50 ways to improve Networking skills
Whether you’re expanding your personal network of vendors and providers, trying to solve case management problems by asking your peers for help, or looking for new customers, networking is a skill that can advance your career. Brad Hirni, MBA, principal of Echo Marketing Consultants in Kansas City, MO, has developed this networking "how-to" list you can immediately put to work for you. (For more on how to boost your networking skills, see story, p. 140.)
1. Set specific and realistic networking objectives.
2. Create a positive first impression with new contacts.
3. Find common ground for discussion to develop mutual respect and trust.
4. Carry plenty of business cards.
5. Write identifying information notes on the back of business cards you receive.
6. Tell people what you do, not just who you are.
7. Ask people what they do and how you can help them.
8. Be willing to connect people with mutual areas of interest.
9. Follow up on leads and information gained, as well as commitments you make.
10. Don’t "hard-sell" or monopolize people’s time when networking.
11. Take advantage of chance encounters to network.
12. Assume that everyone you meet possesses valuable networking information.
13. Ask yourself: "Do I know the right people? Do the right people know me?"
14. Practice making networking come aturally: Don’t force yourself on others.
15. Think of yourself as being useful to others.
16. Ask carefully selected, open-ended questions, then listen.
17. Show your sense of humor.
18. Smile frequently. Be at ease, composed, and engaged.
19. Say, "thank you" often, both verbally and in correspondence.
20. Be willing to give information freely, as long as it is not proprietary.
21. Never repeat or perpetuate rumors.
22. Be positive, enthusiastic, and confident.
23. Develop true enjoyment in meeting new people.
24. Ask for a personal introduction to a friend of a new networking contact.
25. Avoid offensive jokes and emotion-laden topics when networking.
26. Look for opportunity in every conversation.
27. Make sure your handshake is firm and brief.
28. Don’t interrupt when someone is talking.
29. Become an artist at small talk.
30. Develop an "information needed" list before networking.
31. Think about how you can create value from each conversation.
32. Project positive body language.
33. Prepare a "30-second commercial" to explain your occupation.
34. "Mirror image" but don’t mimic your conversation partners.
35. Visualize the skills you’ll use in your etworking experience.
36. Visualize anticipated outcomes for each networking experience.
37. Remember that some people are not receptive to networking.
38. Develop "reciprocal relationships."
39. Remember that each person you meet knows an average of 250 people you don’t know.
40. Avoid mention of any racial, sexist, or ethnic bias when networking.
41. Look for opportunities to make yourself visible in a variety of social settings.
42. Get involved in organizations that will enhance your personal development.
How to work the crowd
These eight tips apply to networking in large groups, such as conferences:
43. Plan ahead to identify and prioritize people you need to meet.
44. Arrive early to circulate and network.
45. Wear your name tag on the right, where people tend to look when shaking hands.
46. Act like a host, rather than a guest, and introduce yourself.
47. Position yourself in high traffic areas near food tables, bars, or doors.
48. Willingly introduce peers and associates to new contacts.
49. Mingle or sit with people you don’t know.
50. Ask yourself: "How can I turn today’s contacts into tomorrow’s opportunities?"
You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
- Award-winning Medical Content
- Latest Advances & Development in Medicine
- Unbiased Content