Networking Online Pays Dividends in Real Life

Business Articles | February 16, 2011

Networking is helping and being helped, either online or in real life. And, it can pay dividends if you know your goal and spend a little time getting prepared. I find there is no better place than online to get help in preparing to meet my real life goals.

Let me tell you my story…My husband and I were staying at a beautiful resort in Punta Mita, Mexico. Nice as it was, it felt like we were living in a bubble. We wanted to get out and explore.

I expressed that exact sentiment on Twitter. Within minutes, I had a response directing me to a local tourism website. See how I reached out and someone offered to help?

Of course, I helped them as well, by going to their recommended website but it was a great quid pro quo. There I read all about the local attractions and chose a restaurant. Then I did some further research, reviewing travel websites and reading the restaurant reviews of other tourists.

One reviewer told me the name of the restaurant proprietor was Hector. Another said that he came from a line of restaurant owners and still another raved about the fishing boat Hector lined up for him. One of our goals was to get out on the ocean and go fishing. With this information, I was prepared and ready to go networking.

Upon arriving at the restaurant, I asked for Hector. When he came by I told him I had read with interest about his family history in the food business. He was flattered and pulled up a chair to our table to tell us more. First thing we knew he was lining us up with a fishing boat and we were paying local prices, not those designated for tourists!

Whether it is real life or online, networking can pay dividends. It is all about getting help and giving help. But underneath it all, you have to know your networking goal. If you prepare for it

, you’ll surely reach it – just like me and Hector! What goals do you have that can be reached through networking?

Article Tags: Real Life

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

After a highly successful career in business, including 26 years with PotashCorp where she was Senior Vice-President, Betty-Ann retired in 2007, the same year that she was named to Canada‘s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Hall of Fame™. She now works as a speaker, author and mentor and is committed to using her personal and professional experiences to inspire and empower other women. A firm believer in the value women bring to organizations, Betty-Ann explores changing perceptions of male and female roles including candid observations about what she calls "Good Gender Physics” on her blog at www.stillettochick.com. She helps both men and women understand the primary energy of their gender but also accept and appreciate the strengths of their opposite.