What if we rekindle your passion for networking again?
What if we sharpen your vision on the subject of Networking again?
Before you Start reading, Click the play button below and enjoy the beautiful song from Fiokee and Raybekah titled “Cut Soap”
Do you know that the contract you want hinges very much on your network?
Someone needs to cut soap for you.
In the previous article we talked about collaboration and how to maximize it. Click here if you haven’t read it.
Networking is what fosters collaboration. A good percentage of successful companies have their genesis from meeting at an event or even online. This demonstrates the power of networking.
As creatives we always have an idea, a project we’re actively working on and looking to take on a big scale but we also don’t mostly have resources to achieve our goal. It is at this juncture that your network speaks for you, how valuable your network is demonstrated in situations like this.
You’ve probably made efforts to improve your network but you’ve not been successful. In the next few paragraphs we’ll see what you’ve done wrong and how you can get a better network.
Let’s highlight the mistakes first. Shall we?
The last influential person you tried connecting with was unsuccessful because of your ambitions. You just wanted to gain immediate access, you wanted to be acknowledged in a short time or you probably wanted to receive some favour just after meeting that person. If you didn’t know, that approach is wrong.
Persons of influence have a similar pattern of operations, they understand the concept of relationships and are careful to make friends and meet new people.
No man wants to associate with a person that only receives with nothing to give. As you try to connect with people, be sure to make yourself valuable. You don’t want to be parasite, you’d rather be a fertilizer
When trying to network with a person you want to know what you want, it’s important to know what the person possesses that you need.
Knowing what you see in an individual that you desire to have helps with your manner of approach, which increases your chances of starting the relationship off on the right foot.
The last time you met an influential person at an invite, you probably asked for a selfie and got it. Nothing more. Selfies are not bad but as a person looking to build profitable network, you should be trying to make yourself memorable
The people you want to connect with are humans too and definitely prefer to encounter genuine respect and admiration than some parasitic vibe.
Most of the people that you want to connect with are used to giving, so if you offer value to them, you’ll be successful with building a strong relationship with such a person.
A hundred and one people are also trying to connect with the people you intend to start a relationship with, thus you have to be memorable.
It’s common for people to ‘pitch’ themselves on first meeting but when you decide to take the other way by making it about the person and little about you, you’re bound to be successful. Say for example, you meet at an event rather than do some pitching, ask thoughtful questions. Your chances of building something good that way is high, whoever will definitely not remember all the names heard but will from time to time remember you that asked a question.
When you’re successful with starting that relationship on the right foot, sooner or later your intentions will be probed but if you’re aimless and ‘just want to be associated with you’, you’ll probably help a man achieve his dreams when you’re not sure if part of your dream is working to achieve this dream.
Knowing why you’re connecting with an individual is very important, you don’t want to become a replica of another man.
P.S. These nuggets work in most cases, whether the desired connection involves an influential person or not.
What other nuggets do you use in networking? Kindly comment, let’s learn from you.