Do you know people who you really consider to be great networkers? They seem to know everyone, and if they don’t they know how to get to someone. Are they just touched with gold or a bit of a mover and shaker? You could say that, but actually, good networkers are people who know the value of a wide and varied circle of contacts and have developed a natural finesse at gathering useful people into their social net.
A few tips for you to think about:
Don’t be shy
You can’t possibly network if you go to an event or gathering of some kind and remain rooted to one spot clinging to someone who knows how to hold a conversation while also clinging desperately to a glass of wine.
You must work the room and embolden yourself to say hello, smile and have a deck of conversation starters ready to whip out and work the magic. If this doesn’t come naturally to you, prepare and get out there and practise by doing it. Go forth and multiply your database.
What can you do to help others?
Networking is watered by a little care, attention and TLC. Doing little favours can encourage young things to grow like a newly made contact. It may be as simple as sending them the link to that restaurant you were talking about. Ditto that online article or movie review.
If it’s a really potentially significant connection you may want to be really bold and send a copy of that book you were discussing with a handwritten note “I know I was waxing lyrical about this like I had found Jesus, but I really wanted you to have a copy”. Emailing information or helping your new contact with something creates your first deposit in that relationship.
Do it now
Collecting cards at an event and then wistfully thinking how great these people were as they gather dust on your desk or end up in the bin – take action! Right away! Now! The very next day there is nothing wrong with “Hello, it was so brilliant meeting you last night. That movie I was telling you about is showing at the French film festival in a couple of weeks. I’m going with some friends and would love you to join”.
The right events
For great networking, you really want to be at an event which creates an atmosphere and environment in which it makes it easy to start new conversations. This is especially the case if you are not only trying to expand your professional contacts but possibly have in mind that you might meet someone new romantically.
There is something to be said for turning left instead of right to bump into the elusive potential of a new romance. Some people have this wonderful knack of not only putting together the right event but have that warmth and wonderful social ease that helps make an evening something to remember. Barbara Brudenell Bruce of Maclynn8 is one of those gorgeous social butterflies who manages to get just the right melange of fabulous people into one equally spot-on venue.
If you’re looking to network to make new friends and put yourself in the way of Cupid’s bow then get yourself booked onto one of Maclynn8’s events ASAP in 2016 and keep going to multiply your opportunities.
Be a good listener
How are you going to know what to connect with or know how to fertilise that new connection if in fact you haven’t taken the time to listen? You don’t want to bombard your new acquaintance with questions so they feel they are being interviewed, but you can with conversational dexterity elicit morsels of valuable information about what they love and need. How else will you know what or how to connect them to and thereby create a valuable addition to your network?
Article first published in Sheerluxe on 16 March 2016.
