Be brave, and other tips to build business relationships.
This is a guest post by Sam George, intern at Cision.
Sometimes our lives take us on adventures, to new places, new cities, with new people. I recently made a move, from London to Chicago for a year. No matter your reasons for making the step – summer internship, first job, big career leap, or a fresh start in a new industry – you’re bound to have a huge to do list.
One item that is a catalyst for a lot of what you do is making new contacts. Ideally you want to build as large a local, personal network as possible, but one with substance and quality. This is essential in creating a new home and an environment you want to be in – both professionally and personally. But how do you know who to talk to? What to get involved with? What if you don’t know anyone? Here are a few pointers to help you get on your feet, out the door, and ensure you are taking advantage of all networking opportunities.
Be Brave
If you are generally a shy or introverted person (as I am) don’t let this be confused with disinterest. I’m not saying change who you are, but ensure that you don’t come across as rude or bored. This can be a huge turnoff for your more professional connections. If you are not sure what to say, then turn up with an arsenal of five questions that will help to determine your own and others interests. People love to talk about themselves; let them talk, and ensure you are listening!
Find Industry-Related Networking Events
Nothing motivates one more than meeting people who do what you want to do and are where you want to be. This helps you to break out of your comfort zone and to see the bigger picture. Get involved in industry functions and take any opportunity to meet people in your industry who are outside your company, and join any event you’re interested in. This will not only give you a better outlook and broaden your horizons, but help you build solid, meaningful, professional connections.
Leverage Past Connections
Use whatever previous network you may have had stemming from family, friends, or old jobs. Even if it wasn’t a strong connection, still pursue it as you never know where it might lead you. Perhaps a friend of a friend is all you need to find some common ground and help establish yourself.
Be a Go-Getter
When new networking opportunities arise, it’s so important to be open to possibilities. Do something that is outside the norm. Be an explorer, you can’t necessarily see where it will take you, but you know it’s somewhere. Look out for new opportunities, and make varied connections. Having said this, don’t spread yourself too thin.
Follow Up
This is perhaps the most important point. Those first few months can be full of mixed emotions, primarily excitement, wanting to explore the thousands of novelties and distractions thrown up by a fascinating new culture and its people. If you rush in to these things and don’t follow up, you can find yourself juggling time you don’t have, chasing after and trying to meet up with people you haven’t really connected with; you’ll become “that guy from lunch that one time”. You don’t want to end up with scores of shallow, less meaningful relationships.
A Final Thought – Keep Showing Up
You can’t force your way into lives, but you can easily drift out. This is similar to Follow Up – if you aren’t around, if you aren’t getting yourself seen, heard and known, then you will easily be forgotten. People have established lives – as blunt as it sounds, they have to have a reason to want you in them; you must create value, you’re only a novelty up to a point – then you have to prove your worth! If you can manage to keep tabs on these points, rest assured, you will create a substantial personal network, in a short space of time. You will put down a great base to build on for the duration of your stay, and lay down solid roots for the future.
