Learning how to network doesn’t just help your career; it also helps your personal life. The best networkers have great businesses and careers, but they also have great friendships and are always first in line for new opportunities. Read on to learn how to network better and get those opportunities for yourself.
Use Social Media
Social media is a good way to get to know important contacts better, especially if you don’t feel ready for a face-to-face meeting. Find key contacts or people with similar interests on your LinkedIn profile, Instagram, Twitter, and other places. Try responding to a link they post or a comment they make, starting a conversation with them, and giving them something of value in exchange. When you get to meet them in person, it will be easier to talk about what you’ve talked about before.
Listen And Remember
When interacting with other people, it’s crucial to be interesting and engaging. Listen to the needs and concerns of the other person, and give solutions to these problems (if you are able to). Take careful note of any information regarding a person’s family or interests that they share with you. If you ever run across each other again, these tidbits of information will come in very handy as they will help you start a conversation more easily – and it shows you listen, which is crucial when doing business as well as when networking.
Find A Reason To Follow Up
If you want to get along with someone and establish a rapport to help you network better, give them a reason to want to keep talking to you. If you read an article that adds to something you talked about at a networking meeting, save it and send it to the person with a short note about what you thought was interesting and how it could help them. If you feel that attending InsurTech Conferences would benefit them, send them the link. This shows that you were listening and that you are being helpful, and combined, this can make someone much more interested in working with you.
Don’t Push Your Own Agenda
In our world, everyone wants to be successful, but if you push your personal agenda too much, it can give the impression that the conversation is only going in one direction. Because of this, people in your network may be reluctant to develop a professional relationship with you. Always remember to respect the other people you are networking with and show a genuine interest in learning more about them.
Have Questions Ready
Having questions that you want to be answered will make you feel not only better prepared but also more at ease. Just in case there’s ever a lull in conversation or you feel so nervous you forget what you were going to say, feel free to offer a question that you have practiced in advance. No one will be any the wiser as a result of this, but it will help keep the dialogue going.