Networking 101 - Starting Conversations
Reprinted courtesy of TheCareerNews.com
MILWAUKEE, WI -- "I know networking is really important, but how do I get the conversation started?" said a client. In the words of Dale Carnegie, author of How to Win Friends and Influence People, "You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years trying to get people interested in you."
Translation: Ask the new people you meet about themselves. When in a group or at a party, listen carefully to the conversation. See where you might be able to jump in. It may be something as simple as an exclamation, "You're kidding me!" that gets the ball rolling. If you're at a business event, get a business card from the new contact and jot down some notes from the conversation. It can be as simple as, "Big Elvis fan." That way, the next time you see the person or call the person, you can start the conversation with, "Hey, did you see the new 2-CD set that came out on Elvis? Has all the songs, plus a 32-page book. Cool." Then, once they've exhausted their excitement of the big event, you can jump into the "real" conversation, "So, what's going on at the office? Did they create that position we talked about at Bernadine's Christmas party?"
Article by Wendy Terwelp, Career Coach, and reprinted from TheCareerNews.com. Get the latest breaking News, Tips and Tools for your job search, Free!
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