The Worldwide Phenomenon Of Networking & That It's Okay!
The Worldwide Phenomenon Of Networking & That It's Okay!
If you've ever been asked to network and shat your pants trying to come up with the perfect introduction, this issue will ease your mind a bit. We promise!
Hi Zedites!
We hope you relished the Monday issue on Everything Business (it was about GoPro) like a turophile enjoys their cheese board. Today, we give you our two bits on networking.
A Story For You
Your network is your net worth.
Ever heard this quote? If not, don’t you worry. Like fine wine gets better with age, the frequency of this quote falling on your eardrums increases with age too. But if we were only to believe this saying without looking at all variables, introverts would’ve never made a sustainable living for themselves. In fact, they would’ve fallen flat on their faces while the extroverts cruised through life, amassing riches of infinite proportions. However, we’ve seen in the past issues of this very newsletter - it’s not all bad for introverts. Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg are introverts and they’ve made a pretty decent fortune, don’t you think?
So, what is networking?
Let’s keep all internet definitions aside and put it simply for once. We’re solely focusing on business networking here. Business networking is the act of two or more people meeting, getting acquainted with each other, gauging their expertise and seeing where they can help each other out. That’s all there is to it. Mutual capabilities interchanged to progress one another in life.
In theory, it’s a breeze.
And yet, every time we think about meeting new people in a business setting, a chill runs down our spine, all the way to our tails if it were not for evolution. And that’s because it’s not for everyone. It comes easy to the people bestowed with the gift of gab and for those who can write paragraphs without thinking twice, stringing two sentences together in front of a stranger seems like a mammoth task.
It’s a skill that needs to be worked on, rather than something you’re born with. That’s essentially what we forget. We’re pushed to the deep waters without having flapped around in the kid-sized pool first. Questions like…
What am I supposed to talk to with this person?
What do I say when it gets awkwardly silent?
How do I end this chat without sounding rude?
Why are they talking so much? Where’s all this information coming out of?
Do I repeat the same speech I had with the person I met before?
Is it a side hug or a handshake?
Do I have to introduce myself every time I meet someone new? But… I just said it.
Why am I repeating things?
… can really stand in the way of actually going about networking well.
Contrary to what you’re thinking, this is not an issue to help you with networking. God no. We wouldn’t do that to you with several articles out there already bombarding you with loads of information.
Your Network Is Your Net Worth
We’re just here to tell you that it takes time. It’s okay to f*** up. No one’s going to think twice about the grammatical error you just made while speaking or that you fumbled once or twice while explaining a bit about yourself.
Do you know why?
Because everyone is thinking about how they’re coming off. Questions loom over everyone’s minds. They’re not bothered about you being charming because they’re so busy trying to charm you.
One tip though: Be ready with witty comebacks for compliments or when you’re saying sayonara. First impressions might not be your strong suit but if you’re to make a lasting impression, it’s going to be off of something witty you said. They’ll remember that!
A Story From You
We’re not really the social animals we used to be. What was needed for survival is slowly fading away. The human connection has turned virtual and people are trying their best to avoid each other, as long as work is getting done.
We would really like to hear from you. We pose two questions to you this time.
Do you really think networking is as important as it used to be?
Does everyone in an organization need to network or is it for specific roles only?
Until next time,
Aamer