TODAY’S IDEA:
Networking is everywhere.
–From Build Your Dream Network: Forging Powerful Relationships in a Hyper-Connected World by J. Kelly Hoey.
Nowadays, we all have a digital footprint, whether personal, professional or both. Think of it as your brand. Everything you do either confirms and reaffirms or questions and breaks your brand. Why not be intentional about building it every chance you get?
Kelly says that “networking is everywhere.” “Successful networking requires understanding the immense power of regular daily activities to connect with someone else” so as to build a meaning, powerful and mutually beneficial (personal or professional) relationship. This will cement your brand firmly in the other person’s mind.
From your email’s signature line and the voice mail that you leave for someone, to the headline that you use on LinkedIn and your headshot, as well as what you say when you participate on a Twitter chat, don’t let any opportunity escape where you can build a positive brand and a positive networking experience for you and for all involved! For instance, Kelly gives practical advice and focuses on the power of small actions as a way to make them count too (not all networking has to take endless hours), here are some examples of actions taken from the book.
“If you have…
- 45 seconds: take the stairs as a way to lengthen your conversation and get to know a colleague or a client that came to your office.
- 2 minutes: post a LinkedIn update that can lead to new business generation.
- 5 minutes: draft an email and reconnect with a sales prospect.
- 15 minutes: ride the subway or do a video chat with an investor.
- 20 minutes: grab a cup of coffee while you do an informational job interview.
- 60 minutes: write a weekly newsletter and update a social network.”
The book is a gem! It gives very practical advice on how to be intentional when it comes to networking; and on how to do it in a way that does not take away from your work and personal activities, but that, on the contrary, enhances those activities for your success.
ACTION:
TODAY: Set your intention for networking: Want new clients? A new job? Are you seeking a mentor/mentee? Select whatever you want and need to get done with the power of networking over the next 6-12 months (yes, human relationships take time to build…). Then, depending on the amount of time you have today, pick an action from the list of examples above, customize it to your needs and apply it to your intention. There’s no better time than NOW to get started, remember the Chinese proverb: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”
FUTURE: [I’m assuming that you are already setting time aside to network intentionally and with some frequency and regularity, if you are not, let me know and I’ll help you with some ideas.] The action that I recommend is to focus on creating a daily habit. Depending on how much time you have, schedule a little bit of time to network via small actions. Build the habit over a month or two and assess how much value it adds to your life, I’m sure it’ll be substantial! Imagine: if you touch base with one person per workday, that’s an average of 200-250 people a year whose relationship you’ve started to build, continue to strengthen, or rekindled the friendship or work relationship that existed in the past.
Give it a shot and let me know how it goes!