Beware of the networking pitfalls part 2

In the previous posting I warned you of some networking pitfalls. Unfortunately they are not the only ones. In this posting I will add some more in order to help you to avoid them in the future.

– Always wanting to be in the spotlight. Some people believe it is in their best interest to be continuously talking and throwing their business cards around. “In this way everyone will know who I am” is his or her motto. One of the “prerequisites” to call on your network is knowing what people do and what they can mean for you. So listen to them. And go a step further by asking what you can do for them. Listening is a key part of networking!

– Being insincere. Broken promises litter your path. Or telling imaginary stories to sound interesting. People will see through that at one point.

– Treating people without respect. You have probably experienced this yourself. You are talking to someone and he/she is looking over your shoulder to check out the crowd. This shows a lack of respect. Don’t get caught in this trap yourself!

– Waiting. Waiting until someone asks for information or waiting to ask a question yourself. Both will not advance your cause. You need to take the initiative. Be a pro-active networker! You need to make your network work and to keep it “alive”. When you come across interesting information, share it with interested parties in your network. When you are wrestling with an issue, ask your network for advice. You will get a solution faster and you give your network the opportunity to do something for you and keep your network alive.

Networking is easy and will support you in your professional life as well as in your private life. If you are able to avoid these pitfalls, your networking efforts will be more successful and you will contribute in a positive way to the members of your network!

Have a great networking day !

Jan

Beware of the networking pitfalls

Networking can be a boost to whatever you do. Your network can be a fantastic lever for your professional and private life.

But beware of the networking pitfalls. They can do you more harm than good. Here are some of them:

– Taking, never giving. Your success rate will be severely hampered and it will hit you right in the face, killing off your image. Should you engage carefully in the opposite direction, then you can rest assured people will admire you as a person in your work as well as in your private life.

– Starting (too) late to network. Many people (including self-employed people starting up their own business or people who recently were fired) start to network when they are in need of an immediate answer to their questions. When it’s five past 12, so to speak. Networking yields results on a long-term basis. Start today.

– Manipulating people. People from your network are glad to help you out because they like you. They are not being forced to do so. You only need to put your question to them in a straightforward way, with a clear voice and no strings attached. In other words, networking is very easy!

– Tit for tat. That expresses your fear to be taking advantage of. Let this attitude go and open the door for unexpected lucky breaks. Give without expecting something back (but without neglecting yourself!). You can be sure you will be returned a favor later. Often you will be the unexpected beneficiary of something much more valuable than you had given in the first place!

Have a great networking day !

Jan