Let’s do a small exercise. Sit back for a minute and think of all those people who have made a difference in your life. Be it in a big or a small way.
Is your list ready? Who are the people in it? Do your parents, teachers, spouse, children, friends and colleagues feature there? If yes, you’ve arrived at an important truth.
Our lives are impacted by the people closest to us, by those we share strong ties or relationships with. Not merely by idols and icons who we’ve never met. The bottomline: relationships have the potential to create a lasting impression in your life – personal and professional.
While most of us realize the importance of strong relationships, few of us try to establish them, especially in our professional lives. It could be because we do not know how to do it, or do not see how it can help. If you fall into either category, then networking could be an eye-opener for you.
Networking: building relationships
Community living has been a popular concept since ancient days. In some countries, especially in India, being a part of the society or community has always been considered important. Good ties are valued, be it with neighbours, friends, relatives or peers.
Networking is a concept that helps you build these ties. It helps you strengthen them. To many people, networking is mostly about exchanging cards at a meeting or talking to a peer group member about work. While these are some aspects of this activity, at the core, networking is a relationship building exercise.
It urges you to interact with people, to reach out, learn and understand more about them. It helps you create trust and credibility. The benefits it brings you are also tremendous. From widening your circle of friends, to introducing you to potential mentors, creating opportunities, it adds to your life in many ways.
How can you create and maintain greater professional networks? Here are some insights.
Proximity matters: Research shows that relationships are not based on similar interests but on proximity. A study revealed that most college students are friends with those they share a dorm with, have classes, or work with. You may tend to add to your contact list, people from your business sphere, thinking that they’ll bring you gains.
But wait a minute. If you have overlooked people who are always around you, you are going to lose out on members who could be part of your personal trusted network. So, begin building symbiotic relationships with the ones closest to you.
Stay in touch: Now, you know that proximity is the key to cultivating deeper relationships. How will you maintain them? Studies prove that relationships are maintained more effectively when there is regular contact. So, drop in a line, call and have a conversation, offer to help when necessary. Do this consistently and see how your list of friends swells.
What are the other things you can do to create a stronger network of people in your professional space? Use these as starters:
1. The author of Never Eat Alone, Keith Ferrazzi, advocates using every meal as a touch point. Since you HAVE to have lunch, use that time to deepen a relationship with a client, potential client, or friend.
2. Do not abuse Internet communication, else you might be viewed as just another spammer. Make sure your emails are personal and give your connections an opportunity to communicate with you in return.
3. Consider an online newsletter or an eZine. An eZine allows you to include your clients and contacts in the content of the newsletter. In this way, you are consciously cultivating this relationship by giving them visibility in your scope of business.
4. Participate in online networks. These act as great forums to get introduced to and interact with people. Ensure you create an informative profile on online spaces such as LinkedIn, and use it to an advantage.
5. Learn to be receptive to other people’s requirements and help them with it. When you’ve done someone a good turn, you can be sure, they will be eager to help you too. This could translate into numerous benefits for you. Apart from feeling good about yourself, you have earned a friend.
Remember, it takes time and effort to build strong relationships. Networking may not bring you early gains. But in the long run, it will be the one activity that will have a lasting impact on your life. Like your relationships, it will help you trust and be trusted by people, think positive, feel confident and above everything, make you feel like you can make a difference to people’s lives.
Also read Social networking to benefit your enterprise here
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