Feel like you can improve your networking skills?
Perhaps you think you’ve lost your groove in the midst of the pandemic. No worries! We’ve got six easy tips for helping you earn networking guru status.
- All Ears. You’ve likely heard it before: your listening skills are equally, if not more important, than your speaking skills. After all, it takes listening to facilitate effective communication. Take the time to hear what your contact is saying and show it in the way you respond. Be sure your conversation is 50/50, too. Find balance in talking about yourself versus inquiring about the person you’re engaging with.
- Keep Things Positive. No one likes a Debbie Downer. Think about it. The people you enjoy talking to most are likely those who are upbeat and optimistic. Emulate that attitude! Positivity also exudes confidence, a quality we all want to see in those we choose to partner with in business and in other efforts.
- Show Up. This may seem like a no-brainer, but if you want to keep your networking skills sharp, you have to get out there and use them. Attend in-person or virtual events and be sure you’re active while there. Ask questions. Make eye contact. Consider your body language. Remember that quality is more important that quantity. Focus on having productive conversations with a few individuals at each event versus thinking you have to work the whole room.
- Be an Interviewer. You don’t always need an event, in-person or online, to sharpen your communication skills. Consider interviewing individuals you want to know more about or those that you look up to. Anyone can be a reporter of sorts nowadays. Think of all of the self-starting podcasters out there. Put yourself in those shoes and get to asking thoughtful questions and having meaningful conversations.
- Add Humor. Funny people are regarded as likable and approachable. Don’t take yourself too seriously and work on the skill of making people laugh, but be sure to do it tastefully and appropriately. They’ll appreciate you for it.
- Mix Things Up. Don’t rely solely on in-person events to use your networking skills. The pandemic has us meeting virtually too, and that option likely isn’t going anywhere. Don’t be afraid to join in and meet others on Zoom, Skype and the like.
Learn more about Pagoda Business Network online at pagodabusinessassociation.com. We’d love to welcome you to our group!
Nikki Murry is editor of Berks County Living magazine and a freelance writer, editor, proofreader and blogger. In her free time she is an active dog rescue volunteer and enjoys spending time with her 17-year-old son, Riley, and her three dogs: Figgy and Shelly, French Bulldogs, and Bruno, a Boston Terrier.