How to Network Effectively

How does one network? What is the purpose of networking? The more appropriate question  is "how does one network effectively and what does it mean to network effectively"?

Learn how to network effectively.

Network on purpose

FIRST rule of networking is Networking with a Purpose! However the more obvious and apparent rule of networking is that it's a science of meeting people and building professional relations. You will never build your network if you do not go out there and meet people. Always make time to attend seminars, gala dinners, sport events, gym or any events that might be of interest to you and where you are going to meet people.

You do not have to be extroverted; you just need to be interested in connecting with other people. Networking is about developing a mutually beneficial relationship with people. It is a learned behaviour and there are a few simple things you can do to start building your network. First think of who you need in your network.There are different types of contacts who will have different types of information you need and different skills that will benefit you and vice versa (though the latter might not be as extensive a list), it is important to recognise that the relationship you develop with your networks should be to the benefit of all parties involved, a parasitic relationship does not last and it will not yield desired outcomes. So it is helpful to think about who you need to know so you can make the best use of your and their time and have the right kind of connections when you need them.

Plan your goals, I always tell people that if you fail to plan, you plan to fail! You need to plan your goals because they will lead you in the right direction. You should have both long and short term goals. Ask yourself questions such as where do I see myself one year from now and what do I need to do on a daily basis to get to where I want to be one year from now. Keep learning do not stop learning. If you want to be successful in anything be it business, work, relationships etc not only do you need to keep yourself updated about the latest happenings in your industry of interest, but you also need to keep improving your own skills. If you are in business and are just starting your journey, you may think that you do not have the relevant skills to become successful, don’t worry about that. We all have to start somewhere. Even the gurus of today were newbies in the past. They did not learn how to become successful overnight, no one person was ever born a CEO, Manager, Supervisor etc, successful at what they do…NO! They had to go through a learning journey, and right now, they should still continue learning to improve their skills as well. Your learning journey should never stop otherwise you become irrelevant and obsolete.

Help others to succeed; every secure leader is not afraid of raising people to be better than them. As a matter of fact, that is generally the mark of a great leader. Leaders will raise people who will not only excel in their field, but also do better than their mentors. As a leader you will have followers/employees and it is your job to help motivate them and help them become successful as well.

Meet people who will help progress your agenda

It is true and might sound selfish but if you do not go out there with the intention of meeting people who will assist you in what you want to achieve then why are you meeting people? Do not waste your time by just building relations with people who will not add value to your life…don’t get me wrong, I am not saying you need to be arrogant or ignorant because that is a recipe for guaranteed failure. But at the same you don’t want to network without a cause.

Meeting people who will help progress your agenda should be your number one reason for wanting to meet people, let’s be honest successful people don’t just go around meeting people for no reason, that is a time wasting tactic, hence successful people are successful, they know what they want before they go after it! Successful people build relations that are beneficial to all parties concerned! That should be your approach as well, you don’t want to waste your time chasing after relationships that all they will ever yield is a Saturday hang out, talking about dreams instead of going after your dreams with the right people.

Always remember the 80/20 rule

20% of whatever you will achieve will come from 80% of the work you put in! Just like the law of cause and effect: Everything happens for a reason; there is a cause for every effect.

The law of attraction as explained by Brian Tracy in his 21 laws of money states “You are a living magnet; you invariably attract into your life the people, situations and circumstances that are in harmony with your dominant thoughts”. Whatever you think about and do on a daily basis will eventually manifest in your physical life.

The 80/20 rule is so powerful that if you do 80% of what needs to be done on a daily basis you will achieve results that have only ever been known to about 1% of the population

Always be prepared

There is nothing that destroys your confidence like being unprepared when you go out to meet people or a person, whether it be business or social, you always want to be prepared to a level where you can hold a conversation.

Preparation is key to all great achievements, all successful men and women have this common trait, they are always prepared, and this also bodes well with that famous saying “there is no better time than now and you will never have the perfect or right moment”! Always be ready to get stuck in and claim your goals and ambitions do not worry about what you may lack, no one person in this world has all their boxes ticked and checked! You will learn more on the way as you progress further.

Never fail yourself

Most of the times, people will fail to network not because the people they want to engage with were not receptive but because people went into the networking event not fully conscious of the basics of networking.

Your success will rely heavily on your network(s), all successful men and women of the world became successful because they built strong networks and developed relationships with relevant stakeholders, these were men and women who understood that it takes more than a single mind to achieve levels of success that will be remember for generations to come, these were men and women who appreciated the fact that to leave a lasting legacy for their children and families they had to partner with other people, and these other people were as a result of building networks.