Whether you are engaging with your in-house colleagues, building relationships within the business, or even outside of your organization, the strength of your network is essential for your personal and professional success.

Networking is fundamentally about transforming connections into authentic and meaningful long-term professional relationships. Trust is a critical component of a professional relationship, and it can be developed by displaying your integrity, emotional intelligence, and empathy. Demonstrating that you have the other person’s best interest in mind will help establish a much stronger relationship.

As you look to build out a networking strategy, it’s important to determine your objective. Are you looking to build relationships within your organization? Are you looking for a sponsor or a mentor? Or, is it that you are looking to grow your external network? Your objective will help to inform the approach you will want to take to grow your network.

The networking process has three key elements:

1. The initial connection. If that connection is made in person, it is likely through an introductory conversation and an exchange of contact information.
2. The follow-up. In this phase, you are developing your initial connection into something much deeper. You are turning the conversation from a high-level exchange into something that might produce mutual benefit, or to an area where there is mutual overlapping interest.
3. Nurturing and maintenance. Regular communication, while looking at ways to offer support, is essential to maintain relationships.

Our presenter highlighted how it can be helpful to prioritize your relationships in the context of your overall objectives. Nurturing and maintaining relationships can be time-consuming, so it can be helpful to consider the connections you have as part of three groups:

1. Those connections with whom you want to proactively develop and grow
2. Individuals with whom you may want to keep a connection but perhaps don’t directly support your objectives
3. Others with whom you may want to remain connected but don’t feel the need to actively maintain the relationship.

However you plan to grow your relationships, it is important to remember that authenticity is key. Those who excel at networking know that being a ‘giver’ – for example, giving your time, your network, your expertise or support – will demonstrate that you are not in the relationship only out of self-interest, but rather that you are interested in building an authentic relationship.

Our presenter offered some practical tips on how to make that initial connection at a networking event:

1. Be mentally prepared for the event
2. Find opportunities to engage
3. Smile and ask the question, “May I join you?”
4. Show interest in the person
5. Ask interesting questions
6. Most importantly, always ensure to follow up