Do you know your own purpose?
Do you know what or who is potentially holding you back from achieving it?
Networking always has a purpose. You build contacts that can help you further in your work or in your private life and vice versa; that you can help others. It means that you are connected to others and therefore able to use the principle of supply and demand (giving and receiving) faster, more innovative and with more results, because you are doing it together.
Yet, we are all very good at inventing objections to network. Do you recognize this for example?
I feel uncomfortable when I have to approach complete strangers.
Tip: Turn the fear on its head! What would make it comfortable for you to approach other people?
Exercise: Make sure that you have a good elevator pitch and that you practice it before you do it in real life. A good elevator pitch (a short summary of yourself and what you do) should be no longer than 30-60 seconds and should provide a clear message on what you have to offer as well as conveying a personal message. People will switch off if you talk too much about your product or service. If you do this it can give the impression that you cannot convey the core message of what you have to offer and that your product or service is not really of much benefit. Try to encapsulate what you do in one sentence because the personal message will be at the end and this deserves just as much, if not more, credence.
The eBook Networking? How does it work? offers knowledge, stories that clarify questions and excercises giving the reader an insight on own behavior on this topic.
