6 Tips on How to Grow Your Network
We're all a little rusty at socializing and making new connections after a year of mandatory social distancing, but with a little intention and a lot of patience, you can get back to building your professional network and cultivating helpful professional relationships that don't feel phony.
If you weren’t an enthusiastic networker before the pandemic, chances are you won’t be here in the tail end of lockdowns in the US. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get more out of your weak ties as more folks join you in your regular commute and lunchtime outings.
Here are six tips on how to grow your network, whether you’re still building your professional network for the first time or you’re just getting back into professional life downtown. The best news: not all of these ideas require stepping away from your desk.
1. To Grow a Professional Network You Want to Maintain, Be Authentic
The best professional network is one you feel personally invested in and want to maintain. If building your professional network has felt like a chore in the past, perhaps this is the piece of advice you need most: while getting to know someone in a professional context, don’t limit all conversation to your work.
To build authentic relationships with folks who work in your industry, you’ll need to connect to the people and let them get to know you a little as well. Afterall, you’re a person connecting with another person, not a CEO connecting to a COO.
2. Offer Yourself as a Resource for Professionals Who Are Just Getting Their Start in Your Field
The best way to grow your network is to proactively seek out people who you’d like to know. By positioning yourself as a resource for people just starting in your field, you can offer younger professionals something that is helpful to that person in the near-term (likely, advice) and once they get more established, they’ll likely become a great resource to you as well. This is a long game, but it’s a strong one.
3. One of the Best Ways to Network Is to Lead with Generosity
When you admire someone's work, find their contact information and let them know. Whether they’re a journalist, a litigator, or a colleague that works out of a different office, sending a note of genuine appreciation is a great way to get on someone’s radar.
Sometimes a note will lead to a longer conversation and sometimes it won’t, but you can at least make someone's day and leave a lasting impression.
Once you’ve started a conversation, find a way to help your new connection. This might be by offering to introduce them to a potential job candidate or recommending a resource you think they might need, but make sure it’s truly something of value so as not to waste their time.
The golden rule of networking is always to give before you ask. By leading with generosity, you set yourself up to network effectively.
4. Demonstrate Your Reliability by Making Concrete Plans
When building your professional network, you need to demonstrate to others that you are a trustworthy professional who is worth their time. The simplest way to do this is to arrive early and bring energy to every meeting, whether it’s a phone call or a happy hour.
Your goal should be to show up for your contacts with a consistent level of engagement to demonstrate that you are not there to waste an hour or two.
To do this proactively, when you click with someone, whether on LinkedIn or at an in-person networking event, put a coffee date on the calendar right then. It's all too easy to say "let's get coffee sometime" and never follow up, so if you meet someone at a conference or event and want to keep the conversation going, put time on the calendar or send that intro email to solidify your connection.
5. Stay Connected Through Your Professional Social Media Accounts
Let there be no confusion: Instagram and Facebook may be among the best ways to network with your high school classmates and second cousins, but when it comes to work connections, these are not our platforms of choice.
When you make a new connection or identify someone who you’d like to know more about in a professional context, follow them on Twitter or request to connect on LinkedIn. Send a direct message to say hello and introduce yourself – if you have a question, ask it – but don’t worry about striking about a conversation right away.
These social media platforms won’t may not help you build a professional network in a meaningful way in the short term, but they can help you stay up to date on what they’re sharing, where they’re working, and what interests them at the moment.
Participating in conversations on Twitter and LinkedIn can also help keep you on their radar and lay the groundwork for a stronger professional relationship in the future.
6. Look for Opportunities Outside Your Industry to Grow Your Network
To grow a professional network you want to be a part of, engage with your broader community. That may mean volunteering at a community garden this summer or joining the board of a non-profit you’ve supported for years. Or, it could mean heading back to the gym or joining a recreational soccer league.
If these suggestions don’t strike you as professionally focused, that’s because they aren’t. But you never know where you’ll meet new folks from your field and having something in common outside of the type of work you do can lay a solid foundation for a years-long professional friendship.
Make a Plan Today to Build Better Networking Habits
It’s time to start thinking about whether you’ll attend conferences in the fall and consider returning to industry organization meetings, and you’ll need to bring your best networking skills with you.
Whether you’re organizing your own event or making plans to attend Dreamforce 2021, don’t wait until the day-of to engage with your professional network. While attending networking events can be a great way to grow your network, smaller-scale, personal engagement with peers whose work interests you most can do more to grow your professional network in the long term.