| |
| |
|
Networking Information |
|
|
|
Value-Added Network
A value-added network can be achieved through explicit actions to develop, expand, and promote trusted relationships. One successful example is Thomas Powers, the founder and chairman of ecademy, one of the largest UK-based business networks. His passion and commitment to networking compares to none; he is ranked among the top business networkers in the world. Ecademy's philosophy is "Winning by Sharing", a theme of paramount importance. Donna Fisher and Sandy Vilas, of Power Networking, define networking as: "Networking is making links from people we know to people they know, in an organized way, for a specific purpose, while remaining committed to doing our part, expecting nothing in return." So how can you add value to your network? Strategy Over the years my primary networking focus has been establishing contacts that provide valuable job search-related opportunities. More recently, I have expanded my focus to include promoting services and exploring business opportunities. My networking strategies are simple - contact people and offer a mutually beneficial relationship through shared business contacts, opportunities, and potential partnerships. By connecting people with potential for shared mutual benefits, I am delivering an important service and developing trusted relationships. This is extremely rewarding for me and seems to be greatly appreciated by those I have connected. Developing a strategy will help you focus on developing your network effectively. Don't be afraid to change your approach frequently until it feels right and you are certain that it will serve your goals and objectives. The key driver is ongoing communications regarding mutual goals, interests, and opportunities, as well as expansion of your network. Using established networking groups and on-line communities allows you to become linked to people all over the world. Nina Camp, an expert on the subject says, "Linkedin is the best business networking site - not social --which is attractive to Fortune 1000/500/100 business executives. Recent additions to the site make interfacing more attractive. The ability to send a message from the site when accepting connections is a good new feature, along with the V Card download and the opportunity to endorse immediately." Linkedin,www.linkedin.com, is also my choice, and the on-line business community I use most frequently. To grow your network, initially you may need to be proactive in contacting people who you would like to connect with, but as your contact list grows, people will seek you out and want to become part of your network. Building Network Contacts While building your network, you will find that no matter how hard you work to establish relationships, a simple fact of human nature dictates that you will naturally hit it off with certain people, finding common goals, interests, and reasons to connect.This is not to say that you should give up on individuals less inclined to form a trusted relationship, but the amount of time you dedicate to such communications will define the potential for a successful connection. Finding mutual values, interests, and levels of comfort takes time and work. Making an effort to find such common grounds requires two-way communication, without which you will have a void of knowledge and information-sharing necessary for the growth of the relationship. Timing is also an issue and one which you need to keep in mind when you reach out to a contact, especially to someone who may not be as aggressive or interested in expanding or exploring networking benefits. Give potential contacts plenty of room to communicate using their own timetable. Building and expanding your network requires a plan or set of processes that you can follow repeatedly. The following are some practices you might want to include are. 1) Communicate with your most trusted contacts frequently and share information, ideas, or just an update on your current status. Show interest in their activities, job, company, and common interests. Send an interesting article or information you feel that would be of value. 2) Share new contacts with others who you feel may realize mutual benefits. Provide referrals to others for business services, opportunities, and information, or as a common connector. It might be as straightforward as saying, "I met Joe Smith's boss and he said he knew you." 3) Keep your eyes and ears open for opportunities to expand your network. If you are just starting out, set a goal for establishing X new contacts a week. When I first joined ecademy.com, I set a goal of adding 50 new contacts a week, which resulted in developing 1151 contacts in a year's time. 4) Be open to new contacts that may want to communicate with you. Connected people like to connect with other connected people. I have never refused a new contact. You will learn that as you continue to grow your network, others will find you and want to become part of your group of associates. 5) The last step in your process is the most important one. Give to your network contacts, expecting nothing in return. The act of giving will earn trust and understanding and demonstrate that you have a genuine interest in your associates. "Winning by sharing." It works, so give it a try. Those Who Did As most successful business people will tell you, failures are an important part of your personal and business development process. Don't discard failures, instead learn from them and use your new knowledge to address future challenges and goals. Laurence J. Peter said, "There are two kinds of failures: those who thought and never did, and those who did and never thought." If you don't make an attempt, you will never realize the potential of what you might have been able to achieve. Building network relationships is not a task with a beginning, middle, and end; it is an ongoing process. Network and you will build a valued and trusted contact community. About the Author Russ Kovar is a Senior Information Technology Manager from the Chicago area. He has published several other articles about networking and is actively involved in delivering technology and business solutions, as well as building his own network. Russ is also the Moderator for Chicagoland Ecademy Regional Club, an organization of us.ecademy. Russ can be contacted at rkovar1@msn.com. His profile can be view on http://www.linkedin.com
MORE RESOURCES:
networking - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Unforgettable First Impressions Part 3: Time is (Not) On Your Side You only have three seconds?Connect in under a minute?People decide if they like you within the first ninety seconds?Make the sale in the first five seconds?You get the job within four minutes?Always make a friend in less than 30 seconds?Ahhhhhhhhhh!! Which one is right!?I've read almost every book on first impressions, and the primary issue addressed tends to be time. (Or lack thereof. Which Networking Events Should You Attend? How does one determine which are the best events to attend based on one's best customer?Customers are not a dime a dozen, especially in today's economy. So it is best to follow the rules mentioned before on how to define your best customer before attending an event. Five Stumbling Blocks To Successful Networking And How To Overcome Them The ability to connect with people is essential to success in any business. Professional networking events present opportunities to interact with others on a personal level and to develop profitable relationships. Giving the Gift of Your Name (The Networking Factor) Although, this is about giving the gift of your name to others, it certainly runs a close second in importance to "Whats' in a name?"What is giving the gift of your name? Giving the gift of your name is when you see someone you haven't seen in a while and you are kind enough to give (remind) him or her your name (the gift) again without any hesitation.It's not nice to keep someone guessing about your name. Strategic Networking: Take the Shortest Path to Success Do you use Ryze or LinkedIn to promote your web based business? If so, you may have noticed that everything is linked to everything else. Here's how to take the shortest path to networking success: use keywords and a targeted linking strategy. Networking for Wallflowers: How to Profit from Getting into the Crowd The two most common complaints about networking are: 1) I never meet people I can do business with and 2) I am always so uncomfortable going to networking events. These two complaints are related and can be relieved with a three step approach to networking that helps even the most frustrated networking wallflowers. The A-B-Cs of Networking In the workplace - and when dealing with workplace matters - networking is a powerful tool. And the same is true in personal and social situations, where friends and family can provide you with a great support system, both as you make decisions about change in your life and as you carry them out. Getting Leads How many leads do you pass on?As a reminder, you must give a lot before you can expect any leads from the group. You must be able to define your best customer, give your pitch and describe what you do best. Acknowledging Referrals! What's in It For You? I grew up in a household where saying thank you was a code of behavior that was absolutely essential. There were simply no exceptions. How to Get More Visibility, Increase Your Influence, and Get More Referrals Earlier today I was helping a client develop a better strategy to generate more referrals from local businesses. While that particular client owns an orthodontic practice, the ideas I gave him will work equally well in your business. How to Create an Interest Story for the Press What makes a good interest story?An interest story is just that, an interest story. It means that you have something interesting to say and therefore have something of interest to be printed. How to Generate More Business by Telling People What You Do What do you tell people when asked what you do? Many small business owners and independent professionals repeatedly miss great opportunities to generate new business or develop leads by answering the "what do you do?" question with a poorly crafted or completely unplanned answer. If your answer does not regularly start a conversation about your business you need to change your answer. Networking Group Loyalty Requirements How can you find out the group loyalty requirements before you venture forth?Many groups have loyalty requirements in order to make sure that the leads you generate are exclusively for the members of the group. It is important that you make sure you know everything about the group before you join, and loyalty requirements can put a damper on other activities you have planned. Growing Your Network of People Can be Easy and Fun! A few years back when I moved to Charlotte, NC for the first time, I came with high hopes of starting my business for the first time. We picked Charlotte because it was a growing city with a lot of potential. Work that Room, Baby! Networking, schmoozing, making connections. Call it what you want, it's something that is a necessity if you want to do business today. Time to Hire a Professional Networker? It used to be that people said that there was 6 degrees of separation between everyone. Many people know that Kevin Bacon game that people play to prove it. How Well Do Your Customers Know You? Know your customer, know your customer, know your customer. Three very important rules of business. Alliances: More Than A One Way Relationship What is the biggest advantage of forming an alliance?Everyone has their own definition of an alliance. I had a potential alliance with a person that was starting his own business. Networking: What the Heck is a Ryze? If you're new to the internet marketing club, you may have heard about "Ryze." What is that, you wonder? Ryze refers to the Ryze Business Network at http://Ryze. 62 Ways to MAXIMIZE Your Approachability If you walk into your local bookstore and pick up any random title on interpersonal communication, the majority of the books will simply remind you to "always be approachable."Wow, you think, thanks for the advice.
|
| Article List | Index | Site Map |
|
All logos, trademarks and articles on this site are property and copyright of their respective owner(s).
The comments are property of their posters, all the rest is Copyright © 2006 CanadaSEEK.com - All Rights Reserved. |
