The necessity of Networking

Networking is something that just doesn’t come naturally to many people. For them it’s a chore. So many people to meet, so much searching to the right thing to say to the right person and then cultivating that relationship over the months until it culminates (hopefully) into something useful. But how doest one network with the best of them?

Go beyond your circle
Remember the value of professional networking. Those who can network will tell you that it’s the lifeline of anyone’s business career. Why? Because as someone once said, it’s what you know, it’s whom you know. In this day and age of fast-paced business, you may have all the knowledge and skills that you require at your fingertips, but long as long you don’t know the right people, it won’t get you very far.
A strong professional network extends your sphere of opportunity far beyond your contacts. The idea is to let your contact think of you first when suitable circumstances arise. Referrals and networking create a natural and effective screening process.

Biggest don’t always matter
This is not to say that this has to be purely business deal. Effective networking is all about creating and fostering relationships. Your ability to foster relationships with people you meet over your career span will always matter. Therefore take the time out to introduce yourself around. It’s not only the big names that matter. This is something that you should always remember sometimes; even the lowest in the feeding chain can give you direct entry to the top.
Often, little else is needed beyond that simple introduction. Eventually, conversations ensure, particularly when you see the same people day after day. Remember that this might involve you sticking you neck out (particularly if you are an introvert) and stepping out of your comfort zone. It will serve as a stepping stone to higher places.

Talk naturally
Practice conversing. People don’t always want to talk shop. Lean to have general business and life conversations. Learn also to make you introduction and conversation-stating naturalistic to standard introductions, rather than rambling, stammering ones. Act interested in the person and asks intelligent questions.

You might not be a people person, but remember that there’s nothing designed to make someone sheer off in the opposite direction than a person who’s visibly disinterested. If you hate meeting people the conventional way, try the unconventional way, try the unconventional route to see how it works for you. Sometimes, even the bathroom is a great place to strike a conversation.

Link up with ex-colleagues
People leave a company almost on a daily basis. Don’t just let your colleagues walk away. Take their email addresses as well as phone numbers and stay in touch.


Organize the contact list
Cultivate your contacts. Maintain a separate list on your email account and store conversations separately. You can also keep the list updated with details of their professional and personal interests, to maintain a personal handle on the people you know. All this information helps you remember the conversation and help you create goodwill in future conversations. Keep meeting your contacts. It needn’t always be a formal affair; it depends on the relationship you have with your client.

If it is a casual acquaintance you met during a meeting, for example, your time between contacts will be grater than for a client you are currently working with. I the ultimate analysis, it is important to remember that when you are networking, as a job-seeking technique, it is usually five contacts down the line that come in useful.

Just do it!

Yes the difference between success and failure is of three words-“just do it”! You must imbibe this attitude if you want to see yourself go places.

Be positive, be a doer

Even though this may sound simple, there are many who don’t really want to get themselves out of their comfort zones and get going. So, here are three ways to inculcate a “just do it” attitude.

First rule: Fear can be your friend and not your master. It can be powerful motivation if you can manage it. However, it should not ruin your life. Many people allow fear to stifle their creative argues and their options. Many times this is fear of the unknown, fear of failure or fear of loss. Fear is the major reason why people don’t take action. So instead of fear managing you, you manage fear and see how things can change for the better.

Second rule: Be positive. Think positive. You will be able to develop a positive attitude only when you think positive. We all have choices to make. We either embrace being positive and forget about negative and forget about negative thoughts or vice versa. Make positive people your companions. Turn negative situations positive by looking at bight side of thing. At work, you may have to sit late to complete something but think of the way it could help you grow, what you will be learning new and so on. Embrace the positive and you will surely attain your goals. Negativity pulls you down, retards growth and clips your wings.

Third rule: Create a sense of urgency. Many people believe” why do today what can be putt of until tomorrow”. This attitude make one a procrastinator. You have to become doe. This means striving to do today what you can tomorrow. Push forward all the time. Remember that time is precious and those moments lost can never be regained. Work hard ,play hard and keep all loose ends tied up. And then sit back and watch yourself climb up the corporate ladder at top speed.

Have a focus: The secretes to a “just attitude are simple to apply. When you want to succeed at anything, you must master fear so opportunities can present themselves. You should have a focus on the positive and on the negative and lastly you must have a sense of urgency to want to get things done, now. Why implement what you can do today tomorrow? So begin right away-Just do it!