In a normal week I meet with three to five new people all interested in expanding their personal networks. Most are in job transition trying to uncover the “hidden job market” while many others are prospecting for new business. A few people really understand the networking process, which makes our meetings enjoyable with anticipation of our future. Most treat these meetings as one night stands without focus or purpose. My hope is that more people will follow these guidelines to improve the quality of their networking by building long term relationships.
Rule 1 – Quality is more important than quantity.
Rule 2 – Do what you say.
Rule 3 – Be interested, not interesting. I
Rule 4 – Help others be successful. My wife’s grandmother always said that when you give a dollar to someone, when they have not asked, you will receive two dollars back in return. It most likely will not come from the person you gave a dollar to, but will show up when you least expect and from a source that you never imagined. If you help others be successful first, others will help you be successful.
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