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Networking is a Contact Sport
Written by: Adrian MillerArticle Overview: As with so many aspects of life, networking requires action and effort if you’re going to reap its benefits. You can attend countless in-person and online events and register for every networking group under the sun, but you’ll get nowhere if you’re not actively taking the time to connect with the people you are meeting.
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Networking is a Contact Sport
As with so many
aspects of life, networking requires action and effort if you’re going to reap
its benefits. You can attend
countless in-person and online events and register for every networking group
under the sun, but you’ll get nowhere if you’re not actively taking the time to
connect with the people you are meeting.
Networking is akin
to someone opening a door just a bit. It’s your choice to push the door open to
enter into the world of others. If you’re not putting your time in to follow up
and form relationships, you’re merely peeking in the “networking” door and
closing it in the face of potential opportunity.
Networking is truly
a contact sport that requires you to be proactive if you’re going to win. Are
you guilty of taking a defensive networking strategy; waiting for others to
contact you? If so, the following tips are well worth reading and following if
you want to achieve any level of success from your efforts.
Ask How They
Want to Be Contacted
Much of the reason
why so many of us don’t follow up after a networking event is that we simply
don’t know the best way to take that next step. Do you email, write a
hand-written note, or give them a call? It can certainly be confusing, but
there is an easy solution to this. At your next networking event, ask the
individuals that you’d like to connect with again what the best method is to
reach them. If they are vague, they probably don’t want to pursue anything
further. If they do tell you their preferred contact method, you can be
confident about how to follow up, and most likely they’ll be anticipating it,
too!
Be Timely
Ok, you now have a
stack of business cards, and the thought of contacting everyone can be
overwhelming. But, you have to do it, so develop a plan of action. Separate
your contacts into two groups - the group of individuals that you want to
contact for a specific purpose and those who you simply met but have no
specific reason to call. Call back the first group as soon as possible. Then,
send a note or email to the others saying how pleased you were to meet them and
that you are looking forward to seeing them again soon. Don’t forget to add everyone’s contact
information into your database for future reference.
Be a Sleuth
Thanks to the
Internet many of your contacts will have an online presence. Google their name
and see what comes up. Then, befriend them on LinkedIn or Facebook. If they
have a blog, write a comment and let them know that you enjoyed meeting them.
Focus On Giving
Instead of hoping
that someone will contact you with a potential opportunity, make a list of who
you met and how you can help them. Do you have a recommendation or a contact
for someone? Great! Follow up with the information. If not, consider sending an
article of interest, an invitation to an industry event, or even just a note or
email that you’ll keep your eyes open for possible opportunities.
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Article Tags: aspects of life, contact sport, nbsp, networking event, networking group, networking strategy, relationships, rsquo, span style, style font, sun, taking the time
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About the Author: Adrian Miller RSS for Adrian's articles - Visit Adrian's website  Click here to visit Adrian's website   How Being A Mom Has Helped Me in Business Sales Success Do You Want Fries With That How to be Successful In Sales Make Your Luck Being an Effective Salesperson Means That You PREPARE FOR OBJECTIONS Networking is a Contact Sport |
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