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.
MORE IDEAS FROM THE ARTICLE
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 about having genuine connections, with openly stated goals, aspirations and struggles.
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.
Whenever you help someone reach a goal, make a connection, overcome an obstacle, etc., you are doing so many important things for that relationship: You are establishing a friendship, you are showing your willingness to invest in him or her first, you are showing your value, and you are building trust.
If you are not able to do this, then all your other networking efforts amount to very little. For every lead in, two leads fall out.
While a referral or an introduction can be great, at the end of the day it's all about you grabbing life by the horns and saying, "This is who I am and this is what I do."
At the gym. At the pool. At the club. At whatever event.
RELATED IDEAS
You stay in touch over time because you should always be looking out for your friends and former colleagues and neighbors. If you’re a good person, you are always ready to help them — and then it’s easy to receive or ask for help later.
It involves using personal, professional, academic or familial contacts to assist with a job search, achieve career goals, or learn more about your field, or another field you'd like to work in.