Advice/Tips
CHICAGO – One of the most important aspects of networking is helping others. Without helping other people, it will be difficult to build sustaining and long-term relationships.
Make it a point to continuously offer to help others when you meet them for the first time. You should also reach out to existing people within your own network and offer your assistance.
Begin to build trust-based relationships by offering help before you ask for any. By doing so, you will be taken more seriously when you do ask for help.
Offer to Make Connections
Over time, your network will continue to grow. This will provide you with a variety of people you can call upon. As you get to know people within your network, you will develop a clear understanding of their background and the types of people who would be beneficial for them to meet.
When you meet people for the first time, pay attention to their backgrounds and needs. You will often be able to introduce them to someone in your network based on a match of these factors.
People may take the guesswork out of the equation for you and let you know the type of individuals they want to meet. At other times, you will have to figure out the type of introduction you should make.
Regardless, you still need to spend time thinking about your network and the connections you can facilitate. If you offer to make a connection, you are showing good will and are on your way to building your relationships.
Another great aspect about connecting people is that you are continuously putting yourself in front of your network. This is an effective technique to help keep you in people’s recent memory.
People will also appreciate the time and care that went into making the connection for them. When it’s time for you to ask for a connection, people will then be glad to help you out. Once your network grows, people should even start to make connections without asking for an introduction from you.
Offer to Help Find a Job
Past-built relationships can become an important asset when you are looking for a new job. The time you put into networking will ensure that you will have a good network of people to call upon. Likewise, you might be called upon when other people do job searches.
When people contact you during their job search, continue securing a healthy network by finding ways to help them. Find out who they want to meet and then offer to connect them to various people within your network.
Don’t spend too much time trying to help people find a new job until you get to know them.
The last thing you want to do is make a bad connection within your network. It will help protect your reputation and trustworthiness within the network if you make sure you feel comfortable with a person before making a referral. Make sure you aren’t wasting their time.
From time to time, you may come across an opportunity that fits someone else’s background. In addition to connecting people, you can also help them by forwarding these job opportunities along to others in your network who might be a match.
By letting others know about job opportunities, this demonstrates your thoughtfulness. People will appreciate the gesture and this will further strengthen your relationships.
Offer to Help With a Project
Another great technique for building relationships is to help others with their projects.
As you get to know people, you will learn about their professional and personal lives. During your discussions, you should get a good sense of how you can help people with their projects. Don’t offer to help until you feel that your expertise and resources can truly be helpful.
Effective ways to help others may include performing market research, analyzing competitors, researching Web sites and providing event information. However you decide to help out, make sure you do a good job and complete the task once you’ve offered.
You need to take each project very seriously because your perceived character and continued relationship are riding on your good will. Helping people will take your relationships to another level. People will remember your generosity and will likely think very highly of you.
Final Thought
Take your networking to the next level by continuously thinking of what you can do for other people. While it may take some time to follow through on your generosity, it is well worth the effort of building a solid network.
Once you begin helping and connecting others, you never know what could come out of your assistance. A great network in which you are respected and trusted can only bring about positive results.
Jason Jacobsohn is a business advisor with the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center (CEC). He also operates a business and networking resources Web site at Jacobsohn.com and publishes the blog “Networking Insight”. Jacobsohn can be e-mailed at jason@jacobsohn.com. This article first appeared on MidwestBusiness.com and is being republished with permission.
