Two guys are walking down the same street at separate times. Each is hungry, each is looking into the windows of stores where there is hot food, and each has a pocketful of money.
Only thing is that one of these two guys doesn’t realize he has a pocketful of money. So he looks into the window and blames the world for being a hard place and stays hungry. The other guy uses the money in his pocket to secure a good meal.
Networking is a lot like filling your pocket with money. Some people just don’t realize that they have great resources already available to them, or think that they can’t get what they desire in life. They just focus on the world being a hard place, while they remain hungry for a job, a new connection, a deal, or whatever it is they desire.
So take a look inside your pockets, not for business cards of people you met at the last event you attended, but for the connection you established with someone at that event.
- Did you follow up to reinforce that connection?
- Did you remember something that the two of you spoke about or heard from a speaker that was interesting to both of you?
- Did you ask a question where you really want to hear what they think?
- When is the last time you sent a personal message to someone who made a comment on a LinkedIn discussion that resonated with you?
These are the type of actions that turn a handshake and business card into the start of a new relationship. I know you have dreams and aspirations. And I know you are hungry.
So what are you going to do about it?
Marc Sokol is an organizational psychologist with an eye for how people and teams can be more effective, even in a dysfunctional company. He is part of M Squared Group, a data-driven marketing consultancy.
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