Networking. What’s it all about?
Growing your business? Making your sales quotas? Expanding your fundraising efforts? Finding your next job?
Actually, no. Networking is not about YOU or YOUR goals. Networking is about Karma. It’s about giving and then getting back what you give.
The most successful networkers look at each connection as an opportunity to do a good deed, to impart knowledge and to offer assistance or guidance. In fact, the most successful networkers are on a constant mission of “giving”.
Networking Karma: Try these exercises of giving and see what you get in return.
1) Be a Name Dropper. Next time you make a new contact, think of three or four people you know who could possibly benefit from making their acquaintance. Let them know about the new person you’ve met and how you think they might be able to help him or her. Is your new contact a nutritionist? Perhaps you know a personal trainer who would benefit by meeting someone in this complimentary (but not competing) field. Your friend, a personal chef, might also be a good contact for the nutritionist. Or perhaps you could mention your new contact, the nutritionist, at your next Weight Watcher’s meeting!
2) Sing praises, when deserving. Once your connection has proven him/herself to be exceptional in his or her field, go ahead and load on the personal praise. Recently, my new air conditioning system failed on a 80-degree day. My HVAC company responded immediately, stood behind the warranteed equipment AND quickly repaired the unit, waiving the usual fee for labor. I immediately took to Facebook and shared the story. (A few days later a friend’s air conditioner went on the fritz and he called me for the phone number of the HVAC group I “raved about” on Facebook.)
3) Offer advice, when solicited. No one likes a know-it-all, but you can tactfully offer your expertise when someone in your network requires it, without expecting or demanding payment in return. Once you are viewed as a resource, you will be referred by those people you’ve helped. A few years ago I went to a networking event and met Joe, an Executive Coach. He handed me a card that read, “FREE ADVICE FOR LIFE”. I’ve called him twice for clarity during some sticky professional situations and his expert guidance provided the perspective I needed. Although I’ve never paid for his services, I have enthusiastically referred Joe to several colleagues.
It doesn’t take much time or effort to spread the news, refer new contact or even reinvigorating a existing connections by thinking about who you know and how you can help them.
Remember, if every networker thought about what they could give rather than what they wanted to receive, all of our networks (and our businesses) would grow. After all, what comes around, goes around.