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You're Networking Wrong
Networking is like dating
People love talking about themselves. The primary goal when you network is to connect with the other person on one thing that’s important to them. It doesn’t have to have anything to do with your outcome.
If you were seeking a spouse, you wouldn't approach a stranger and ask "Will you marry me?" Instead, you'd take the time to get to know the other person before moving ahead.
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5
Key Ideas
Practice networking everyday
If you do this when you’re not feeling needy, you wil...
Keeping in loose touch
You pop up now and again to your connections and acquaintances (old and new), without any obligation to follow up or see each other in person.
- It helps you to connect even with your weak or dormant ties, that will, in turn, be able to help you if you with what opportunities they have.
- You can connect via text or email, and you can take the time to compose thoughtful messages without being put on-the-spot.
The effect of loose touch
... is to put you into someone’s consciousness for a few minutes, and vice versa.
In cultivating loose-touch connections, know that your network won’t appear all at once; it takes steady, continuous work.
4
Key Ideas
Disease of More
Used in sports to explain why teams who win championships are often ultimately dethroned, not by other, better teams, but by forces from within the organization itself. The players want more: more ...
Our imagined "better"
Regardless of our external circumstances, we live in a constant state of mild-but-not-fully-satisfying happiness. Things are pretty much always fine. But they could also always be better. And that's why most of us live most of our lives constantly chasing our imagined "better".
The hedonic treadmill
It's the constant chasing of pleasure.
People who are constantly striving for a “better life” end up expending a ton of effort only to end up in the same place.
6
Key Ideas
Make friends, not contacts
Friends do business with friends.
By no means is this a suggestion to go be one of those social climbers who pretends to make friends in the name of getting to the top. It's more ab...
Listening
One of the best networking hacks in the world.
People with knowledge tend to hold back what they know under the presumption that you aren't really interested in what they have to say. But if you listen and show not only your interest but your appreciation, they will share. They will share everything they know, and then some. So not only is this a learning opportunity for you, but it becomes one of the fastest ways to make friends and build an incredible network.
Ask for an introduction
Everybody knows someone. If you want to meet someone in particular, ask the people you know if they know anyone who knows the person--and then ask them to make an introduction.
At the end of the day, a warm lead is always better than a cold lead. If you can get in the door with some sort of referral, that will always be better than a cold email or phone call.