Networking from A to Z: how and why to make useful contacts

Each of us is engaged in networking, but not everyone knows how to benefit from simple communication for career and business. Everything you need to know about networking

What is networking

Networking is the creation and development of a network of useful acquaintances. This is an investment in the future: you simply make acquaintances that will be useful in a career or business. The more people you know, the more opportunities you have.

For example, at a design conference, you met the manager of a major brand. We discussed the speeches of the speakers, the industry and common problems, exchanged contacts. A few weeks later, this manager invites you to work on a new company project because he liked your approach to problems and clients.

But for networking to be useful, you need to offer your new acquaintances something in return, because you, too, may be asked for a favor.

“We are talking about establishing bilateral, trust-based working relations. And everyone can do it. This is probably the most powerful force other than actual experience that can affect your career.”, says Raluka Greibner, a leadership consultant at the Leadership Research Institute [1].

Why develop a dating network

The stronger your presence in the professional community, the more you can benefit from it. People do not get there by chance – everyone owns certain resources, intellectual and social capital. Therefore, any new contact has the potential for mutually beneficial cooperation. Here are the possibilities that such relationships open up.

• Permanent access to experts

You do not have to waste time searching for the necessary information if you have a dozen specialists from different fields in your notebook. They can quickly answer a question or advise whom to turn to for help.

• Increasing visibility and motivation

You communicate with professionals who are constantly looking for new solutions to familiar problems, trying innovative approaches and launching different projects. Learn from the mistakes of others and adopt best practices.

• Job Opportunities

According to LinkedIn statistics [2], up to 85% of vacancies are filled through acquaintances. Blat and nepotism have nothing to do with it: if you are doing your job well and it is pleasant to deal with you, you will definitely be called when a suitable position opens up.

• Potential partnerships and investments

Others may be interested in your work or ideas. They will help you raise money for projects or bring experienced people to your team, advertise products to expand your audience, or open new lines of business with you.

How networking works

Any person is engaged in networking throughout his life: he gets acquainted, communicates, joins communities. It is important to learn how to benefit from these processes. No one will even think of calling you to work if they do not know what you are doing.

It is important not only to make new contacts, but also to constantly stay in the field of view. For example, you graduated from high school a long time ago and many of your classmates have probably already succeeded in their fields. They can be helpful, but if you haven’t kept in touch since graduation, suddenly asking for their help isn’t very polite.

Where to practice networking

Some people manage to acquire useful acquaintances naturally: such people are sociable from birth and know how to win over others. But in the modern world, networking is a tool available even to introverts.

Sociologist Brian Uzzi and professor at the School of Management. Kellogg Richard Thomas believe [3] that truly strong bonds are formed not in small talk, but in situations where you and other people are involved in something important. Therefore, the most effective networking is the one that involves working together. But do not neglect simple communication.

Places and activities that promote good networking:

• Educational programs and professional competitionswhere participants are grouped together.

Many practice-oriented events are built around teamwork, such as case championships and hackathons. Courses, trainings, intensives and marathons, even online, often include blocks in which students solve problems together. Here you can meet interesting people, show your skills in business and see what others are capable of.

• Coworking – a good base for finding business acquaintances.

In such places people are immersed in work, and you can offer help, ask a question or share an opinion. A one-time fruitful interaction will easily develop into further cooperation.

• Industry exhibitions, forums and conferenceswhere people exchange experiences, share best practices and talk about their achievements.

Here you will immediately find out who can be useful to you, and who will be interested in you yourself.

• Social Networks, if used correctly, will work for the development of connections.

In the West, everyone has been looking for professional acquaintances on LinkedIn for a long time, in our country and the CIS there is “Professionals.ru”, but other platforms are also suitable for this. For example, using a channel in Telegram or YouTube is easy to get others to contact you. Until the spring of 2022, the list of social networks available in our country was somewhat wider, but this does not mean that it is now impossible to develop a network of contacts.

• Special applications like Random Coffee help you find people who are close to you.

The bot program selects an interlocutor for you and offers to arrange a one-on-one meeting. Together with the previous point (social networks), this is one of the key ways of remote networking.

• Any communities and clubs: from sports, neighborhood and national to student, scientific and professional.

Participants unite in such groups according to certain interests or characteristics, but this does not mean that they cannot find other points of contact.

How to do networking the right way

First impression

It is important to learn how to make a good first impression. Think about how interesting it is to introduce yourself in a couple of sentences. It is worth moving away from dry generalized formulations containing only the position and field of activity. It’s better to briefly describe what exactly you do, for example: “I analyze data and, together with specialists from related fields, develop marketing strategies for the business.”

Good quality business cards. Make clear cards with a concise design, from which it is immediately clear where and by whom you work and how to contact you. To make them even more convenient, you can add a QR code that, when scanned, will show your profiles in social networks – so you should fill it out correctly. Add a high-quality photo to your profile, information about education and experience, join thematic groups related to your work, show that you are interested in the profession. Make reposts of publications that are interesting in your field, share your opinion on this matter, write expert posts yourself.

Communication

Most people find it easier to communicate one-on-one or in small groups. Therefore, it is better not to come to events in the company of someone. Try to show up before the event starts and stay after it ends. So you will have the opportunity to meet more people who are not busy talking.

Your goal is not just to expand your contact list as much as possible, but to find useful people for cooperation. Therefore, focus on communicating with those who can really be useful to you. For example, if you want to find new opportunities to advertise your products, and you know in advance that a certain person is marketing, first of all try to get closer to him.

Remember the banal rules of courtesy. Smile more, don’t go over sharply to “you”, make compliments, address people by name, introduce strangers to each other and do not interrupt interlocutors. Show genuine interest: ask more open-ended questions and ask for feedback. Do not be distracted by a smartphone or extraneous things and try to listen to new acquaintances to the end.

Strengthen ties

Get in the habit of leaving “hooks” during the first conversation and using them to remind you of yourself after the meeting. For example, you can share information from some research or publication, and the next day send a link to them and start a subsequent dialogue. Another way is to take a group photo and then upload it in the messenger.

Invite people with whom you have exchanged contacts for lunch, coffee or a joint workout. As Kate Ferrazzi writes in The New York Times bestselling book Never Eat Alone, it’s times like these that we’re more open to socializing and more willing to bond.

Share useful links, services, new contacts, if they can be useful to your friends. Bring them small souvenirs from your travels, congratulate them on holidays, exchange books, talk about significant events in your life, and sometimes try to spend time together just like that – without discussing business.

What networking mistakes to avoid

What to read about networking

You can’t learn networking from books alone. It will take constant practice and work on other soft skills. But this selection of books will help you avoid mistakes, relying on the experience of professionals, and learn about the main networking tools.

“Networking for introverts” by Vikre Karen

The book will teach you to win over people, make useful contacts and achieve various professional goals with their help.

“Never Eat Alone” by Kate Ferrazzi

The networking guru describes simple and effective techniques from his experience. His approaches are being studied at Stanford Business School.

How to Talk to Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime by Larry King

One of the most famous TV journalists and a recognized master of interviews shares his secrets.

“Science of communication. How to Read Emotions, Understand Intentions, and Connect with People by Vanessa Edwards

The founder of The Science of People laboratory tells how to behave at events, read emotions and make any communication memorable.

“Language of Life” Marshall Rosenberg

Non-violent communication (NVC) is a way to clearly convey information to a person and get your way. The approach was formulated by the American psychologist Marshall Rosenberg. In the book, he talks about methods of communicating with people, shares the tools of empathy and self-understanding.

“From connections to riches”, Maxim Chernov

Networking expert and founder of pronetworking.ru explains how to build fruitful friendships out of connections.