It’s important to build and nurture relationships inside your organisation and beyond.
Over the last decade I have focused on building a network that benefits the people in it and connects me with a diverse group of professionals.
Today I want to share my tips for how you can build a strong network that you enjoy and that people want to be part of.
Offer people something, no matter how small.
The biggest mistake I see people make, is to introduce themselves to others purely because they want something. Those interactions don’t build long-lasting relationships and they certainly don’t build trust.
Instead, find something to offer the other person.
If you, for example, want to connect with someone you heard speak at an event, reach out to them afterwards with a compliment on their presentation. You’d be surprised how much people, even at the top of their game, appreciate genuine compliments about their work and ideas.
Connect with that small gesture and establish a conversation from there.
Show an interest in what people do and know.
People often tell others about all the great stuff they’ve been working on or have recently learned.
A better approach is to ask questions instead. You’ll learn so much more about someone when you give them a chance to share. Asking questions is a great skill to develop and will leave a positive impression with the people you meet.
The more you ask (without being weird and intrusive, of course), the more surprised you’ll be at how much you’ll learn about other people.
Make it easy for people to help you.
I already suggested not to ask for something straight away. I’ll extend that recommendation and say: don’t ask for something until you’ve established such a good rapport with the other person, that they want to say yes to your request.
This is a long-term game and not something you can rush. You need to be patient, make a genuine effort to build relationships and care about the people you’re connected with.
When strangers ask me for job recommendations or free consulting, it’s a straight no. If someone I don’t know yet makes the effort to connect, gives me something of value (e.g. a helpful critique of my content) and takes an interest in building a mutually beneficial relationship, then helping them becomes a no-brainer.
Ask yourself how you can ‘give’ something before you ask for anything in return. Even if it means being patient.
Connect regularly with the people in your network.
To build strong professional relationships, connect with people deliberately and on a regular basis.
You don’t need to spend hours each day sending messages. Social media, including LinkedIn and Twitter, has made it so simple to interact with people and show your support for their work.
React and comment on people’s LinkedIn and Twitter post when you have something you’d like to add to the conversation. Meet up with people you know when you’re in the same city or at an event. Send someone a short note to congratulate them on a promotion (don’t use pre-set texts from LinkedIn, write your own 2-3 lines).
These small gestures that nurture relationships and maintain communication are what keeps your network alive and thriving. Don’t underestimate how much people enjoy hearing from others. Build networking skills over time. I promise, you’ll see your career opportunities improve significantly and your conversations become more interesting.
Check out my new eBook!
I’m excited to launch my first eBook. You might already know that I’m passionate about public speaking and I wrote this book to bundle everything I learned from 5+ years of giving talks and presentations.
It’s a comprehensive guide for anyone new to public speaking and for those who want to improve what they’ve been doing so far.
Public Speaking for Data and Tech Professionals
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