Artist, Athlete, or Musician?
There are four versions of the Mona Lisa; Michael Jordan tried out for his varsity basket ball team and was told he was too short; Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick was kicked out of the band. What do these all people have in common? They continued to practice their craft, despite setbacks, and reached success.
What if we took a page out of their playbook, and treated networking more like a sport or learning an instrument? By doing a bit of practice each day you can make networking less icky—and maybe interesting or even…fun?
You can have your networking warms ups, drills, and practices.
“Effective networking isn’t a result of luck – it requires hard work and persistence.” ― Lewis Howes
As Lewis Howes said, persistence is key. I also suggest that consistency is key. Schedule 21 minutes each day to try the following (choose one or two ideas from the below suggestions).
Warm Up
Catch up on what is happening in the world and write out your introductions.
Find a news agregator (I like Flipboard) and subscribe to a combination of topics that you’re interested in and a few that you’re not. Sports is not high on my list, yet I follow local and major national sporting events. This past March Madness season was a great conversation starter!
Write out three or four ways to introduce yourself. The more you write it out, the more it will be committed to memory and you’ll be surprised on how your introductions will go more smoothly.
Drills
Use your favorite search engine as a tool. Find out about the networking event, and who will be attending. If it’s a one on one coffee, look on LinkedIn about the person you are meeting. You will find great information that can help you with conversation starters. Not all topics have to be business-related.
Search “best questions for networking.” There are a ton of great ideas out there that you can incorporate.
Take a look at your contacts prior to an event. Refreshing your mind on who you know prior to networking may result in you being able to make a good second or third-level connection.
Like, comment, and share your connection updates on your social media channels.
The Practice Game
Find people throughout the week with whom you can practice your introduction, questions, and/or knowledge. Practice some of the questions while waiting for a meeting to start; try out your intro with a trusted friend or colleague. Or, send a text to two people each day just to check in. A hello with no agenda can brighten someone’s day. It also makes you feel good!
Whether you think like an athlete, artist, or musician, the successful ones had a routine that you too can incorporate.
Let me know which tips work for you and I’ll take you out for tea (or a beverage of your choice) to teach me more. Go to janvkoster.com to contact me!
