Gone are the days you always have to show teeth and be highly competitive to be successful. In this interconnected world, it’s all about how you collaborate with people that will get you to the next level.
This move will help you build your credibility and reach out to the right people to build a reliable network.
The best way to network today is to grab the opportunities presented by technology and social media. Online platforms opened powerful doors that enable us to connect to successful people from around the world. It also allowed us to put ourselves out there much easier and let our voices be heard.
Build your online presence and let people know your niche - your ideas, brand, products, or services. Publish your thoughts online in such a way you become digitally omnipresent. Establish your own website, and don’t stop there. Post it on LinkedIn, share it on facebook, and talk about it on Twitter. Get your message across.
There is time-tested truth in the saying that you are the average of your five closest relationships – so you better reach out to the right people.
Gone are the days you need to exchange business cards and walk up to people to be known. Reach out to people proactively through email and social media platforms. Follow-up on them through a personal and intentional message. You can also prepare a one-pager introducing your work and potential ideas on how you can collaborate.
One interesting and powerful strategy to network that only a few people use is podcasting. It doesn’t only improve your communication skills, it’s also a one-of-a-kind opportunity to reach out. Connect with successful people for collaborations and harvest valuable lessons from them. Plus, it’s always a memorable experience from both ends.
As you go your way, don’t just stop with building connections for yourself. Build a strong network for yourself and support others along the way by thoughtfully connecting people with one another as well. Give out recommendations, do thoughtful introductions, and encourage collaborations. Bridge people whom you think could work together and help each other out in projects.
Soon enough, you’ll find yourself in a spiderweb of reliable connections, creating a supporting and reliable network around you.