Professional Networking Strategies

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Topics Covered In This Episode:

Purpose & Connections (0:26), LinkedIn & Twitter (4:38), Business Cards & Engagement (8:11), Expectations & Red Flags (13:03), Filtering & Maintaining Network (18:19), Google Calendar & CRM Systems (24:16), Selling Yourself (27:35), Big Sisters Club (32:39)

Podcast Episode #: 3

Host(s): Nathan Powell

Special Guest(s): Tashonta Fairman – Founder of Big Sisters Club & International Recruitment Coordinator

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Our Message:

In this podcast episode, we address the challenges of professional networking and offer strategies and solutions to help you build genuine connections. We communicate with each other and not for each other by inviting special guests from all walks of life to share their knowledge. Professionals are encouraged to respond to this episode with their networking strategies by commenting on our social media pages @mrnathanpowell on all major platforms, including Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

When building a network, it’s important to quantify what you’ve gained from investing your time, energy, and money into making new connections. You’ll need to do a self-evaluation and ask yourself some tough questions.

Have your efforts been fruitful? Does your network support you in a way that contributes to your success? Are your new links just dead-end leads, or are they evolving into genuine long-term relationships? Is your networking strategy getting you noticeably closer to your ultimate goal?

No one person has all the answers, but many solutions to our problems exist through the knowledge shared by other experienced professionals and mentors. Noticing the red flags and discerning what qualifies as quality advice can be difficult at first. Many false prophets in the business world promote the idea of easy step-by-step systems that are guaranteed to produce incredible results within a short period.

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. There are still people who believe in the idea of faking it until you make it. Some influencers promote lavish lifestyles that are not a true reflection of their reality. What you see on social media is a lot of smoke and mirrors. Actions speak louder than words, and results speak even louder.

Even if a system works for one person, don’t assume it’s a sure bet that will work in your favour. Other factors like personal skillsets, money invested, location, product knowledge, and communication skills can impact how well a borrowed strategy will work for you. Entrepreneurs need to also take into account negative environmental factors like low consumer demand and market oversaturation.

Business strategies should only act as a guideline or reference. It’s best to test every process or system and make the necessary adjustments based on your results. See the outcomes for yourself before choosing to invest in restructuring or scaling an existing operation. Some markets move quicker than others. Strategies that won’t scale, adapt or evolve run the risk of becoming outdated.

Professional networking is a great learning experience that gives you on-the-go practice answering tough questions about your business. It allows you to perfect the art of selling yourself to strangers in real-time. Strangers can be unpredictable. People who aren’t under any influence or obligation to say what they want to hear are more likely to give an honest opinion.

Sound judgement or professional analysis when it comes to the quality of your collected data is still required. Ask the right questions to identify a need and create new opportunities. You’ll need excellent listening skills while probing. Probing is necessary to put the feedback you’ve gained into proper context. It’s the easiest way to determine the root of a problem.

There are many helpful etiquette tips for sensitive business environments online. Understanding other cultures and having the ability to relate is key to holding a great conversation. Networking is not only about what you gain but also what you can contribute. Wanting something without any leverage isn’t enough to get it. Bring something of value to the table.

Don’t give up so easily if what you’re selling isn’t a good fit for others. Another opportunity could still arise from successfully selling your personality. People generally have no issues introducing people they like to others. Every introduction or conversation is a new opportunity that could potentially change your life.