I’m sure you’ve heard legendary football coach Vince Lombardi’s quote,
“Hope is not a strategy.” That definitely applies here. You can’t hope that
your list of “friends” and “connections” on your social networking sites will
bail you out of your bind. If you’ve compiled your network by simply sending
out invitations to LinkedIn, for example, you may be in for a rude awakening
if there is a real need to tap into the network. You need to redefine
networking. A solid foundation is built on mutual, lasting relationships—
not merely checking off the box. I intentionally put quotes around friends
and connections because you must ask yourself how truly connected you
are with them. Having a large volume of connections will not get you a job
if those connections don’t really know you, your skill set, your potential, or
in some cases, even who you are. If you’re unsure of how people see you, it’s
time to find out. Start now to deepen the relationships you have with these
connections in order to create a more reliable network. Let people get to
know the real you—the whole you, not just the business you.
How do you start? It’s simple: send a note, or make a call to a connection.
The connection can be from LinkedIn, your contact lists, Facebook,
or any other means through which you have a name, phone number,
or email address. We’ll discuss various strategies throughout the book,
but the important thing is to get past your hesitation and start to turn
your contact list into a reliable network. These conversations will build
credibility, trust, and respect, and formulate a meaningful—and mutual—
relationship that will last. You want the conversation to end with that
connection truly knowing you’re there for him or her.
Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):
- Now What? The Ultimate Graduation Gift for Professional Success
- Time Management Manifesto: Expert Strategies to Create an Effective Work/Life Balance
- Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job…A Reference Guide to Finding Work
- The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World
- From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide received the Gold Medal at the 2013 Axiom Business Book Awards in Business Reference
- The Unofficial Guide to Fatherhood
See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com. Book , eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only) purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com