Let’s go a little deeper into networking, shall we? If you haven’t read our marketing blog that introduces this topic, check it out here!
As a recap, networking is creating professional relationships with others. This takes time, but it’s worth the effort!
Why Network
You may feel at a stand-still with your business. You’re not getting more clients, followers, etc. One of the biggest things you can do to help your business is to network! Networking is so important that we’ve decided to create a blog just on this topic! The reason it’s so valuable is because it helps you learn valuable things from others, builds your reputation, and so much more.
Regardless of your profession, networking is always essential!
I was talking to my husband, who wants to go to law school and become a lawyer one day (just like Anna’s husband), about networking. He noticed how I had been on the phone with marketing professionals and thought it was neat how I was creating all these relationships.
He had been trying to get an internship with a law office with no luck. I told him to try networking, too! He was surprised because he thought it was only a business thing, but took my advice. After phone calls and following up with his connections, he was able to secure an internship with a really nice law office.
When you create these relationships, it’s important to remember that they are relationships. You aren’t using these people to boost your business or to just benefit yourself. Just like a relationship with a loved one, you need to give. If you’re thinking you don’t have anything to offer, you’re wrong! You always have something to offer. You are a unique person who can bring you to the table. Only you can do that! So, reach out with the full intention of becoming this person’s friend and genuinely learning from them.
As you listen to what they have to say, you’ll be able to think of ways you can serve them. These will be great ways to build that friendship.
How to Network
Networking honestly looks different for every person depending on your career and goals. It’s different because the way you connect with people varies by industry. You have to find out where those you want to learn from are. Think about where online the people you want to connect with are. Most of the time you can reach them here:
- Their websites
- Personal Emails
Wherever they are, go there! You can start a conversation by:
- asking them meaningful questions
- suggesting collaborations
- sharing meaningful content
- asking for advice
You network by building the amount of people you know and can connect with in a certain area. Networking is about building connections with others in different industries, with different perspectives and experiences than you in order to learn and grow from them. It is all about finding people who can mentor you.
Everyone is different, so how you engage with people will be different from person to person. Some relationships will be more formal, while others may be more informal. Assess each situation and you’ll know how to respond to each person as you truly listen to what they say.
And if you network enough, you’ll learn that not everyone you reach out to will respond. You’ll also learn that not everyone who responds is actually someone you’d like to be connected with long-term. You may even learn that some people you actually end of speaking to have great experiences, but they aren’t a good fit with you and your needs. Anna says that on average only 10% of the people you reach out to will reply back and about 1% of those will become true mentors.
But, in the long-run, you only need a few stellar connections to make networking worth the work.
Who to Network With
As I stated above, this varies per industry and is dependent on your goals. Are you a corporate career-woman? A small business owner? A mom who needs more mom-friends? A triathlete needing advice on training? The list goes on. Below are examples of people you’d want to reach out to.
- Someone with more experience than you
- A person with the type of job you hope to have someday
- Someone who’s accomplished something you want to do
- A person with a managerial role
- Those in the same role as you
- Businesses you could collaborate with who are on brand with your style
My Experience
Networking really works! Back in April 2019 I started working really hard on networking. As I looked on LinkedIn and talked with others, I had a few questions I wanted to learn from those I networked with:
- How can I combine my creative side with my analytical side in a job? What does it look like?
- What does the day-in-the-life look like for the person I’m networking with? Does it match my wants?
- What advice do they have for me wanting to follow their footsteps?
Looking for someone whose career I looked up to, I came across Anna on LinkedIn and read about her marketing background and photography skills. She seemed like she had a lot of knowledge on how to combine the two sides I had questions about.
I reached out to her and asked if we could talk sometime about what she did for a living. She agreed. The conversation was great! Soon after, she posted a marketing position for her photography business and I applied. Because of our previous conversation, she chose me for the position. She remembered how I was genuinely interested in what she had to say.
I wouldn’t have this amazing opportunity to intern with Anna without networking!
Nurture the Relationship
Now that you’ve created these beginnings of relationships, it’s important to nourish them. Just like a plant needs nourishment, your relationships need nourishment. Keep in touch with them. Send them a message/email to express your gratitude for the call/meeting you had with them.
One of the best things you can do in networking is to truly listen. The person you’re building this relationship will be more likely to talk with you if they feel you care about what they say. You can demonstrate that you care as you ask questions relevant and meaningful in response to what they talk about.
Another way you can show that you listen and care is to let them know later how you’ve applied something they taught you, and how it has been working out for you.
As you build these relationships, you will see that they are mutually beneficial and overall help you grow. Networking takes time. Like all good things, it is worth waiting for. It’s never to late to start networking! It’s a game-changer.
To get started with networking, reach out to Anna here:
