Manage your networks with these tips from Chi Chi Okezie, business networking, diversity, and inclusion specialist
Being a successful networker is not necessarily being an extrovert or a good conversationalist, nor is it joining prestigious groups or spending a lot of money on memberships and associations. It also doesn’t have to be determined by your following or the number of people in your network. The key to being a successful networker is having a system to implement your networking and being intentional about your networking objectives. Here’s how…
Plan Ahead
Structuring a schedule and preparing for networking events is essential. This offers you an opportunity to practice your elevator pitch or introduction, organize your marketing materials, and strategize a plan for collecting contact information.
Ask yourself these questions:
- Do I have all the tools and resources ready for my next networking event?
- What are my expectations and do they line up with my goals?
- Did I carve out time to reconnect/follow up after the networking event?
- Are my apps updated and accessible for connecting with others?
- Do I have a progressive mindset for networking and building relationships?
Plan Strategically
Networking is more than just “showing up” or “attending events”. It is about building quality relationships, forging alliances for growth and development, and supporting others (and vice versa). There are many benefits of being strategic and building quality networks. It offers time, money, and energy efficiencies, shows professionalism and credibility, and enables room for growth, pivoting, benchmarking successes, and lessons learned. Being strategic also allows you to truly pay attention to individuals and cultivate those relationships.
Planning strategically can include:
- Creating a calendar of events/meetings
- Leveraging technology to reach out, continue conversations, and increase visibility
- Setting up checks and balances, boundaries, etc. for engaging with others
- Having a budget for networking and tracking expenses
- Monitoring what works and what needs improvement, and being flexible with change
Plan Responsibly
Hold yourself accountable for how you establish, nurture, and foster relationships. Build in a plan that includes checking in occasionally, showing interest, and being available for connecting and building rapport.
This is a useful framework for you to complete for yourself:
- How often should I reach out to my contacts?
- How can I effectively manage my contacts?
- How can I add value to my networks/encourage cross-networking?
- What steps can I take to show credibility and authenticity?
- Where are there communication gaps that I can improve upon?
Networking is centered on being committed to your goals, valuing your contacts, and aligning your actions with professionalism and respect.
