Networking "Notworking?" Here are Some Reason's Why

I meet a lot of people. Whether they are clients, business partners, or people with common interests and goals. I am in the business of meeting people. Actually, I am in the Telecom business, but 80% of what I do is meet people & build relationships. So when I talk to people that tell me that "networking doesn't work" or it's " a big waste of time" I say they aren't doing it right. What I find more surprising are the number of people that take weeks at a time to respond to a message I send them through social media & when they do finally get back to me, they tell me "sorry Mike, I rarely log in to that."

I'm sorry? You don't log in? You don't check messages? "Well yeah Mike, I get so much spam from people trying to sell me stuff that I just ignore it." Okay, we are all adults here. I understand wanting to ignore message from people you aren't interested in talking too but SERIOUSLY? You just ignore all of it? First off, most social media gives you the option to receive email alerts when someone makes a post relevant to you. When people send you a message, it can also be sent to the email box of your choice. I have people tell me "I'm just too busy to check in multiple times a day." This objection I can understand (somewhat). If Sales isn't your only role in the company I can understand that being logged in all day long to to see what updates come across may not be the best use of your time. I will say, that EVERYONE has time either at lunch or after normal business hours to check in and see what's going on.

My personal opinion is that Social Media is like your own personal newspaper, with all of the articles directed right at you. Whatever your industry or interests, you surround yourself with people that have similar interest and may even be in the same industry. It is one of THE best ways to keep up to date with what is going on. In addition to that, building a network isn't simply connecting to people to claim that you have the  biggest network, you must engage these people. Drop a note to say hello. Compliment them on a new profile pic or a new promotion or job change. Maybe they just finished earning a new degree. By staying in contact with your network you keep yourself relevant and it helps keep you and your company on the mind of your customers and contacts, so that they can refer you to others.

So here is the summary, You're not too busy. You need customers just like the rest of us. Keep relevant by reviewing your social media streams once a day. Be proactive in contacting people. You will stand out and differentiate yourself

Thanks for reading today

Mike Shelah

BTW please check out my fundraising blog

www.40milesforautism.blogspot.com