They say, “no man is an island,” which is especially true in the first week of February. It’s International Networking Week, a time for you to share your experience and develop your support system. While the methods may be a little different this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is still a crucial time to improve your relationships with other businesses and with your coworkers. Add us to your network, because we can help.
Importance of Networking
International Networking Week is a time for you to look back and thank the associates and colleagues you have worked with in the past while reaching out and making new connections for the future. Maintaining relationships is just as important as gaining new ones.
Networking helps you gain both skills and connections in a variety of ways, including:
- Career support. Having a “career conversation” with a colleague or with a representative from another business can help you explore methods for career advancement or alternate career opportunities.
- Confidence building. Building relationships allows you to open avenues that weren’t previously available to you—increasing your confidence to pursue opportunities.
- Referrals. The most tangible benefit—strong relationships lead to more referrals, so make sure you take the time to build them up.
Goals for International Networking Week
So, what should you try to accomplish this week? It’s all about improving yourself and your connections. Here are a few achievable goals to accomplish that:
- Listen more, talk less. You’re more likely to impress a possible connection by showing interest in them. Listening is a key component to building any relationship, business or otherwise.
- Prepare your elevator speech. While listening is important, expressing yourself when it’s your turn to talk is, too. Your elevator speech is a concise summary about you and what you bring to the table.
- Build your social media connections. This is especially important for 2021 since social gatherings will continue to be few and far between for much of this year. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t network. Reach out on social media, connect to old contacts and build your digital presence.
How We Can Help
At Giombetti Associates, we specialize in relationships. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we are unable to currently offer our “Three-Day Leadership Training Program” in person, but we always have a backup plan.
In lieu of the program, you can participate in our ongoing Leadership Training Webinar Series. Whether you’re in a leadership role or not, you will benefit personally and professionally from this series by strengthening your skillset. February’s topic concerns “Why Communicating & Listening are More Important than Ever,” so reach out to us if you think you could benefit.
We are eager to answer any questions regarding this course or any of the other services we offer. Please reach out and contact us to learn more.