NEWS AND INSIGHTS UPDATE:
An important part of building a business and a career is networking, but many people hate networking. How can you turn your disdain for networking into a love of networking?
Vanessa Merit Nornberg of Inc.com offers three ways to make your networking efforts more successful and more comfortable. She explains:
1. Listening is the best way to start a conversation.
Most people think about networking from the perspective of what they are going to say. Instead, think about networking in terms of what someone else might have to say to you.2. Honesty begets honesty.
We can all spin our stories to sell the audience on how great our businesses are, and doing so is sometimes a great survival skill. However, I find that ditching the PR pitch and honestly talking about my challenges has saved my business more than once.3. Everyone has something interesting to impart.
In my experience, the people who are the most different from me are also the most likely to teach me something valuable. Stepping outside of your circle is one of the most effective ways to begin thinking outside your box–and networking is the perfect chance to get access to a bevvy of different types of thinkers, all in one location.
How do you overcome networking discomfort? Share your tips in the comments below.
Get More Details: Hate Networking? 3 Ways to Get Over It via www.inc.com
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Susan Gunelius
Susan Gunelius is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Women on Business. She is a 30-year veteran of the marketing field and has authored a dozen books about marketing, branding, and social media, including the highly popular Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing, 30-Minute Social Media Marketing, Content Marketing for Dummies, Blogging All-in-One for Dummies and Kick-ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps. Susan’s marketing-related content can be found on Entrepreneur.com, Forbes.com, MSNBC.com, BusinessWeek.com, and more. Susan is President & CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc., a marketing communications company. She has worked in corporate marketing roles and through client relationships with AT&T, HSBC, Citibank, Intuit, The New York Times, Cox Communications, and many more large and small companies around the world. Susan also speaks about marketing, branding and social media at events around the world and is frequently interviewed by television, online, radio, and print media organizations about these topics. She holds an MBA in Management and Strategy and a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and is a Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC).
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I find that when you really get to know people and take a genuine interest in what they are doing, you start developing great relationships… and it no longer feels like “networking.” That’s when the fun starts and the magic happens.