本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛I can spot a good student networker a day or so after I initially meet them.
I know that sounds a bit strange, but it’s true. I attend hundreds of networking events every year, meet thousands of post-secondary students, and collect stacks of business cards (I’ve lost count of the vast number of cards that I have handed out myself). But of all the people I meet, how can I identify the truly effective networkers? How can I tell which ones understand the incredible value that solid network construction will play in their future? Easy, I just check my LinkedIn invitations or email inbox the day after we meet.
The very best network builders are the students who understand that the value of an initial connection has a very short shelf life. Think of your latest connections as a fresh loaf of bread: they must be attended to very quickly lest they go stale. I believe the best networkers make follow-up connections within 24 hours of initial contact, 48 hours at the outside.
When I receive a LinkedIn invitation or an email the morning after meeting someone at a networking event, my memory of them and what we talked about is fresh in my mind. Usually I‘m inclined to respond to their message or connection request right away. Not only that, my impression of them as young professionals with high potential is bolstered by the very fact that they recognize the value of establishing a connection promptly. Invariably, these young people have impressive LinkedIn profiles and a healthy number of connections. These are the people that “get it.” These are the individuals that will benefit from effective networking construction and maintenance.
On the other hand, are the many emails and LinkedIn connections I will receive several weeks or even months after meeting someone for the first time. Naturally, the odds that I can recall these students are long, and get longer with every passing day. I’m sure that other business people are also less inclined to contact an individual if they don’t recall having met the person. The impression they made on me has most lost its value. The loaf of bread has gone from fresh to stale to rock hard. .
So, simply understanding the incredible value of reconnecting promptly and then acting on that understanding is the secret to building an effective network. And an effective network will retain its value, a value that will serve students not only when they graduate, but also as they progress through their careers.
I’m very good at following up on networking connections now, but that was not always the case. I was perhaps one of the worst. We’ll leave that little story of how I changed for next week.更多精彩文章及讨论,请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net
I know that sounds a bit strange, but it’s true. I attend hundreds of networking events every year, meet thousands of post-secondary students, and collect stacks of business cards (I’ve lost count of the vast number of cards that I have handed out myself). But of all the people I meet, how can I identify the truly effective networkers? How can I tell which ones understand the incredible value that solid network construction will play in their future? Easy, I just check my LinkedIn invitations or email inbox the day after we meet.
The very best network builders are the students who understand that the value of an initial connection has a very short shelf life. Think of your latest connections as a fresh loaf of bread: they must be attended to very quickly lest they go stale. I believe the best networkers make follow-up connections within 24 hours of initial contact, 48 hours at the outside.
When I receive a LinkedIn invitation or an email the morning after meeting someone at a networking event, my memory of them and what we talked about is fresh in my mind. Usually I‘m inclined to respond to their message or connection request right away. Not only that, my impression of them as young professionals with high potential is bolstered by the very fact that they recognize the value of establishing a connection promptly. Invariably, these young people have impressive LinkedIn profiles and a healthy number of connections. These are the people that “get it.” These are the individuals that will benefit from effective networking construction and maintenance.
On the other hand, are the many emails and LinkedIn connections I will receive several weeks or even months after meeting someone for the first time. Naturally, the odds that I can recall these students are long, and get longer with every passing day. I’m sure that other business people are also less inclined to contact an individual if they don’t recall having met the person. The impression they made on me has most lost its value. The loaf of bread has gone from fresh to stale to rock hard. .
So, simply understanding the incredible value of reconnecting promptly and then acting on that understanding is the secret to building an effective network. And an effective network will retain its value, a value that will serve students not only when they graduate, but also as they progress through their careers.
I’m very good at following up on networking connections now, but that was not always the case. I was perhaps one of the worst. We’ll leave that little story of how I changed for next week.更多精彩文章及讨论,请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net