Strange as it may sound I built my first business to a multi-million dollar company over cups of coffee and good old-fashioned handshakes. Today my husband and I have the privilege of coaching individuals in business and we’ve realized a big gap for many professionals is the area of networking. Here’s a few tips to keep in mind as you learn how to build a quality network.
Be bold: Ask to stay in touch
In college I took the class “Modern Dance: For non-dance majors”. During class I hit it off with a woman named Rachel. After the last class of the semester, we walked together to our next classes and I asked Rachel awkwardly “can we be friends?”. What I meant to say was “we should stay in touch, can I have your number?”. It was an awkward exchange but we’ve been friends for over 15 years. The point is this: take a chance. Everyday we have opportunities to network, but too often we shy away from asking someone to stay in touch.
Regarding Social Media
When I add someone to my LinkedIn account I send a message and introduce myself. I want to actually get to know the people I’m adding! Some people I won’t hear from. Some people I will hire for projects within my company. And some people will actually become friends! Let’s have a conversation or a coffee together. Let’s open doors where we can.
Invest in others. Without expectations.
A real relationship takes time to develop. Sometimes months but oftentimes years. I’m fortunate to have a best friend I met at age 7. How did we maintain a friendship for almost 30 years? It is a consistent investment of our time and energy. Think about the longest relationships in your life. What made them grow? Phone calls, coffees, lunch dates and so on. The reason most people’s network shrinks as they get older is because it is inconvenient to make investments with other people.
But if you want the reward of a rich network, you will have to make time for this. It is never convenient for me as a business woman to meet someone for coffee. However, it is short-sighted to think without a quality network I can succeed to new heights. Have fun with this. It might be the most rewarding habit you develop.
Connect to a diverse crowd
Lastly, invite people into your life that don’t look like you, talk like you, or come from the neighborhood or the country you grew up in. This concept is what gives me hope of crushing the assumptions we make everyday about the people around us. When we understand other people’s stories, our empathy expands. There are a lot of people waiting for you to say hello and extend a hand-shake. Be the brave one.