Hi, I'm Felice from HubSpot.
And today, I'm
going to teach you
a little bit about networking.
If you enjoy this
video, don't forget
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to our channel.
Post any questions
or suggestions
you have in the comments below.
Let's get started.
Did you know that
70% of jobs are found
through personal relationships?
Whether you're trying to
develop your personal career
or forge new business
relationships,
making offline
personal connections
has become even more critical
as online social networking
becomes the norm.
Networking is a
buzzword that many of us
have a serious love-hate
relationship with.
Sure, we all want to
expand our network
by meeting new people
in our industry,
but actually meeting them can
feel like a middle school dance
all over again--
a painfully awkward
middle school dance.
This video will
help you navigate
those uncomfortable face-to-face
networking situations
so the next time you step into
a room of potential connections
you'll be as cool as a cucumber.
Strategy number one, have
a clear goal in mind.
Next time you're
going to an event,
ask yourself, who do I
want to meet and why?
If the guest list is available,
take the moment to scan it.
See a person or company
on the list you've
been hoping to connect with?
Look at the guest's
LinkedIn profile
to learn a little
bit more about them
so you can seek them
out at the event.
Having a clear goal in mind will
make networking less ambiguous
and lead to more
effective connections.
Strategy number two, have
some conversation starters
ready to go.
Broaching a big or small
group can be intimidating.
But with the right
approach, you can
join in on an
existing conversation
or start your own successfully.
Ease into the evening
by introducing yourself
to one person who
was also flying solo
and looking for
someone to talk to.
Read up on industry
news and trends
beforehand so you'll be prepared
to spark conversation and ask
for their thoughts
on the topics that
are interesting to both of you.
Whoever you approach
first, relieve
some of the awkwardness with
informed, relevant conversation
starters to get into the
swing of things together.
Strategy number three, when in
doubt, ask a relevant question.
If the conversation
starts to lull,
shift the focus of
the conversation
to the person you're talking to
by asking relevant questions.
You may be thinking, how can
I make connections if we just
talk about them the whole time?
And to that I would say,
showing genuine interest
in another person can
say more about you
than talking about
yourself could.
Strategy number four, if you
want something, ask for it.
The highlight of networking
events we all fantasize about
is leaving with a concrete
exchange that will move
our business or career forward.
If you haven't asked to make of
someone, go ahead and ask it.
But make sure you
frame it in a way that
shows how it benefits them.
For example, if you're
asking for a job opportunity,
ask about the problems
facing their business
and explain how your unique
skills can help them out.
Strategy number five, make a
graceful exit and follow up.
The goal of networking isn't to
meet as many people as you can.
It's to make
valuable connections.
While it's important not to
rush through conversations
for this reason, there are
times when we need to jump ship.
If you need to get out of
a torturous conversation,
end the discussion
in the moment,
but keep it feeling
open-ended for the future.
When you do make a
valuable connection,
be sure to follow up afterwards.
Following up with a
personal connection
helps you differentiate and
solidify the relationship.
Need some additional
help getting started?
Click the link in the
description below for more.
Thanks for watching.
If you enjoyed this video, be
sure to like it and subscribe.
Let me know how you're
doing in the comments below.
