I never valued networking enough...
...but I'm learning to place the right value on it. At my age, and at this stage in my career, it's not only more critical than it ever was, it's more difficult to ignore. I've met so many people -- why should I allow bridges to be burned with them? But in the past, that's exactly what I've done! I can't use the excuse that "engineers don't know how to do it" any more, either. I've been away from engineering for too long. Consultant Debra Fine gives a list of strategies that are sometimes overlooked for networking, and I wanna add comments to it:- Make yourself look approachable.
- Make other people feel comfortable.
- Set a specific task or goal for events.
- Ask open-ended questions.
- Express your interest in follow-up.
- Know before you attend an event what your networking goal is, because fortune favors the well-prepared. Even though chance occurrences may lead to your best networking opportunities, you must prepare as though chance will play no role at all. You must be ready.
- And you must have a ready answer to those who give you an opening, whether the opening comes through chance or preparation. I always tell entrepreneurs to be ready to explain their business idea within seven seconds in case they meet a rich investor on an elevator. But if you are that ready, you can give more information easily when a longer opportunity comes along.
- Don't just talk, listen. And don't you think for a minute that you can't leave an impression by listening.
- If you make a contact, make sure you write down the context. Make a note not only who the contacts are, but the way you met them and what -- as specifically as you can remember, without actually writing in front of them -- was discussed. And keep the records in a file! And keep the file where you can find it!
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posted by Ron @ 11:58 PM
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