Are you a valuable networker? How can you tell? Are you willing to help people without the promise of anything in return? Do you help colleagues and new contacts open doors? If so, you’re much more likely to succeed at networking than the person who spends all of his time hoping to get something in return for a favor. One of the unwritten “networking laws” is to give without expecting anything back. Don’t make it “all about you.”
Instead of trying to win something from the people you meet, think about how you can be a “connector,” someone who makes a habit of introducing other people to each other.
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How can you become a connector?
- Think about other people first.
- Get out of your comfort zone. You can do this even if you are introverted or shy.
- Meet more people! You can’t introduce people if you don’t know anyone!
- Join organizations. Don’t join “in name only.” Get out and attend meetings.
- Be curious and ask questions.
- Improve your listening skills.
- Think ahead and be strategic with your networking.
- Be willing to reconnect with people you haven’t seen in a long time.
- Be a resource. How can you be helpful to the people you meet?
- Follow up, or you’ll miss a lot of opportunities.
Read all of the tips to help you network better on Vault.com.