Networking is one of the most important skills in business life. But how do we maintain our relationships? The Golden Triangle of Networking is a very easy and profound method to do this.
How do you go about your business relationships? How do maintain and improve these relationships?
One of the approaches that can help you, is the Golden Triangle of Networking.
1) Offer
The first question to ask yourself is what you can offer people without expecting anything in return. This is something else that the products or services from your organisation.
What can you offer? These are but a few examples: your own knowledge, experiences, a free newsletter (of your own organisation or one you are subscribed to yourself), a list with interesting websites or books, an invitation and the most important: introductions.
2) Ask
The second angle is asking questions to your network. Many people have a hard time doing this because they have limiting beliefs such as: who am I that people are willing to help me, they won't have time to help me or the people I know are not the right people.
Don't let this kind of thoughts influence you. People like to help each other, especially if it doesn't cost them time or money.
What you do have to do is asking a clear question (which shows you have already given thought to the matter) and that you give enough context.
One of the best questions you can ask your network is: who do you know who can help me with ...
3) Thank
The last angle is thanking people. This can be done via a face-to-face meeting, via the telephone, via e-mail or via a text message. However, the best way to thank people is sending a post card or letter. Why? Because this takes more time and effort than the other ways to thank someone. And it can be stored. Don't underestimate the psychological effect from this action!
If you own a company or are in sales: think a step further, especially towards customers and other business relationships. They are the ones who keep your organisation running. You can send them a gift or invite them to an event you organise yourself or where you take them to.
Apply this Golden Triangle and your business will thrive!
5 steps of networking at an event
Most of us go to networking events to make new contacts and to maintain our existing relationships. Both are equally important. These are the 5 steps of attending a network event that can help attendants to networking events make the most of it: preparing, making contact, having a conversation, ending the conversation and following up.
The difference between hard selling and networking
The main difference between selling and networking is that in a sales process the goal of the interaction between two people is the sale of a product or service. When networking, this sale could be the consequence of a contact that is built with respect and care. So it is clear that the sale is not the goal of networking, but a nice and in many cases a logical consequence.
It IS a small world: the “6 degrees of proximity”
Do you remember the last time you were on a holiday and met another compatriot? Ten to one, one of you made the remark: “It is a small world, isnt’t it?”. This is what the “6 degrees of separation” are about. Nowadays business networking websites like LinkedIn and Xing show you these degrees. What is the value of this insight for me? That we can deal with each other in a different way on events, receptions, online networks and other networking functions. No hard selling, but helping each other.
