Many people ask me how I get the opportunities I do. How did I get to be on the Cannes Lions Design Jury? How did I get invited to teach a course at BITSoM (a leading business school in India)? How did I get to star in a Zoya brand campaign?
While the obvious answer is that I have a strong personal brand (of course, I had to say that!), the not so obvious answer is that it’s all about my network.
You can have a broad and deep network as well.
You just have to be systematic about how you meet people, develop relationships and keep nurturing the relationships - any of which may bring you the most phenomenal life-changing opportunities.
Infuse every new meeting with warmth
You don’t have to go to networking events to build a network. If you have a busy working life, chances are you meet many people every week, every month. Think about the ones you remember the most? Likely, there was a lot of warmth when you met them. Remember what Maya Angelou said.
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Can you be the person infusing warmth into the interaction every time you meet someone? How do you create an unforgettable and incredibly warm first impression? Be present. Look for shared connections or hobbies. Smile. Be genuinely happy to have met the other person. When you are out at events, make the effort to meet as many people as you can. Quality matters because you have to make every connection count.
Exchange contact information
When you meet someone you really connect with, the exchange of contact information happens without effort because both parties want to stay in touch. What you should do is also make it a point to get the information of even those you may not have initially had an immediate connect with. With LinkedIn and other social media platforms, it’s easy. Make sure you send invites to everyone you meet. This is especially true in larger online or physical meetings. I make it a point to write down all the names so I can connect on LinkedIn at a later date.
Get into give mode
The number one mistake a lot of people make is they immediately ask a new contact for a favour. The response is bound to be disappointing. What you should focus on is how you can add value to that new connection. Try to recall any shared interests or think of something that might be helpful to them. An article, a book recommendation, a link to a podcast, an offer to connect them to someone you know are some ways to establish yourself as a giver in the relationship.
Develop a system
The first couple of exchanges might be straightforward. The big difference is in how much effort you make to keep it going. Some may be online relationships only. Others you may make time for once in a while to meet for a coffee or a meal.
Keith Ferrazzi, authour of the best selling book Never Eat Alone believes it’s not what you know but who you know that matters. This is a must read if you’re serious about building and nurturing your network. The book is full of tips and techniques that will make an immediate difference to your approach.
One of my biggest takeaways from the book is to have a spreadsheet of all my key professional contacts and to track how often I am in touch with them.
Seven a week
One easy way to keep making progress with your network development goals is to randomly pick seven people from your network that you are going to be in touch with in the coming week. It should not be people who you are already in regular touch with but those you have not connected with in a while (longer than 3 months). Flip through the contacts on your phone, go through your emails or looked on LinkedIn/ Twitter/Instagram. Pick seven at random. And then mix it up.
One contact you could meet in person. Another two you could call. And the remaining four you could send a short note with a link to something useful or just pop up to say hello and that you were remembering them. Your goal of warming seven connections a week is one way to be more intentional with how you consume social media. Rather than passively scrolling, think of how you might convert posts by your contacts into a reason for connection. Wish them on their birthday, congratulate them on their achievement, offer to help connect to someone who might help.
The power of compounding
Develop this systematic approach of watering your network and patiently wait for the rewards to start coming in. Remember how compound interest works, right? It will all add up - just trust the process. I vouch for it!
You’ll also be surprised how sometimes the weakest links in your network bring you the best opportunities so don’t over index on just the most important or powerful people. Treat each one as a VIP because you never really know what gift they might bring you in the future.
Over to you now:
How much do you believe in the power of the network to advance your career goals?
What is your approach to developing your relationships?
How might you benefit from seven a week?