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.