Strategy to Enjoy Holiday Networking

(Just say NO to smarmy “me oriented” desperation talk)

 Networking is becoming somewhat of a troublesome word.  It actually came from a book written by Anne Boe, in 1989 called Is Your Net Working?  Meaning, do you have the connections that you can help and can help you? Do you have the relationships with people who you want to work and share with and want to work and share with you?  It is really about relationships and connections, so is it time to change the word from networking to making connections if not verbally at least in our minds and perspectives?

Time and time again studies show that networking gets the best results for the best compensation faster than by any other means.

We all go to “Networking  events” armed with our memorized 30 second elevator speech or value statement.  We pump ourselves up using positive affirmations and on the way home think…everyone else sounded so memorized and insincere…and then you wonder, “do I sound like that,  no way, it can’t be… I am so passionate about what I do, really…do I…oh God, now what?”  And, “who do I ask to get honest feedback, because my friends and family aren’t going to these events, they don’t know what it’s like.”  And, the people who go to these events all sound the same.  Maybe, I’ll just not go to any events until after the New Year, nobody’s hiring now anyway.

However tempting it may be, staying home is not the best plan. The holidays are coming and the invitations to festivities are beginning to trickle in. These are truly great opportunities  to share ourselves with people and enjoy making new connections and re-establishing connections from our past. So, there must be some ways to make this work that don’t feel so smarmy and desperate.

“They say” that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing expecting different results. So, for this holiday season my challenge is to go to as many “networking events” and other events as possible and make your agenda to be to see what you can offer to others.  Some questions to ask yourself as you are walking into the event could be:

• How many people can I find that I can help be successful?
• How can I express myself with authenticity and sincerity and assist others?
• What skills and information do I have that I can share?
• What is the unique value that I offer to others?
• What have I recently learned that can help others?

This holiday season try something different and really come from a place of giving and see how your  connections and business relationships start to grow and build in order to start 2010 off with positive momentum.

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Tags: business relationships, elevator speech, holiday networking, Networking, New Year hiring