I was meeting with a friend the other day in her office when another friend dropped by. We were chatting about networking. Even though we were friends, there was something that surprised us. Our conversation revealed that all three of us shared a similar cultural background even though we each grew up in different parts of the world. We deepened our connection to one another because of our shared experience. It was an “ah ha” moment.
It reminded me of lessons in networking I learned from two of the masters: Susan RoAne and Boaz Rauchwerger
Discover What You Have in Common
- Ask questions and show your interest
- Begin with easy topics like love or dislike of a particular food, a book, a style of clothing or a song
- Attend meetings and events where you have a common purpose
Show Appreciation
“I sing with a group of about 60 people. We gave a performance on Sunday night. After the gig, most of the group went to a nearby restaurant. I observed the behavior of two of the servers. One insisted that she could only do a group check for the tables she was covering. Our server when asked if we could do separate checks replied graciously that he would be glad to do that for us. He said he would need to go and get a pen and paper and then he would take our orders and that it was his pleasure to serve us. He rose to the occasion – albeit unexpected, and we got our drinks, food and checks easily. The other server was flustered by the sudden influx of people and was not flexible.
Our table of seven was vocally appreciative of the good service we received. We thanked our server multiple times as he smoothly provided us with an enjoyable experience. His face reflected confidence and ease. The other server had a tight face and voice. Who do you think got a bigger tip?
Give the Gift of Gratitude
Honor those who have helped you and those who are important to you. It can be as simple as saying thank you. Or you could do something special for those people who have helped you.
I serve on the Board of the Bay Area Consultants Network. We volunteer our time. To celebrate our tenth anniversary, our leader, Harry Chapman, surprised us with coffee mugs and baseball hats with our BACN logo on them. It was an expression of thanks that means a lot to each of us. Here are a few photos of Board members in their new BACN hats.
It is nice to be appreciated. People like to be recognized for their contributions.
Go out and deepen your connections.
See how your network grows.
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