How can I help you? Five words, five simple words. “How can I help you?” When you are in job search mode those very well may be the five best words you could ever here (except for maybe, “Congratulations, you got the job!”) But how often do you hear them when you are networking? From my experience, not that often. I’ve found that there are some very special people out there, others that are mildly helpful if it is not much of an inconvenience and, of course, those who ignore. And that’s OK, I guess. After all, we are all so busy. But… If you want to hear more how-can-I-help-you’s here’s a tip: Use it yourself. Try it. Even though you are in job search mode, set that burning issue aside and ask someone, anyone - the recent college grad the unemployed electrician...

If songs were much longer we wouldn’t remember them or we’d lose interest. The format has been tried, tampered with and proven for decades. Let’s use that characteristic in our networking. The biggest sin in networking is boring your audience. How many times have you been asked a simple question, like, “What do you do?” where you launch into a complete history of your employment life? Folks stop listening after about three sentences. More than that and whatever you say is lost. Prepare for any encounter with just exactly the answer to the question you are asked and if you do a good job, your listener will ask you questions; which means you are interacting. Find that hard to do? Try repeating the question in your answer. “I work xxx” or “What do I do?…” Second Sin: Talking AT people is a horrible way to create a ...

When networking comes to mind, most people think of business networking in an environment with other professionals who generally talk about business. However, another atmosphere that’s a great place to build meaningful relationships is the non-profit world. Get Involved With a Charity A great way to give back to the community and meet some great people is to get involved with a charity. Pick a charity that interests you and a cause that you’re passionate about so you will get the most out of your experience. Once you decide which group you would like to help out, contact a board member. You can usually find this information on a group’s Web site. Otherwise, contact the charity and ask who you need to speak to about getting involved. You will find that it’s rather easy to get involved with a charity. These groups are always happy to have volunteers and can use the help. Before ...

With relationship building, it is a given that you need to connect with others for the relationship to work. Figure out what you have in common with people and build from these items. It is impossible to build relationships with everyone you meet. Focus more of your effort on who you connect with the most, which usually includes individuals with common interests, skills or experiences. Pay attention to business and personal commonalities so you can develop more meaningful relationships. Connecting on a deeper level is a must for any relationship to survive over time. Find Business Commonalities Many of the people in your network will be people who you meet professionally. As you get to know these people, you will learn about their business skills and experiences. Take note of what you discover because this information will help you to connect better with certain people. Some of what you learn ...

With relationship building, it is a given that you need to connect with others for the relationship to work. Figure out what you have in common with people and build from these items. Pay attention to business and personal commonalities so you can develop more meaningful relationships. Connecting on a deeper level is a must for any relationship to survive over time. Find Business Commonalities Many of the people in your network will be people who you meet professionally. As you get to know these people, you will learn about their business skills and experiences. Take note of what you discover because this information will help you to connect better and on a deeper level. You will have an instant conversation starter every time and a reason to follow up. At the same time, connecting various people is another important part of relationship building. As long as you take notes and pay attention to detail, ...

While a large part of relationship building is leveraging your existing network to meet new people, it’s still important to attend events. In doing so, you are providing yourself with an additional opportunity to meet new people and to strengthen some of your existing relationships. Face time is so important to building a strong network. The more events you attend, the more you will see some of the same people. This will allow you to get know those people even better. At the same time, you need to put yourself in situations where you can meet people you would probably never have met otherwise. Take the time to attend a variety of events. Don’t just attend the same events each month. Attend Events in Your Industry While it should be self-evident, it’s always important to attend events in your professional industry. You will see some familiar people at these events such as clients, partners ...

We all attend many events throughout the year. As a result, we meet an abundance of professionals with only a sliver of these people actually becoming part of our network. In order to increase the likelihood of converting many of these first-time encounters into solid relationships, you need to set yourself apart at an event and make sure you are memorable. If you follow some of the below suggestions, you will be on your way to developing more relationships. Wear Your Nametag Proudly First impressions are very important. Make sure you come across professionally at all times. Even before you speak to someone, you will be judged by your appearance. Don’t let your appearance hurt your chances of getting a first conversation. You need to make sure your shoes are polished, your hair is combed, your clothes are not stained and you are dressed appropriately for the event. All of ...

Networking is a method that is used to build relationships. These relationships could be with classmates, co-workers, business partners, vendors, service providers and even family. We often attend family reunions where we meet new and distant relations. This is an excellent vehicle for networking. Networking is the process of discovering and using connections between people. Many of these connections actually stem from already established friendships and business relations. Networking is the ability to explore all of your relationships and utilize them to help you to move closer to your long-term goals. Think of a computer network. You are the central server. Whenever you come across another server with information you wish to access, you need to build a connection with routers and cabling to reach the information contained on that server’s hard drive. The router is the method or the person who referred you to the new server and the cables ...

It is virtually impossible to succeed professionally and personally without developing a network of people. There is no career or business opportunity where you can be rewarded entirely for what you know and how well you know your work. Networking requires a mission, goals, vision and a willingness to share valuable information with others. Networking events, meetings and conferences are places to make plans to reconnect and stay in touch. It involves building relationships, helping others and giving advice to anyone who asks. A trusting business relationship will enhance your base of contacts and build a lifetime of rewards. It’s Not Who You Know, It’s Who Knows You! Networking is a skill that can be learned. To maximize the potential of your networking skill, you must learn the necessary strategies, and you must practice, just as you would when learning to play a sport or a musical instrument. 1. Introductions. ...

Elevator speeches are intended to prepare you for very brief, chance encounters in an elevator. But elevator speeches are not just for elevators! You should use it whenever you want to introduce yourself to a new contact.