Skip to main content
#BYDNNetworking

Learn (And Love) Those Small Networking Acts

By March 5, 2017January 27th, 2019No Comments
J. Kelly Hoey - Build Your Dream Network

How’s the networking love going? Don’t panic (or groan) at the idea of more networking. You pictured business cards and cocktail parties (again) when I said “networking”, right? Admit it!

But not so fast. That’s not what I think about when I think networking.

And this week, I want you to start really re-imagining what networking is. As I explain in #BYDN:

Not only do I hate walking into rooms filled with strangers, but I am deeply suspicious of anyone who says they really enjoy it. If you really, I mean really, enjoy stepping into a room where you do not know a soul, then you’re likely a fine-tuned, heat-seeking sales machine and I’d rather navigate the scent-spritzing gaunt- let of the perfume department at Saks than be cornered by you at a networking event.

So what is networking then? It’s every human interaction. And all those small, mundane, daily actions are opportunities to make a stronger connection. From #BYDN:

Do you have two minutes during your weekday morning to post an update on LinkedIn? That update could be a cross-selling opportunity for your business. Using the stairs or public transport might take you slightly out of your way, but what if you see that detour, not as a decision about transportation, but as an opportunity for a valuable interaction?

J. Kelly Hoey

J. Kelly Hoey is a problem solver who believes that most professional challenges—whether funding, landing a board position or getting a new job—are solved by tapping into networks.Kelly is a popular speaker on networking, community building and investing issues, especially as they relate to women, and has worked with the IEEE, PGA, Bank of America, Apple and countless others. Follow Kelly on Twitter @jkhoey and on Instagram @jkellyhoey and join the #BYDN community at www.buildyourdreamnetwork.com