How to Network Powerfully in 5 Steps
No friends, no money … Best friends with money. This expression, although it is perfectly embodies mostly in many Latin American folklore, shows an absolute reality of the importance of learning how to network.
That is if there is something that I have been able to realize in all these years working as an executive and a few years ago as an entrepreneur, it is that across the spectrum, regardless of what we are doing, the network of contacts and the connections that we develop in our day to day, can become our greatest asset.
How to network and create a network of contacts:
Undoubtedly, relational capital, or learning how to network, can make a difference when making weighty decisions in our lives.
From getting my first job as a manager at age 23 to getting $ 100,000 as an investment for my first startup, the difference was in the ability to generate connections and create a network of contacts.
Below I share a small route, which will help you establish a network that I consider powerful:
#1. Sell
Everything in life is a sale, everything! And the rule that one must be clear in sales is that oneself is the first sale of all.
When someone I’m connecting with tells me that they don’t know how to sell or that they don’t like doing it, I immediately lose interest and become disillusioned. Be careful, we must know how to identify our strengths and exploit them to the maximum.
If we are clear on how to do this, we are ready to break the ice even with the coldest of characters. From this, you are ready to sell anything!
#2.Convey confidence
If we want to learn how to network, our speech with anyone must be coherent and forceful, but above all, it must inspire and transmit confidence.
You have to exude confidence when speaking and have confidence in yourself so that everything flows naturally and an immediate link is created with your listener. That characteristic is easily perceived by your counterpart. Immediately the conversation becomes more productive.
#3.Charisma
Having charisma doesn’t mean being outgoing or funny all the time.
Having charisma is being able to identify the personality of the person or audience you have in front of, say the right words, project a good personal image and have the appropriate gestures so that they can see in you such transparency that they want to create and maintain a relationship with you.
#4.Honesty
Simple, you have to speak the truth in everything if you want to learn how to do powerful networking. Both personally and professionally.
Although you may believe that it works for you at first, “The Bluff” as we call it, does not bring but problems and inconveniences in the long term.
Remember that there is nothing like being transparent with your client, user, or audience. This is essential to perpetuate a strong connection and network.
#5. Be humble
“It is not talking about more but not believing yourself less, much less being submissive”, this phrase defines the most important of the characteristics to create human connections. It is also a nerve center in the creation of your network of contacts.
The humility with which you approach your counterpart is essential for a lasting relationship to be created.
The vast majority of influencers in the business world, like great entrepreneurs, are experts in triggering you questions that show and reveal your deepest feelings. From there they know in advance your personal and social commitment.
So you have to open up and be authentic, that’s the key to learning how to network!
Now, let it be clear that this route is not the only truth. We can all design and have different parameters that allow us to learn how to do smart and beneficial networking.
The one I present here is just a reference that has particularly served me enormously for more than 10 years.
