The word “networking” can sound confusing and mysterious to some Russian-speaking individuals. In English, the concept translates to establishing business connections and relationships. Simply put, networking is the skill of forming connections that are beneficial for the development of one’s skills and career.
The idea of networking is based on the “six degrees of separation” theory, which was developed by two American psychologists in 1969 and later confirmed by several studies. The theory suggests that every person is connected to another through five intermediaries. While this is a figurative definition, the theory is supported by evidence, especially in the business world.
What is Networking?
Networking involves creating a community of professionals in a specific field. Your contacts should share similar views, interests, and work direction. You can easily approach those in your circle for advice, help in promoting your services or products, or even connections to other needed specialists.
In the post-Soviet space, networking is often mistakenly understood as merely exchanging business cards and having brief, shallow conversations. However, it’s important to understand that simply giving your contact information and talking a little about your work does not mean you’ve made a connection that will be useful. You might have dozens of business cards in your collection, but they won’t be of any use if you never interact with those contacts again.
Properly understood, networking allows you to build contacts that can lead to long-term and pleasant communication. It’s essential that in a trust-building conversation, you learn about the other person’s interests and strengths, share details about your business, discuss common issues, and exchange experiences. Such a connection will benefit both you and your conversation partner.
Networking is used in business communities, freelancing, and other specialized fields with similar interests. Surrounding yourself with people who understand areas close to yours will help you learn from others’ experiences, avoid many mistakes, and achieve your business goals faster. The right connections often become a springboard for career growth and additional motivation.
Networking can be considered a true lifestyle for those who actively pursue career building. People interested in establishing valuable connections strive to constantly “build” and maintain these relationships. This can be considered a key skill in networking.
Effective Networking
Effective networking involves regular, meaningful communication with people who share similar views and fields of activity. If it’s an in-person conversation, it should include an in-depth exchange of opinions, business practices, and other topics of mutual interest. Such a discussion should last at least an hour. The goal is not just polite small talk, but rather to genuinely engage with the other person’s views and interests. This will allow you to gain insights that will benefit your future business projects and tasks.
The essence of networking is to have as many “your people” as possible in various fields. In addition to the benefits you receive, your conversation partners should also see value in interacting with you. This makes the process interesting for both parties.
Since the concept of networking is closely related to communication, it logically divides into personal and professional networking, with the latter including several subtypes.
Personal networking involves communication with close friends, family, and trusted professionals in various aspects of your life, such as a family doctor, a nanny for your children, or a hairstylist you have been going to for years.
Business Networking
Business networking includes only professional contacts. It allows you to solve many issues, such as:
- Choosing reliable business partners.
- Obtaining necessary contacts more easily and quickly, with the possibility of being introduced favorably, making it easier to establish connections.
- Networking is considered the most effective form of advertising in niche circles, quickly engaging the target audience.
- You gain experience interacting with diverse people in non-standard situations.
Networking is divided into types based on the method of building relationships:
- Positive Networking: This approach is characterized by giving more than you receive. It’s a good option for those starting their careers who are ready to invest in relationships. A farsighted businessperson understands that while they may be providing experience and knowledge now, they will soon be rewarded with help from others. This method is also commonly used by those building a team, investing in the hope that good contacts will benefit the business in the future.
- Negative Networking: This is based on the principle of “you do something for me, and I’ll do something for you,” where only the benefits of collaboration are considered. New acquaintances are made solely to achieve positive results for the business.
- Mixed Networking: This is the preferred approach, where you don’t focus solely on personal gain but also consider the need to develop the business. If you overdo it with caring for others without considering your benefit, there’s a risk of being taken advantage of. On the other hand, focusing solely on transactional relationships makes it difficult to gain a partner’s trust and build genuine connections.
It’s important to understand that there are no inherently good or bad methods. Much depends on the ability to adapt to the situation and see it from different perspectives. A good communicator always remembers that every person has a unique set of personality traits, which partly influences their tendency toward certain behaviors and ways of building relationships.
How Does Networking Work?
It’s evident that connections can genuinely help solve many complex issues and make life easier. Many successful people have proven this with their examples. Thanks to business connections, many people can achieve success faster and become true professionals.
Psychologists also speak about the benefits of networking. They have conducted numerous studies on the correlation between networking and business success, proving its effectiveness in achieving professional goals.
Experienced networkers believe that qualities such as determination, responsibility, and professionalism are just as important in building a business as having the right environment. If you lack some personal qualities, you can compensate for them with valuable connections.
People who are taught from childhood to make good acquaintances for building a career and to manage money wisely will find it easier to succeed in business. They have better-developed personal qualities, and forming the right business connections comes more naturally to them. For someone without these skills and the corresponding environment, it will be much harder.
However, with determination, you can develop personal qualities and networking abilities. It’s much easier than many people think. To speed up the process and make fewer mistakes, it’s advisable to follow expert advice.
How to Start Building Connections with Networking?
The foundation should be an understanding of why you need networking. Goals may vary, but they are usually associated with career growth and acquiring necessary professional and personal qualities.
For those who haven’t yet learned to communicate with strangers, it’s worth starting by organizing your personal network of contacts. The first level includes relatives and close friends. Experts recommend creating a table listing the names of all people, ranked by importance and usefulness.
Although it may seem unclear to some, those interested in networking should first learn to give before receiving. People around you should understand that they can contact you with any question and seek your advice. Start by establishing close and trusting relationships with relatives, then move on to acquaintances and build new connections.
One of the best places for networking is coworking spaces, which are urban public spaces where people come together for creative and business communication. Here you can meet entrepreneurs and professionals in various fields. Communication usually takes place not just in conversation but through engaging events such as workshops, discussions, and presentations, which can often be attended for free.
Also, consider attending training sessions, workshops, and lectures that are likely held in your city. If you live in a small town, don’t hesitate to travel to larger cities for such events.
To make it easier to establish connections, attend these events alone. Always have a business card with you. Don’t be shy, but also avoid being overly pushy. Think in advance about how you can be helpful.
Key Rules of Networking
Once you’ve chosen a specific communication strategy and repeated it several times with different people, networking will seem less challenging. However, at the beginning, it’s better to follow professional advice:
- When meeting someone, a networker asks themselves, “How can I be helpful to them?” Always consider how you can solve their problem, recommend specialists, or offer advice. Remember, people need to see the benefit in you before you can expect any return from them.
- First impressions matter significantly. Few people will want to engage with someone who seems uninterested in their work. In networking, it’s essential how friendly you appear, including your facial expressions, gestures, and eye contact. When networking, you should look good, be appropriately dressed, and maintain an open posture. These non-verbal cues are subconsciously read and are as important as your knowledge and skills. Psychologists have confirmed this: in initial meetings, 56% of success is determined by non-verbal communication, 37% by voice characteristics, and only 7% by words.
- Don’t try to say too much in the first conversation. Long conversations can tire your conversation partner and make you seem too tedious. Therefore, it’s preferable to have a short conversation, exchange contact information, and move on to the next person. For the first stage of networking, this is enough. Once the initial “hook” is set, you can move on to the next stage—more extended conversations in a conducive environment.
- Make sure to have business cards. While some people believe they are becoming obsolete in the age of social media, they are still convenient at business events. Even if someone prefers to exchange contact information digitally, giving them a business card won’t hurt. It shows your responsibility and attention to detail.
- Avoid trying to sell or advertise something at the first meeting if you want to leave a good impression. Such pushiness will repel anyone and instantly ruin their impression of you. Be friendly and genuinely interested in the other person’s affairs, even if you plan only to establish a mutually beneficial relationship.
- Always introduce unfamiliar people to each other. It’s common at events for two people to be engaged in a conversation while a third person, who is familiar with one of them, is left out. They don’t participate in the conversation and are excluded. This is a wrong approach, and it can eventually lead to the disintegration of your network of contacts. Over time, your connections will feel uncomfortable, and your network will collapse. To avoid this, always introduce your old and new acquaintances to each other and include them in small groups for joint communication.
- Learn to present yourself advantageously. A standard introduction like “My name is such-and-such, and I do this-and-that” makes you blend in with dozens of others. Instead, try replacing this dry statement with a more detailed description. For example, instead of just saying that you’re a sales manager, briefly explain what sets you apart from others and what innovations you’ve brought to the field. Allow the other person to learn as much as possible about you in a few words. If you lack experience, prepare some lines in advance and practice them at home in front of a mirror. Be energetic, and use facial expressions and gestures.
- Avoid using one-word questions. Asking questions and showing interest in the other person is a crucial networking skill. If you ask only questions that can be answered with “yes” or “no,” you won’t establish a lasting connection. Instead, try framing questions in a way that encourages the other person to provide detailed answers, share their experiences, and express their opinions. Do the same when you’re asked something. However, don’t reveal everything at once: allow the other person to speak, alternating between detailed and brief questions and answers.
- Prioritize your communication. Don’t try to engage with everyone at the event. Identify the specialists in the fields that interest you and who possess the competencies you need. Spend your time with these people first. Communicating with others is a bonus, but don’t spread yourself too thin.
- Choose a comfortable position. When talking, don’t stand too close or too far from the person. Maintain proper eye contact, express emotions freely and appropriately, and use gestures. You should feel comfortable, without holding too many things in your hands. For example, if one hand is occupied with a folder of papers and the other with a phone or a coffee cup, the effectiveness of your communication decreases.
- Don’t forget about your old contacts. An experienced networker knows that life shouldn’t be a constant chase for new acquaintances. Sometimes, meeting an old acquaintance over tea and discussing work and personal matters can be much more beneficial. At such meetings, you might learn about new people who could also be of interest to you.
Key Benefits of Networking
Networking is a game that, when played by specific rules, can solve many problems and simplify business management. The basic advantages of networking include the following:
- Saving time on solving business tasks.
- Having more interesting meetings and events in your life.
- Increased motivation to work and achieve new goals, inspired by the examples of successful people.
- Easier to find clients.
- Opportunities to share knowledge and ideas with professionals and possibly create something new together.
Despite its significant advantages, networking requires not just the ability to establish connections but also to maintain them. Otherwise, people will forget about you, and all your efforts will be in vain.
For Which Fields is Networking Most Effective?
Connections don’t solve everything, but they do solve a lot, especially in the business world, where networking is widely used. In this environment, it’s not just a trend; it’s a necessity, without which it’s harder to promote your products and services.
Business connections are most often made at offline conferences and business events, where you can meet true professionals who can positively impact your business. Often, the event itself and the presentations take a back seat to the process of making new contacts.
In such an environment, the businessperson first evaluates the participants: learns about their qualifications, and experience, and selects those with whom it would be beneficial and pleasant to communicate. The networker then engages in conversation, following all the rules outlined above, and tries to lay the foundation for promising cooperation. To do this, it’s essential not only to exchange contact information but also to arrange a meeting.
Useful Networking
Useful networking is also actively used by marketing specialists. It’s applied in sales management, improving the performance of the marketing department, and customer relations. Building friendly relationships is necessary not only with other companies but also with potential clients.
This can be done at any event related to your company’s field of activity, including friendly parties and receptions.
Networking is also becoming increasingly popular in the IT community. Here, it’s always built on the principle of “I give more than I take.” This is because reputation among companies in the IT sector is valued even more than professional qualities.
Good platforms for gaining valuable contacts in the IT field include various online and offline conferences, workshops, seminars, and courses that bring together professionals at different levels.