According to the article “3 Steps to Make Networking Easier” by contributor David Meltzer on Entrepreneur’s website, networking need not be a difficult thing to do — it simply requires energy. However, Meltzer notes, many people make networking harder for themselves than it needs to be. As such, he provides three tips for making networking easier:
- Figure out who you want to meet. This is the first step in networking, but you must also determine why you want to meet that person. What values and benefits can you receive from meeting this person? Then, utilizing discipline, strategy and awareness, imagine where the best place to meet this person would be and how to best use your and that person’s time when meeting. Stay focused on why you want to meet that person so that it inspires you to try.
- Plan a good question. Planning is essential for networking, and this includes coming up with the right question(s). When you do finally approach this person, Meltzer says, “Smile, say hello and be prepared with questions that are more interested than interesting.” Meltzer recommends even asking a simple question, such as, “What do you do,” or “Is there anything I can do for you?”
- Follow up. You need to have a system to record who you met with that day and a way in which you can follow up with these people. Following up lets a person know that you appreciated the time he or she spent talking with you and that you are interested in growing the relationship. It is also important to remind the person about your interaction, given that you don’t know how many people that person met that day.
Read the original article here.