefit from, send the information. The person will be thrilled that you thought about him/her and you will stay top of mind.

What other ways do you engage with your network?