Networking | Leila’s House of Corrections

We all know networking is a must, and we ve all benefited from our own networks. Even so, do you sometimes dread networking events imagining yourself standing alone with no one to talk to and no idea how to kick off a conversation?

Come on managers, it s time to start networking.

It s not what you know but the people you know, right? And they need to know the right things about you. To make kicking off conversations a bit easier, try these 5 steps, which I call the Rapport Handshake.

Step 1: Make and Hold Eye Contact.

When meeting someone for the first time, eye contact is crucial. As you walk up to someone and introduce yourself, make and hold eye contact. Begin the conversation with your eyes.

Step 2: Shake Hands and Briefly Introduce Yourself.

We tend to rush this step, shaking hands quickly or incompletely. Avoid the limp or dead fish handshake, don t shake with your fingertips, and never squeeze someone s hands. Say your name and your title or very brief statement of what do you.

Step 3: Repeat the Name of the Person You Met.

Repeat the name of the person you met for two reasons: check to make sure you heard it correctly and to help you remember it. Using a person s name builds upon the connection you ve just made when using eye contact and shaking hands. And it s OK to ask how to pronounce a person s name, if anything it shows interest.

Step 4: Ask about the Person.

To make a genuine and valuable connection, you need to learn more about an individual than his name and title. This step involves asking what he does and where he works.

Step 5: Say Something about Yourself.

Now, it s time to talk about you. And you should be prepared for this. Think about a concise way to describe what you do and why it s important to your company how you help contribute to the big picture. Don t make this up each time you go to a networking event. Take some time to think about it what you say brands you. And you might be talking to a future customer or your future boss.

There are lots of ways to network. And a great deal of networking occurs online. Be on top of this and create a profile on LinkedIn. The more proficient you become at networking the easier it is for people to help you. They know who you are, what you do, and the value you bring.