The Power of Networking

The age old debate; is it what you know or who you know that is most important. I would say that 100% of the time who you know can and will open more doors for you than what you know. If you are looking to change fields, get that big promotion or sidestep into a new industry knowing the right people is going to take you all the way. Bob Burg takes it one step further when he says 'it isn't just what you know, and it isn't just who you know. It's actually who you know, who knows you, and what you do for a living'. In other words don't just know the right people, let them know you are looking for a role they might be able to help you with.

So what is networking, how do you go about doing it with the right people and are there any good ways to network? Well, networking is much simpler than it sounds. It is just communicating with people; either face-to-face, via email or by telephone. The best people to champion your cause are going to be people that really know you; friends, colleagues, family. So if there are people you haven't seen or spoken to for a while, drop them an email, give them a call, get in touch. Then there are people that might know of you via a mutual friend or colleague. These people will be able to access information about you from a source they trust so are a good next port of call. You might want to befriend them on a social networking site or go for a coffee with your friend when they are meeting up. If you work from home you might want to join a professional networking group. Your local Business Link will be able to point you in the right direction and might even run something themselves. If there is someone specific you want to network with and they are speaking at an event or attending a trade show, go along. Try and introduce yourself and tell them what you are looking for. Their time might be busy and you may have caught them on the hop so keep your conversation brief and offer to confirm everything you have said via email.

Lastly do everything with a smile. Even if it is writing an email because, as Carl Buechner said, 'they might forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel'

For help networking or making the transition from where you are to where you want to be please contact one of our Consultant Coaches by visiting our website at http://www.churchillbrook.co.uk