Your business is your network. Real estate agents know this better than many professionals in the work-a-day world. All opportunities are attached to people– they don’t materialize out of thin air, and you don’t trip over them in the street.
So if your business is your network, networking is key. We’ve all heard the usual networking tips, and to be honest, people don’t like to be “networked.” The sense that you’re being worked over only for future gain is one of the most unnatural and unpleasant feelings.
To that end, we bring you “5 Networking Tips You Haven’t Heard” based on Ben Casnocha’s book The Start-Up of You. Alexandra Levit, writing for Intuit’s “The Fast Track” blog brings us these five excellent tips.
Read the whole article here:
http://quickbase.intuit.com/blog/2012/08/06/5-networking-tips-you-havent-heard/
1. Start Your Own Association - “Convene influential friends and colleagues with similar interests to share ideas and resources.”
2. Look for Individuals, not Opportunities - “Identify the people in your network who always seem to have their hands in interesting pots.”
3. Create an “Intriguing People” Fund - “Automatically funnel a certain percentage of your paycheck into a bucket that pays for coffees, lunches, and the occasional plane ticket to meet new people and shore up existing relationships.”
4. Connect the Dots in Your Network - “Pair individuals together who have similar interests, and make introductions via e-mail.”
5. Do the Layoff Test - “If you got laid off from your job today, who are the ten people you’d e-mail for advice on what to do next?”
This is a must-read article, and worthy of sharing with people you know who are seeking ways to expand their own network. Be sure to read about each of these tips in more detail in Alexandra’s original article:
http://quickbase.intuit.com/blog/2012/08/06/5-networking-tips-you-havent-heard/
