That’s what has helped me most
Watching others doing something well is of course a great way to learn – and keep learning. We all do it in lots of different areas such as the sports we play, so why not with a business (and life) skill like networking?
First of all, we have to be open to improving. If you think you’re already the perfect networker (and I assure you, you aren’t!), then there’s no point. But if you’re open to improving, including if you’re quite new to networking, watch closely the networkers you’d describe as ‘naturals’. They seem relaxed and confident, good talkers and listeners, happy to switch from work to non-work topics then back again. But they will undoubtedly have taken time to get there. As you get to know them, why not ask them if they have any tips? People like talking about themselves and their experiences. And as a good networker they are very likely to want to help
Your No1 focus when you’re networking is the other person. And if that other person is the type of networker you’d like to be, observe, chat and develop what fits with your style
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel” Maya Angelou
For more networking tips, checking out the podcast ‘Cows, Not Cow: How To Make Your Networking Really Work’ here