You want to grow your network but you don’t know how to do it. Get the essential information you need on best practices to follow to integrate, grow, and activate your network in this article.
Everything you need to know about networking
- A network is active and profitable if it consists of 100 to 150 people. Quantity doesn’t make quality. Quality First!
- Getting to the clubs usually takes time. You will rarely get an immediate response because above all else, establishing trust is the gateway to any relationship. Some people will sometimes be reluctant to give you the name of their contact if they think your presence is only out of business interest.
- Like you, other participants come to make contacts, develop their visibility, and recharge their batteries. Many are not there to sell their products or services. Few people have the opportunity to exchange and communicate in a setting outside their company and to break out of their isolation as a leader.
- Details matter! Your appearance plays a big role in the network because it is the image you give. There should not be negligence or inattention on the pretext of giving a good image at the meeting place.
- Communication during events should be brief and meaningful to give you the opportunity to meet as many people as possible. It’s not about being with the same person all evening. Thus, it is believed that 10 minutes may make you feel that your time is being wasted and vice versa. Sometimes someone grabs you and prevents you from seeing the other participants. Learn how to say goodbye with polite phrases you’ve prepared in advance.
what you need to do
To get started, you can list your contacts by distributing them by socio-professional category. This will allow you to easily determine the strengths and weaknesses of your address book. Then list everything you can bring yourself so that you don’t get labeled an opportunist or become an opportunist. Once your objectives are determined, you can target a business club based on your values, your centers of interest or your business sector. This step is essential and choosing the club best suited to your aspirations can be a waste of time.
Don’t just sign up, join a business club or two. Get involved if possible and if you don’t know anyone. Also, know that your behavior will affect the quality of your exchanges. If you don’t know which club to pick, give yourself two weeks to three months to pick your club before going headlong. Once you join a network, remember to regularly review your meetings and keep your commitments.
During your exchange, best practices
It couldn’t be easier to start a conversation. Two basic methods that have already proven themselves. First, the newbie method where you find out about the network and how it works, especially if you have participated for the first time. The method of the expert who inquires about his interlocutor before the meeting and who comes to him with a sentence of this type: “I’m glad to meet you because…”
- Remember you have two ears and one mouth. So spend 1/3 of your time giving useful information and 2/3 listening to your interlocutor. It is not necessarily a question of valuing yourself, but also valuing your interlocutor so that he is willing to share with you and as a result pass on his experiences or useful information to you.
- Also, avoid damaging your image by imposing your views in a ostentatious manner, rather give suggestions. Leave it to your interlocutor to accept, deny or oppose them. Similarly, criticism and complaining do not attract anyone and create harmful relationships. As you may have realized, your beliefs must be stated wisely and with the cause of the network in mind.
- Politeness plays a special role in the network. You need to prepare a few sentences to intervene in the conversation or make your request, especially if they are interested. Then it would be a question of doing it slowly. Finally, it also includes your post-conference feedback. Don’t hesitate to send an email of well wishes or a reply to what you’ve committed to do within 24 hours.