HOW TO BUILD A NETWORK
INTRODUCTION
“Networking is very personal to me. As 2020 begins I can look back at 2020 and say I bootstrapped an entire business into prominence. I took my reality to the callers, shook it rigorously until it made the noise I wanted it to make, and now I am living the life of my dreams.”
- Prakhar
This life of my dreams phenomena is a very real phenomenon, don’t let any scenic put you in a place where you think it’s not real, and as fun people make it sound. It truly is possible because of two major parts of your individual reality, one of them is personal reality and the other is social reality.
The funniest part of your personality reality, if you studied mathematics. It invariably includes your social reality. Quite literally, psychologically speaking there is no way you can avoid people when it comes to building the self. There is no way you become you without the people around you in so many detailed ways you will not believe. Any of the self phenomena is related to people outside. Humans are social animals we are evolved to be social.
And this is why it is personal to me networking, the conversations, communications because it changed my life and can downplay that all they want, but it's 10% true. So below are the five golden principles of networking, full proof by the way. Getting people are just a number game ( it saying in a dating environment) you don’t get everybody you talked to but you can improve your numbers. It's the same with networking, you won’t get a 100% strike rate but you can get an 80% strike rate and that’s staggering that will change your life in 6 months.
And the idea of “your network is your net worth” is not silly, it is true. So here I am giving you 5 golden principles of networking. You may be best among your skills but if don’t know how to communicate with the right people you will not create a network of yours.
5 GOLDEN NETWORKING PRINCIPLES
Principles are-
1. You need to have first impression value- We’ll come to it but understand first-is when you try to reach out to somebody who has lots of opportunities, they don’t have time to sit down and appreciate your concerns. They don’t have the capacity like ok tell me what your dreams in life. They don’t. So they’ll base the judgment on your first impression which you cannot avoid. That’s the reason why people dress well on social occasions or networking events. People dress well to impress and it carries over to social media. But it’s not only getting dressed and meeting people at café create network but it’s also social cold emails, cold dm’ing that Gary Vaynerchuk has made that notion very popular. So somebody cold dm about anything me the first thing I will check what this person worth, is he/she worth my time or not. So I will check your social media that’s why social media represent your value, not your photo library. Post your collection of work and experience not as your gallery or dating app. Be a producer not a consumer of social media. Same when you meet them, do peacocking. If you do everything a person is doing you’re not going to be stand out. So start with an opener that no one expects. Make effort to do your homework.
2. Meet people because you like meeting people not because you want to ask- Many people got to great people and ask will you do this for me. Who the hell are you and why would I do that for you. After a certain point in your life is valuable. VC’s gets 5 funding approaches a day so if you go and say, I need funding from you they’ll say stand in line, please. See many thinks that all relationships, all friendships are transactional. Maybe they are but make it look like they are not. My startup partner relationship is transactional he does the tech stuff and I with business but when we talk there is no transaction in that. People like to be together so make a common ground and create an emotional capital. So never lead with the ask.
3. Put what you can give on the table first- It is so important, do your homework to the tea. Take it so simple for them to flip the switch that they cannot resist flipping the switch. If you’ve seen the godfather make them an offer they cannot refuse. You have to put all pieces on the table first. Figure out what they want. Everybody wants something. I tell you openly what I want, if you want to collaborate with my business bring the idea of competing to global giants, not to just make money. Usually more important the person the more personal he/she wants. So figure out what you can put that satisfies their need. My personal note always let them win in your first collaboration no matter what.
4. Keep this emotional capital by interacting regularly- Social contacts are like your motorbike you need to service them regularly. You see your parents forwarding good morning messages on WhatsApp, this is what they doing they are massaging their contacts. But these templates don’t work now. So do get it done. Always remember small personal important detail of the person you talk to. Like health, family etc and ask them. This reminds them that you’re a warm person, you care for them. Don’t overdo it but also don’t let your memory dry out.
5. Be good at what you do- Because If you’re good at what you do they have no incentive to forget you forever.
Not a bonus tip, but practice it very cautiously.
6. The most important people you network with offer your services readily and free- Once you build a sort of connection say ok I will do this free for you or whatever the least you can do. This is something I learned from Benjamin Franklin (“if you get a small yes from people you will get a bigger yes next time”). So if I get half of my foot it in I can get more feet in (foot in the door sales technique). They love you for that.
With these 6 principles, you are sorted.
Thank you for reading do Claps and follow for more such blogs.
Also, comment changes in your networth after applying these principles.
~Srijan Gautam
