10. Going for one-night stands. Networking is about building long-term relationships. Approach every networking contact as if you will be interacting for years to come. Your attitude will be much different than if you want something from this person and then you'll toss him or her away like a greasy burrito wrapper.
9. Thinking, "It's all about me." If you want to turn people off, talk only about yourself, recite your resume, never ask a question and sell, sell, sell. Networking is about helping, not selling. Networking is about the other person. Get over yourself.
8. Not having a plan. Be clear on what you want to accomplish from each networking opportunity. Have a strategic plan that includes what organizations you'll join, whom you want to contact, how often you'll contact them and how you'll leverage every networking experience.
7. Not leveraging every networking experience. Many think networking is just "meetin' and greetin'." Many think networking is handing out business cards faster than a Las Vegas blackjack dealer. Leveraged networking is taking one opportunity and spinning the heck out of it. For instance, you can just attend an event. Or, you can attend an event and work as a volunteer at the event and introduce the speaker and write an article about the speaker and submit the article to the association or company newsletter, a business or trade journal and send copies of the article to the speaker and offer to send the article to his/her mailing list and send the article to your mailing list and offer to write other articles for people on your mailing list and speak on the article topic and offer a tip sheet on the topic and on and on. Leveraging is a beautiful thing.
6. Not managing networking data. Shoe boxes full of business cards you've collected since 1987 is not an efficient data management system. Think software or even a card file system.
5. Not knowing what you want and what you can give. If someone asks you what you're looking for and you say, "Anything," you'll get nothing. Paint a picture of what you want. Be clear. Be brief. Determine your areas of expertise from technology wizard to gardening guru. Ascertain what information you have that would help your networking partner.
4. Being invisible. Get out of your jammies and into your suit. Get out there. Attend functions. Volunteer. Be an MC. Get interviewed. Write articles. Speak. You have to be seen to be heard. You can't stand out if you're hiding under the covers.
3. Not listening. A few good reasons to listen: You can't learn anything when you're talking. When you listen, you are considered a terrific conversationalist. You don't have to be extroverted if you can come up with a few open-ended questions such as, "What brings your here?" or "How did you get into that field?" You'll be wildly popular because people love to talk about themselves.
2. Not following up. Has anyone ever said to you, "I'll call you" or "Let's do lunch," but they never get back to you? Don't be one of those people. If you want to build long-term relationships, follow up with a note, call, e-mail or any one of the other 99 ways Ms. Susman has written about.
1. Not networking if you have a job or have all the business you can handle. Your network must grow and be maintained as a lifelong career or business strategy. Ask the job-hunting millions who forgot to network during the good times.
9. Thinking, "It's all about me." If you want to turn people off, talk only about yourself, recite your resume, never ask a question and sell, sell, sell. Networking is about helping, not selling. Networking is about the other person. Get over yourself.
8. Not having a plan. Be clear on what you want to accomplish from each networking opportunity. Have a strategic plan that includes what organizations you'll join, whom you want to contact, how often you'll contact them and how you'll leverage every networking experience.
7. Not leveraging every networking experience. Many think networking is just "meetin' and greetin'." Many think networking is handing out business cards faster than a Las Vegas blackjack dealer. Leveraged networking is taking one opportunity and spinning the heck out of it. For instance, you can just attend an event. Or, you can attend an event and work as a volunteer at the event and introduce the speaker and write an article about the speaker and submit the article to the association or company newsletter, a business or trade journal and send copies of the article to the speaker and offer to send the article to his/her mailing list and send the article to your mailing list and offer to write other articles for people on your mailing list and speak on the article topic and offer a tip sheet on the topic and on and on. Leveraging is a beautiful thing.
6. Not managing networking data. Shoe boxes full of business cards you've collected since 1987 is not an efficient data management system. Think software or even a card file system.
5. Not knowing what you want and what you can give. If someone asks you what you're looking for and you say, "Anything," you'll get nothing. Paint a picture of what you want. Be clear. Be brief. Determine your areas of expertise from technology wizard to gardening guru. Ascertain what information you have that would help your networking partner.
4. Being invisible. Get out of your jammies and into your suit. Get out there. Attend functions. Volunteer. Be an MC. Get interviewed. Write articles. Speak. You have to be seen to be heard. You can't stand out if you're hiding under the covers.
3. Not listening. A few good reasons to listen: You can't learn anything when you're talking. When you listen, you are considered a terrific conversationalist. You don't have to be extroverted if you can come up with a few open-ended questions such as, "What brings your here?" or "How did you get into that field?" You'll be wildly popular because people love to talk about themselves.
2. Not following up. Has anyone ever said to you, "I'll call you" or "Let's do lunch," but they never get back to you? Don't be one of those people. If you want to build long-term relationships, follow up with a note, call, e-mail or any one of the other 99 ways Ms. Susman has written about.
1. Not networking if you have a job or have all the business you can handle. Your network must grow and be maintained as a lifelong career or business strategy. Ask the job-hunting millions who forgot to network during the good times.
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