Networking - Made Simple
Author: Aboodi Shaby

One of the things about networking is that there can be a lot of mystique attached to it. There is the idea that networking is something you do in a strict business setting where you exchange business cards, etc.

Actually, networking is simply building and developing relationships with other people - anywhere! Even if you don't think you have a network, you do - think of all the people you know, the people with whom you have worked, whom you have met at conferences, at dinner parties, etc. All of these people are part of your network already. And, you come into contact with people on a daily basis - any one of them can become part of your network.

Sandy Vilas, the author of Power Networking, tells the story of how he was in a lift on his way back to work after lunch. Someone got into the lift, and Sandy noticed that the man was wearing a Rotary Club tiepin. He smiled and remarked on the tiepin, and soon the two were planning a speaking engagement for Sandy Vilas at this man's Rotary Club.

The opportunity to network is everywhere, and with everyone. Networking is not only about developing business relationships and opportunities.

It is about creating a community of people who can support and be a resource to each other. Good networkers will meet new people with the question "how can my community benefit or benefit from this person?" In other words, they are not driven by how the new person can benefit them directly. They want to increase their community, and grow their networks for the benefit of all its members.

Like all relationships, networks require cultivation. Call people in your network from time to time just to see how they are, or what you can do for them. Never miss out on the opportunity to be a resource for others, to put them in touch with others who can help them. Not only does this bring people closer together and make your network stronger, but it also means that people will be far more willing to be a resource for you too.

Take the time to acknowledge people - all people, from the person who gives you a really useful referral to the receptionist in a hotel or a customer service official on the telephone. People loved to be noticed, to be appreciated, especially people who do "anonymous" jobs like working at a super-market checkout. It costs you very little, but it means so much to the people who receive it, and it makes you much more "attractive". Most people are capable of being appreciative when they want something - become someone who is appreciative because you care about people whether or not they have something for you.

Make it a regular habit to call people up and acknowledge them for something they have done or for who they are - as I was writing this piece, someone called up to acknowledge me for something and I was delighted!

Be interested in people for who they are. If you want to be attractive to people, you don't have to be particularly interesting - all you have to do is to be interested in them. Take time to find out who people are, what their lives are about, what their concerns are.

Be open to the possibilities of networking all the time. This means making sure that you are pleasant and good-natured in all situations, be prepared to meet this opportunity by being open to life, and by "being our best selves" with whomever we meet.

We are often prepared for important meetings, whether professional or personal. We go to great lengths to make sure that we make a good impression, to show our best sides, to smile, to be warm and friendly. That's great, but what about those seemingly "chance" encounters, those times when the opportunity is there but we are unprepared, or impatient. We can miss out on a valuable experience or lesson because we are not at our best, or because we are unprepared.

For example, think of a sales executive who gives a fantastic presentation to a major new client, and then is asked by the client for a lift to the railway station. The sales executive's car is filthy, and undermines all the neatness of the presentation she has just given!

If we are open to the whole of life being an opportunity, then we can always be seen at our best. Let your inner world reflect your outer world, so that, even if you are caught by surprise, you are able to make the best of the situation.

And, be open! What has life tried to show you in the last week that you have failed to notice because you were too busy, or too much in a hurry, or because you have judgements about certain kinds of people. Try this out - ask for an answer to a question, and then ask the universe to show you - stay open to the answer coming from anywhere, and see what you get!








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Aboodi Shaby is a Professional Coach offering coaching to groups and individuals by the telephone or by e-mail. Visit his website at www.wonderful-life.com or e-mail him aboodi@wonderful-life.com

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