How to Be a Good Listener

Good listening is active, not passive:

Maintain eye contact.
Do not fidget, shift your body weight often, and never look at your watch!
Nod your head to show agreement but do not interrupt to make your point or share your own experiences.
Respond by repeating at least one key point the person you are talking with just made in the form of a question.

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7 Best Practices for Networking That Actually Work

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inc.com

Your network is your net worth. When people think about networking, they imagine themselves walking around a big event, trying their best to be extroverted. They think about shaking hands and exchanging business cards, with the hope that sometime in the not-so-distant future an unbelievable opportunity will fall right into their lap.

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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.

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Learning These 9 Tough Skills Will Immediately Improve Your Entire Life

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These essential skills are never taught in school, but they will pay dividends for your entire life. "Anyone who stops learning is old whether at 20 or 80. Anyone who keeps learning stays strong." - Henry Ford We often focus only on learning skills that are directly pertinent to our jobs during the busy workweek.

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9 Skills That Will Immediately Improve Your Life

Thinking of your time as money
Scheduling your energy
Networking
Getting started early
Planning everything in advance
Setting short goals
Medita...

Without learning to manage your time, you let urgent tasks and other people control how you spend your life.

“Remember, people do business with people they know, like, and trust.” - Susan Solovic

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An Introvert's Guide to Networking

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Throughout college, I was the "shy girl." I often wondered why it was hard for me to open up to strangers and attend social events after a long day at school. But I was so used to being labeled as "shy" that I never thought of changing it-it was just my identity.

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Introverts

Introverts tend to be reflective and have close relationships.

But it can be hard to be open and let strangers into your life. Small talk doesn’t come easy, and it’s hard work to estab...

How introverts can be more social

Prepare. Have questions ready to ask new people,such as “How did you get started in your career?" or “What are you passionate about?”
Find a conference buddy to bring with to your next networking event.
Be that person. Many feel the same as you do. Forget about yourself and reach out.
Be present. Once you do start a conversation, ask lots of questions and practice your listening skills.
So try to relax, smile, and look as warm and casual as you can.
Challenge yourself to step out of your comfort zone just a little bit.