Get Rich Slowly posted a great guest post about the power of personal networks.  Networking is one of those topics that some people instantly equate with schmoozing and being salesy.  In fact, it’s quite the opposite.

The best networkers I know are the people that always remember who you are and will go out of their way to help you when they can, even on the smallest tasks.  They treat you like a person and not some sale or opportunity.  I think a lot of people can be good at networking when they can just be who they are and really care about what they do.

One area the article hits on is networking can include vendors or other partners you interact with.  I think this is a good point to hit because a lot of times those things are just part of your job and you may not realize you are representing your organization and ultimately yourself.  There are many situations I have seen where a vendor or partner organization will come back and ask for a specific person because of how that person worked with them in the past.

Networking creates opportunities; more than just getting a job if you find yourself out of one.  I have seen networking turn into multi-year six figure grant projects creating opportunities for partnerships where none existed before.

Really the more thought I give this the more I realize how simple it is.  Above all else, know yourself and be yourself.  The more open you can be with people the more trust you can build.  Combining that with results is a knockout approach to building a network that will be there if you need it.

Read the article, especially the Seven Keys to building a network.  These are simple steps that you can implement to start building a network today. 

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