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.
Rule 4 – Help others be successful.
Rule 5 – Stop keeping track.
Rule 6 – Protect your network.
Rule 7 – Exercise your network. Think of your network as a muscle that helps you succeed both personally and professionally. If you ignore the muscle it will get weak and soft much like a coach potato. By reaching out to your contacts on a regular basis you work the muscle, keeping it strong and tight. The closer you are, or want to be, with a person the more frequent you should interact. Out of site out of mind is a very true with your network.
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