Does the word networking imply meeting a bunch of people in a big room for you?
The goal seems to be to maximize the number of people that you meet at one time. Think back to the last event you attended, did you add everyone that you met to your list? How many of those people did you have an additional conversation with after the event? How many of those connections that you made are still people that you talk to years later?
What if you try a different strategy and approach to have a stronger network?
The goal is to have people that you can reach out to and leverage, right? It isn’t just to have a bunch of connections that you don’t know who they are and why they are on your list. What if you identify some people that are already on your list that you want to reconnect with instead? You can expand your network one by one and make it higher quality with actual conversations.
What is your goal for the conversation? Do you have a specific ask or need? Do you simply want to reconnect with them? Can you add value to them or connect them to other people that you know? Go in with a value focus and you will always build a stronger relationship with the other person.
Identify 2-3 (or more if you have time) people each week that you want to meet with and reach out to them. If you do this each week you will have 100-150 connections in your network by the end of the year that you actually know and they know you. You are increasing your visibility with them and building a stronger relationship. Make it a point to do this every year. When you add new people, do the same thing and your network will always be strong.
Do you struggle with networking and want to improve? If you want my help, here is the link to set up a time with me: 30-minute conversation