The Art Of Great Networking.
Networking has a bad reputation and is often abused for social activity. However, great networkers know the value and importance of the necessary and professional skills that make great networking a powerful strategy for building brands, developing strong partnerships, strengthening brand equity and credibility and increasing profitability for their companies.
What Is Great Networking?
Great networking is an intentional and cognitive exchange of ideas and information between professionals who share a commonality, special interest and/or opportunity. This exchange can be in person or virtually in information systems and professional social online forums. It is important to note great networking is not attending a meetup of anywhere from twenty to hundreds of local business people who are drinking, eating and sharing the latest rumors or assumptions about businesses and professionals. Great networking is a strategy not to be taken for granted.
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Why Networking Is Important
Great networking, when intentional and strategic, affords a professional an opportunity to create value, gain value and share value. The energy expended often results in an expansion of relevant knowledge and information associated with specific objectives aligned to key performance indicators. The expectation is all about results — developing and building key relationships; gaining support; and acquiring key data to continue progress and increase productivity. Improved professional credibility, brand equity, organizational and partnership vitality and profitability are a few positive and lasting outcomes from great networking.
How To Develop Great Networking Competencies
• Develop great networking skills. Honesty is always the best policy. Practice and execute active listening. Ask great questions that draw out key data and information naturally. Be sincere and authentic — always. Be approachable. Be prepared and organized. Most of all, be credible and trustworthy.
• Know why you need to network. Know where is the best location for networking, who you will need to network with, what you will need to create value while networking, when it is the best and optimal time to network and how you will create the highest and best value of your time and theirs.
• Research. This is a significant part of the “why.” Do your homework and prepare a solid strategy so you are maximizing your success and cultivating positive, lasting value for yourself and your organization.
• Collect resources. This is another significant part of your “why.” Prior to coming out of the gate, and parallel to the research, gather information and acquire the necessary tools and key resources to ensure the path to great networking is paved with optimizing each step. Consider resources such as communications, marketing and key team and leadership support that complement your efforts to connect and create valuable opportunities.
• Strategize. Establish a plan in advance. Engage your key team and leadership resources. Acquire necessary funding and tools to support your journey to connection and achievement. Write your high-powered scripts loaded with key questions. Then, practice, practice, practice to achieve those high-impact conversations that create business magic.
• Manage your energy. Make sure you are not wasting your energy on frivolous and worthless events, activities and socials. Be intentional and selective. It will pay dividends and create a vortex of positive experiences, lasting professional relationships and abundance for you and the company. Make sure to track and measure your connections, events and the impact of each. As Stephen Covey says, “Begin with the end in mind.”
• Be responsible, accountable, disciplined, courageous and humble. These key traits will get you far and connect you authentically to the people and companies that will assist you in reaching your goals and achieving success.
• Be grateful. When all is said and done, even along the way, show appreciation and be grateful for the support and milestones completed. Verbal thank-you communications are great in person, while the old-fashioned thank-you card is still king. Email thank-yous are ok, too, if coupled with either a verbal or note card approach.
When all is said and done, look back at the energy and resources spent and acknowledge best practices and lessons learned, and remember to follow up — internally and externally. Don’t get lost in the social network vortex that often crumbles the integrity of a professional and the organization they represent. Be the professional who is prepared, organized and highly credible and is known to earn the respect of others authentically. These are true signs of a great networker.
Forbes.com | December 11, 2019 | Lori Harris