𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐫

Exchanging business cards is not my thing.

People who know me would probably say that I can connect easily, however I am not the type of person who naturally goes towards new connections.

Why? Usual suspects: because of shyness (what if I get ghosted?), because of not being sure how to start and maintain the conversation (what can we talk about that is really interesting?), or just sometimes from feeling tired (prefer to have a quiet moment).

I came to realise a lot of people are like me.

So when I have people coming to me and asking for networking advice, I often use my own experience. Because it works. 

Even when you feel you are not an avid or super skilled networker, you can make it work for you too:

➡️ Be natural, be genuine. Forced connections are a waste of time. For you, for the other person. They see you coming anyway. Rather think common interest, be curious, ask questions... and then the spark happens. Not all the time, but that's ok, that ones that work are worth the ones that don't.

➡️ Maintain your network. If you really care about the people in your network, you will be in touch from time to time. Nothing to ask, just checking in. Don't reach out only when you need something. Network is like a garden, it takes time to grow, blossom and give you fruits.

➡️ Be generous. Sometimes it starts with giving something (advice, experience, another connection, time or just a smile and a bit of attention...) before asking for something, one day. If you keep your connections transactional, you won't get much about them.

I will stop with these 3 as a starter. Reach out if you are interested in going further.

Often people think about investing in their network when they need it (usually looking for a new job or new business opportunity). Big mistake! That's too late, and that rarely works.

Ready to rethink your relationship with networking? Who can you reach out to?