via adapia:

I have fond memories of “Personal Selling” class when I was taking my BBA … it was one of the classes I hated the most! Why? Because I despised the idea of selling myself. It seemed so fake, so contrived - it made my skin crawl. 

One of the big topics in this class was also networking and it scared me to bits. How was I supposed to “do” networking? Again, it seemed fake and like I was supposed to read a script and get something from someone, like hitting a sales target. Gather as many business cards as you can!! What’s that about? 

But somehow, over the years, after I forgot about the technicalities of ‘networking’, it came naturally. And one of the reasons it did, is exactly what this article talks about: asking questions and being genuinely interested in the answers. 

If you walk into an event or a meeting or a dinner with the one and only goal of ‘networking’ or obtaining something from your other party, then you may as well stay home. If you go with the intention of selling yourself like a product, stay home.  But if you go into any situation where you need to interact with other people, and you approach it as a way to get to know someone new because you are genuinely interested in them as a person, then you will find that you will very easily make connections!

Another very helpful resource for me was the book “How to Make Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie. Yes, it’s positive psychology. Yes, it’s a classic. Yes, it’s perhaps a little cheesy. However, it’s fundamentally RIGHT in the way that we should all approach human relationships. And now, more than ever, in our digitally enhanced world of tweets and likes, and instant friendships, the same key principle in this book - genuine interest in who you’re speaking to, and asking questions - is exactly what we should all be doing when “networking”.

How many of you have read this book? What’s your take on ‘networking’? And what’s your biggest fear about it?

(Source: adapia)