Networking With Purpose: 5 Tips to Dramatically Increase Your Business Network

culled from:linkedin.com/

1) Tune in to your contacts’ interests: Always think of your counterpart’s benefits first.

Whenever you’re meeting a new contact, whether it’s a business owner, non-profit manager or entrepreneur, learn as much as you can about their trade and specialty. Understand where the greatest need is and try to fill it.

Of course, if you are a natural “giver,” in Adam Grant’s terms, then it will work easier for you. Here is what this bestselling author of “Give and Take” reveals about how to achieve success by giving: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLsqiRPiKD0#t=113.
2) Find out how your skills and connections can help this person right now.

Each of us has a unique network of business contacts, family connections and friends. It’s not necessary all business. Sometimes your counterpart might need some trivial help in finding a good contractor or dentist. Go out of your way and offer what you can to help him or her. And ask nothing in return. Most importantly, don’t postpone this request, think on your feet and try to help in the moment. This goes a long way.
3) Create and practice your elevator speech to perfection.

Do you know what differentiates you from the competition? Can you recite your elevator pitch, a concise description of your business, in your sleep? Before you dispatch to your next networking reception, polish your elevator speech to perfection. There are plenty of resources on YouTube to help you with this. I personally liked these two video lessons on creating your perfect elevator pitch:

4) Follow up. Follow up. Follow up. (And with a handwritten note, please).

People make the mistake of not getting in touch with their newly built connections, losing the momentum and all the benefits of immediate follow-up. It’s amazing how many opportunities and investments of time and effort are lost when you wait weeks to follow up. You suddenly come across that business card and ask yourself in despair – how do I know this guy?

Whenever possible, try to write a short note about your counterpart’s focus on the back side of his or her business card. When you’re back in the office, take a nice thank-you card and write a handwritten message to your new connection.

In our deeply isolationist digital time, any act of showing your true human side is worth gold. It’s that splash that works on an emotional level. It’s never manipulation, and always a sincere gesture of appreciation.

In his article in Psychology Today, Dr. Christopher Petersen shares that “a good letter is personal and personalized. A good letter takes time to write. The thing about writing a letter is that no one can multitask while doing so, unlike e-mails or telephone calls. A letter represents undivided attention and is precious as a consequence. Oh yes, a good letter is handwritten, not a cut-and-pasted, global searched-and-replaced bit of faux intimacy.”
5) Make an effort to become a sustainable connection.
Very often time and our busy schedules take their toll on our business communication. Especially when you’ve achieved your business goal, and you don’t feel the pressure of keeping up with your contacts any more. Naturally, some of your contacts will have more long-term value than others -- the thing is, you can’t figure out which ones until it’s too late. So make it a habit of sustaining all of your contacts, as much as you can, and building this into your daily routine.

Just how exactly can you make your connection sustainable? Try to figure out the ways that you can help your counterpart in the future. You could send her an interesting link or an article, invite him for a coffee or lunch to catch up on the news. Building trusting business relationships takes time, but it's certainly worth it.