5 Tips For Growing Your Network

Let’s face it. The current pandemic has forced us all to rethink the way we approach relationships. In a period where we are all inundated with tons of instant messages, virtual meetings, and many people like me wanting you to read their blog, it’s certainly easy to feel fatigued and the need to detach.  

So as a young budding entrepreneur with the drive to succeed and a passion for relationships, how do you cut through the noise and build deeper connections within your network?

Here are 5 tips to help you cut through the clutter and start leveraging your network. 

1. Be Authentic

Be Yourself. With all the time we’ve spent in isolation during the pandemic, many of us have discovered (or rediscovered) things about ourselves such as new strengths or blindspots. It is important to acknowledge your blind spots, work on the areas you can, and lean into your strengths.  

When you spend the time knowing who you are, it becomes easier to articulate your value to others. When you can articulate your value with confidence, while acknowledging your gaps, it builds trust - the most valuable social currency. Simply put, people are more likely to listen to, do business with, and recommend someone they trust. 

2. Be a Listener

Listen actively. Sometimes, we get so focused on proving ourselves to others, that we forget to identify if we are actually providing value. To this point, listening actively is very important because it helps you determine what others consider valuable, and prepares you to handle their objections if any. It also allows you to quickly determine whether or not further discussions will be productive, allowing you to pivot quickly while respecting each other's time if there is no value. 

Remember Step 1 - Be Authentic? People will appreciate it if you listen, determine fit, and are also real enough to acknowledge when there isn’t any. 

3. Be Resilient

It’s very likely that if you're approaching someone for the first time (for example, a cold introduction via LinkedIn) or even someone in your network that is an acquaintance, you may either get ignored or a rejection. What do you do when this happens? Be resilient - but not suffocating. 

There are many reasons someone might not give you the response you desire. It could be timing, the fit, mercury could be in retrograde, or they simply are just not interested. However, regardless of what the reason is, it’s up to you to respectfully uncover why and try to overcome objections, or take the learnings forward to a new engagement. 

Growing your network requires consistency and empathy. It’s hard to establish both with just one conversation, so it’s important to follow up consistently enough that you’re top of mind but not a bother. 

4. Be Bold

Progress and success requires determination and boldness. It can be nerve-wracking reaching out to people you know to try and sell them something. We suddenly become afraid of judgement, rejection, or losing a potential connection. While it’s important to acknowledge the fear, it is just as important to not let it overcome you. Perhaps for every ten “no”s, you only get one “yes”. The important thing is to understand why you are getting these responses and lean into what works, while tweaking what doesn’t. However, you’ll never know these things if you don’t try, so be bold!

5. Be Curious

Curiosity is an important facilitator of learning and innovation. Nothing new was created by trying the same old things. Similarly, when you figure out your approach to reaching out within your network, remember to continuously test different approaches as the old ones become stale. People are dynamic in nature so we can’t expect a one-size fits all approach to work. During your engagements, being curious makes who you’re interacting with feel like you care about their business and builds trust. It makes them feel like you are seeking to understand first rather than be heard. It also helps clarify ambiguities and expectations. However, being curious does not equal being creepy so please respect people’s privacy.

Key Takeaway - Be Authentic!

By no means are the above five points exhaustive. What works for one person may not work for all. However, if theres anything you should take away from this article, it should be exactly what Lupe Fiasco was saying in 2008 in his leaked track: Real Recognize Real. People are drawn to authenticity, so go on and be yourself and if you need help understanding how to be yourself in your network, book a free 30-minute consultation with me!