The truly successful networkers that I know meet new people for the sole purpose of adding value to the people they already know. When you meet somebody at a networking event, do you think about how that person can help you, or are you thinking about who in your network might benefit from an introduction to them?
Every connection you make draws another line that strengthens your community web. That means that the more connections you make, the stronger your network becomes. That’s why I like to focus all of my energy on connecting the nodes within my network.
Once you’ve made a connection, it’s time to get out of the way, disappear, and never look back. If you stick around to see how you can benefit from the relationship you helped to create, you’ll waste precious time and energy, and eventually the people in your network will become weary of the connections you suggest.
At the end of the day, you are not a professional networker. Your real value comes from some other talent or expertise. That means you can give away connections all day and any value that comes along goes directly to the bottom line.
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