Networking with empathy: what is it, why and how to build it

Surely among your friends there is one that on all occasions there exists the right person, who knows how to solve your problem. And every time you wonder: 'Is it possible that such a contact is in his notebook? ". From the best doctors to automobile mechanics, from stylist to the top manager of a large corporation.

"Connections are everything" - his motto in life. Meet it gets easy, with many of "you", not only remembers the birthdays of their friends, but even birthdays and names of their children. All questions are decided quickly, sometimes for him to do this, just enough to make one phone call to the right person. Want to know how he does it? Let's face it.

An ideal place for a new love

Where should I meet?

The correct answer is: everywhere, where there is such an opportunity. You are very strongly restricts their network of acquaintances, if you communicate only through the work and love crank only for business conferences.

Waiting hall the airport, Walks with children on the playground, all in a movie theater, a party with your friends, your cafe business center or an art exhibition - in places that are not related to work, meet more often simpler. It is necessary to be creative and do not be passive.

Keep the conversation from general to specific

What to say?

For many, the question is really difficult. Because it seems that all topics are banal and intrusive do not want to be. Do not hesitate and feel free to go to meet friends. For example, I have a simple: "Let's exchange business cards" - often works better than a long walk around the bush, with the correct selection of topics for conversation.

How else can you start a conversation? First discuss what surrounds you: the place where you are, the event and its organization, presentation, menus, and even the weather. Next, try to go on that topic, which was discussed, the topics of the next level.

They need to be closer to the personal interests of your interlocutor. Otherwise, the theme runs out, it will be nothing to talk about, because for a long time to talk about the general lengthy and boring. For example: "This speaker inspires me as well as the author of the book, read it?". And the conversation unfolds further.

The main thing here is not to go to two extremes: the questioning and monologue. Of course, too personal issues do not need to raise. You should have a dialogue, which aims - to find out about the interlocutor a little more than his name and position. Try to talk about hobby, Places where you've been, favorite books or films, to find possible common acquaintances.

If the conversation casual, you can immediately ask the interlocutor to help you find their profile in LinkedIn or Facebook and add it to your contacts. It is also a great way to keep contact with you if you do not have business cards.

Remind about themselves right after acquaintances

What to do after they met?

It is desirable in the first few days after the communication somehow remind myself and fix acquaintance. The standard way - this is a classic reminder letter which is sent usually after business meetings. As it is important to briefly but succinctly, in a few sentences to remind you that you can be useful interlocutor. It should also add a brief presentation of your business or company.

A good way to leave a good impression about yourself - send new friend something interesting to him personally, what you said at the meeting. A reference to the book that he became interested in video performance speaker who cited as an example, the article, you need to contact him or the hotel's recommendation for recreation.

You build a new bridge of your relationship, tying the knot a little stronger contact. If the meeting has not been in a business setting, then remind yourself by adding the person as a friend on Facebook and write a short message with the same essence, but not in a business format.

Maintain and strengthen the newly created connection

What to do with all the accumulated contacts?

Firstly, for the convenience of business cards can be grouped by field of activity, events, which met, professions or hobbies. This will help to quickly find a contact, or to understand someone from your circle of friends is to get acquainted with each other, if they will share common interests.

Secondly, their network of acquaintances is necessary to develop, or even the largest number of business cards become dead weight. What matters is not who you know but who knows you. How to develop? Strengthen weak links and support strong. With the advent of social networking, these tasks are greatly simplified.

For weak links you fairly regularly write posts, laykat and comment on the posts of your friends, follow the notification of important dates in the life and respond to it. Do not be lazy to congratulate on his birthday, changing jobs or relocation. You can also invite your friends to events of interest to attract joint projects.

Strong links are enhanced by regular personal meetings or phone calls, offer assistance requested by the expert recommendations, after which you will not forget to thank your friends. Exchange of books, common projects and travel have also been combined. Sincerely interested in the life and experiences of your friends, make friends, and do not seek the benefits of love.

Be aware of the ecological relationships and win-win rule (helped you - and help you). Meet your friends with each other, based on their goals and interests. You also get benefits from it.

Everything is good, but in our time all the time? Here the time is not enough, and friends - even more so. I will share with you a few techniques that all of the above help to make easier and faster, as well as demands our rapid pace of life.

Life hacking effective networking

1. Group the

Activity, meeting friends. There are two similar tasks? Combine. Several girlfriends love concerts at the Philharmonic? Take them all with you, there became acquainted. Two new friend thought the idea of ​​a startup? Meet them. One head it's good, but two better.

2. use instant messenger

It's free, efficiently and conveniently. Calls do not always have the time, moreover, they are annoying many. And to make general chat and arrange a trip to the park with several friends in five minutes. Just do not confuse the general chat with groups of correspondences on the 20+ people that turn into spam.

3. Attend the conference dinner

If you do not have time to come to the conference for the day, come closer to the dinner. So you can grab a piece of content, and then in the afternoon to discuss it with new acquaintances. We should not forget that the purpose of business meetings - is communication. A lunch - the perfect time to do so.

4. Do not go to the conference with a colleague or friend

More precisely, to communicate with a colleague or friend. Use events to the destination. It is foolish to go to a place where you can make new contacts, and to spend the time to communicate with the already familiar to you man. To do this, you can go with him in a cafe the other day. Section, and after the event interchange collected business cards. So each of you will be able to get more new contacts.

5. We ask you to submit

Psychologically, people who are perceived better than just coming up from the street. If your event has a friend who knows many of those present, ask them to introduce you to those whom you find it difficult to approach. This same technique works when you just met someone and after a brief communication asking you to meet a group of his colleagues.

Important: Respect other people's time. If you ask to recommend you in writing (email or message), you have to write a completely finished short text about yourself, your product or service. I am recommending that you people should just copy the text and send it to spend just a minute of your time. How to write such a letter, you can see here and here.

6. Actively acquainted online

Do not limit your dating is only offline. Browse lists common acquaintances and friends of friends in social networks, review published after the event photos with tags and add new friends. You find interesting professionals, authors and social activists, artists with exhibitions and crank chat and make new friends.

Three simple rules for Networking

1. Be interested in sincerely

Find what you're interested in a man: common values, areas of interest, hobbies, common initiatives. And do not communicate, if it is not. Spanned chat nothing good usually does not work.

2. Ask for help directly

Do not expect that you will be offered help and recognize your hints. Be prepared to help themselves.

3. Think about how you can be helpful

Be friendly, but do not look for profit.

You successful networking!