Author : anonymous.
Developing a Powerful and Caring Network
There are several ways to build your network. Let's talk about two categories that are common for entrepreneurs. The first is building a network to grow within your current business. The second category is starting fresh in a new business or industry. Both of these categories share similarities and I'm sure in the right situation are entirely interchangeable. One of the greatest joys of being an entrepreneur is creating and maintaining your network. Some of the most successful and fulfilled people I know have a powerful network of family, friends, associates and contacts. It follows that the most successful businesses have the strongest networks. A good friend of my families always used to say proudly that in fifteen years of business he had only lost one client, "but that was our choice not theirs" he added. When asked how he managed to keep his clients for so long he told us that he really cared about their businesses and made sure he spoke to them often about how he could help them improve. He understood the principles of networking very well. "Share you time, knowledge and offer your help" he said, "and becompassionate towards your clients".
Creating Momentum in an Existing Network
Become a master of your trade. Learning all there is to know about your industry or business may be impossible but most of us have the ability to master the basics and keep current on the most relevant stuff. This is important if you are going to try to create a reciprocal network of people to work with. You need to understand how your business works, who your market is and what the factors that influence success and failure are.
What it doesn't mean is that you become a know-it-all who can't wait to interrupt others with your version of the day's news. Becoming a master of your trade allows you to make better decisions about who needs to be part of your network and what knowledge you need to be able to include yourself in positive communication. Interesting people are often included in senior discussions, asked to deliver workshops and invited to speak at seminars.
This is not a difficult as you might think it is. Initially it will take some time to gather the necessary knowledge required to feel confident about speaking with others about your area of expertise. After essentially blundering into a position some years ago I found myself not knowing much about the industry I was working in. I realized that my good luck would run out soon if I didn't demonstrate to the rest of the team that I actually knew what was going on in our segment of the market. For about 6 weeks I would go into the office about an hour early and read every newsletter, article and book I could find on the subject. Gathering this information soon paid off. After just two months with this company I was delivering information workshops to our partners, vendors, journalists and even the company's board of directors. This put me in touch with hundreds of new people every month and my network grew from almost zero to a thousand in less than a year.
Share your knowledge actively. Giving of yourself will always bring positive results. Sharing your knowledge or wisdom is one of the greatest ways we can give others something good.
In one of my first jobs I was fortunate enough to have a boss who lived by the principle "if you want to succeed make sure you help everyone around you succeed too". As I was still new to the industry she went out of her way to send me interesting articles or highlighted sections in books and magazines. I caught the bug and was soon forwarding great news pieces and dropping interesting articles on others desks. It was amazing how many good things happened from this simple way of sharing knowledge. In one particular case I started a magazine exchange with a very bright senior consultant working for big broadcast company that shared our office building. This constant exchange brought us closer and years later he accepted the position of CEO for a media company I had foundered.
The important part of idea sharing is making it relevant. Nobody wants to receive more junk mail or spam so be aware of the relevance of the knowledge you share has to the recipient. It might be really interesting for you but might not hit the same buttons for the other guy. Keep connecting on the basis of shared interest and in the interest of sharing knowledge.
Being a Skilled Communicator
Many people believe that it's their technical skills or better yet – the skills they don't possess - that prevent them from professional success. Work experience is thought by some to be the deciding factor in whether individuals move up the internal ladder or even get their feet in the proverbial door. While technical skill sets and experience will always be important when companies are making hiring or promotional decisions, possessing good communication skills can be the ultimate qualifier in deciding whether or not to move someone forward.
In those instances where two or three individuals of similar skills interview for the same job, its been shown that the individual who is often extended the offer is the one who communicates the best. In fact, there are times that an individual with a lesser skill set will get the job simply because of his or her communication abilities. If you communicate well, you have the competition beat by a mile. The question then is whether or not you're fostering good communication in everything you do.
There are some key elements that go into being a good communicator. Most importantly, you must take a sincere interest in what others have to say, regardless if you find the information boring or irrelevant. Unfortunately what sometimes happens is that we perceive our conversational partner to be saying "the same ole same ole" and we tune out. Ironically, this action can sometimes precede a brilliant idea that is completely missed because we've chosen to absent ourselves mentally.
Good communicators know fundamentally that putting in time to ask the right questions and really listen to the answers is never time wasted. Are your communication abilities influenced at all by whether or not the person you're communicating with can help YOU? Do you communicate more respectfully with top-level executives than you do your peers? Are your motivations to communicate influenced by how much money a potential customer has to pay you? If so, it might be time to rethink your motivations.
Making others feel special is at the heart of communication success. When others feel validated and heard, they usually respond in kind. It's the old reciprocity idea: If you treat me well, I'll treat you well. Good communicators pick up on the little things that are important to others and remember important dates, events, and names. If you're not good at doing these things, you can never give in to your weakness. Get better at it! Practice!
Good communicators take the time to take the time. Do you hurry others along when they speak because you have more important things to do? Do you stare at your computer screen when others are talking to you, assuring the other person that you're really listening? Studies have shown that if there's a contradiction between one's words and one's actions, the truth is perceived to lie in the actions. Make sure your nonverbal communication isn't thwarting your good verbal intentions. Because work environments change on a continual basis, part of being a good communicator involves rolling with the punches. Your ability to make decisions that are well thought out and based on fact, not simply speculation or emotion, will be recognized as a valuable asset. If you need more information before you can move forward, ask for it. If you're confused by what you hear, ask for clarification. Make no assumption that asking for something makes you look foolish or stupid. Good communicators ask a lot of questions and then take action toward goals that will benefit both themselves and others. Remember: We are all works in progress.
By taking incremental steps to improve your communication effectiveness, you'll reap long-term professional rewards...Good Luck!
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