Dear Rosie, how do I grow my network?

I LOVE this question. It is so easy to throw around the term ‘networking’ but few actually know how to do it. This is a skill that has not always come naturally to me and something I always need to remind myself to work on. I know where you are at because I have always been there myself and have had to teach the skill over time and break down my resistance to it. Networking is either something you are good at or something you struggle with, there rarely is an in-between.

So how do you do it? What does it even mean to network?

My philosophy is simple with networking and can be derived from the same philosophy I use for my grocery shopping. Don’t do grocery shopping when you are hungry! Don’t network when you are needy! Networking should be a gradual build, it is not about obtaining something straight away and having specific objectives from your conversations – it is about building a relationship that you can nurture and maybe one day down the track you could do something together. The amount of times I have had someone come up to me and push their product/service on me straight away without building rapport, understanding my needs or knowing my purpose is far too many. Whenever this happens it is such a good reminder for me to remember what my style is and how over time my style will yield more results without being so polarizing. Networking should never be about ticking a box that you have had a conversation.

So let’s give you a few quick tips you can put into your life straight away!

You never know who you are talking to. Some of the most amazing people I have ever met are so humble that they ask you all the questions and you never realise just how influential they actually are in their own lives. It is important to be present in the conversation to make sure it does go two ways and get to understand who you are talking to. You should never assume also based on looks/personality that a person cannot add value, just remember Steve Jobs used to walk around in New Balance Sneakers.

Be memorable. If you are quirky, be quirky. If you are intelligent then use your gift. Whatever it is you do well, be memorable for that. Tell your best stories, share anecdotal things that are recent and things they too can pass on to their networks.

Join the dots. Take the information you are given by them and try and join the dots back to you and how you fit with that world. Not everyone knows how you can do things together and sometimes you can help them get there. For example: in my situation I meet Mums all the time and they don’t know how we can do things together, where as I am assessing whether they can be an influencer for my products, a staff member, a friend or just a fan and public supporter of our company. Play things out in your head and help the person across from you join the dots.

Don’t use 30 words when 5 will do. Funnily enough when we get nervous, we over-share. Oversharing can lead to rambling and rambling can lead to boredom. The last thing you want your first impression to be is boring and an over-sharer. Sadly, human nature is to do the majority of their judging early on – so knowing this you have to bring your ‘A Game’ and focus on your first impression.

Know yourself. I always knew early on with me I need to bring more energy, I am a quieter and reserved person by nature and whilst the people around me love this and know it is as my true self, I always strive to bring more energy in the early conversations to help make connections easier. Over time I can always retreat slowly to my true self, but sometimes this just doesn’t fly as well with pure networking. Knowing yourself allows you to work through objections and challenges you may face.

The final thing I will say is put yourself in the right rooms. Networking at a friend’s BBQ is not going to be an effective use of your time and may offend, opposed to networking at a Business Summit/Workshop/Tradeshow etc. Knowing where the people that you need to meet go to is a huge advantage and knowing that the quality of person you can meet at a place is top notch will make your time will be best used.

Believe in yourself and go and get your message out there!

Networking will lead you to some of the best relationships in your life so embrace it and have fun with it.

Love, Rosie xx

Rosie Luik is a Mum of four, a successful Model, a published Author, a sought-after Public Speaker and an accomplished Business Woman. Her brand Mum Network is a dynamic Talent Agency which represents Mums with a social presence, and she partners them with the brands she works with to increase awareness of their products or services.

To find out more about Rosie head to: http://rosieluik.com/