NETWORKING & BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

NETWORKING & BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

presented by Shaunice Hawkins

Evolutions Consulting, LLC

DISCUSSION POINTSDISCUSSION POINTS

• Networking: What It Is, Isn’t and Why You Should Care

• Creating and Using Networks Effectively

• Establishing and Building Trust

• Networking Best Practices

• Getting to know others

• Cultivating authentic relationships

• Building a database of trusted contacts

• Exchanging information

• Learning about opportunities to connect with and/or refer others

• Listening more than talking

• Giving rather than getting

• Providing value

• Soliciting, prospecting or direct selling/marketing products or services

• An opportunity to talk about your life story

• Showboating or stroking egos

• Always choreographed or formal

NETWORKING DEFINEDNETWORKING DEFINED

Networking is… Networking is not…

Source: The Riley Guide: Network, Interview & Negotiate

THE VALUE OF NETWORKINGTHE VALUE OF NETWORKING

Source: Linkedin.com

FORMS OF NETWORKINGFORMS OF NETWORKING

• Building strong working relationships

• Getting work done efficiently

• Internal contacts; current demands

OPERATIONAL

• Enhancing personal/professional development

• Reaching out to contacts who can make referrals

• External contacts; future potential interests

PERSONAL

• Creating inside/outside links

• Figuring out future priorities and challenges

• Gaining stakeholder support

• Internal and external contacts; oriented toward the future

STRATEGIC

Source: “How Leaders Create and Use Networks” by Herminia Ibarra and Mark Hunter, Harvard Business Review

CREATING AND USING NETWORKS EFFECTIVELYCREATING AND USING NETWORKS EFFECTIVELY

FINDING NETWORK MEMBERS • Identify lateral and vertical

relationships to help define and shape your role, contribution and fit into the overall picture

• Participate in professional associations, alumni groups, clubs, communities, etc.

• Identify individuals who can make things happen

LEVERAGING NETWORKS• Accept networking as a key

component of success

• Work at networking continually

• Allocate adequate time to cultivating and establishing connections

• Give and take continually; take every opportunity to give to (and receive from)

• Be open communicating often

Source: “How Leaders Create and Use Networks” by Herminia Ibarra and Mark Hunter, Harvard Business Review

ESTABLISHING AND BUILDING TRUST ESTABLISHING AND BUILDING TRUST

Be transparentBe truthful, honest and

sincere

Be reliable and trustworthy

Treat others with respect

Keep confidences

Have the best interest of

others at heart

Focus on listening to

others

Communicate fully

Always follow through

Spend quality time with others

Apologize and forgive mistakes

Show no favoritism

Source: Adapted from “How to Build Strong Trust” eHow.co m and “10 Steps to Building Trust in Your Business Relationships by Martin Haworth

NETWORKING BEST PRACTICESNETWORKING BEST PRACTICES

Tools Tips Tricks Traps

KEY USAGE ELEMENT

BASIC FUNCTION SOCIAL NETWORKING TOOLS

Presence• Determine availability• Locate a colleague or competitor• Schedule a face-to-face• Meet up with likeminded

Collaboration• Conduct online meetings• Deliver presentations• Share documents

Information Access • Access information • Gather intelligence• Perform due diligence

TOOL: SOCIAL NETWORKINGTOOL: SOCIAL NETWORKING

KEY USAGE ELEMENT BASIC FUNCTION SOCIAL NETWORKING TOOLS

Communications• Offer expertise• Deliver news• Share information

Access to Expertise• Post information about self,

experience and skills• Push/pull specific content • Research interests

Reputation Monitoring • Following “the buzz” or pulse of a brand or enterprise

TOOL: SOCIAL NETWORKING (CONT’D)TOOL: SOCIAL NETWORKING (CONT’D)

TIP: BRAND MESSAGING [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] TIP: BRAND MESSAGING [FIRST IMPRESSIONS]

• In ¼ of 1 sec, a person makes up his/her mind about you.

• In the 5 secs, a person’s first impression of you will flip back and forth 11x.

• A person’s 1st impression is more important than his/her next 5 impressions combined.

• It takes 3x as long to change a person’s mind about you.

• Average length of business pitch (2000): 10 mins

• Average length of business pitch (2011): 30 secs – 2 mins or 140 characters (whichever is shorter)

TIP: BRAND MESSAGING [“WHAT DO YOU DO?”]TIP: BRAND MESSAGING [“WHAT DO YOU DO?”]

What do want others to know /say about

your brand?

What value does your brand offer?

Character

Leadership

Credibility

Influence

Trustworthy

Reliable

Dedicated

TIP: BRAND MESSAGING [STORYTELLING]TIP: BRAND MESSAGING [STORYTELLING]

STORYTELLING

STORY STORYTELLER

LISTENER

• Content “what happened”

• Context how it relates to thestory receiver

• Connection stirs an emotional response

• Well-delivered

• Relevant

• Substantive

• Purposeful

• Vivid Imagery

• Interactive

• Conflicting yet Resolvable

• Authentic

• Personable

• Passionate

• Compelling

• Engaged• Touched• Connected

CASE STUDY

RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES (RMHC)

HIGHLIGHTS• Day of Change 2010 drew 180,000 interactions on the

global and chapter Facebook pages in 28 days.

• 261 Twitter supporters shared 1465 RMHC Day of Change hashtags.

• The campaign brought in 130% more donations online than during the same time last year.

• E-newsletter subscriptions grew 748% during the campaign.

• Overall donations increased from $19MM to $25MM in 2010 – a gain of 31%.

TIP: BRAND MESSAGING [STORYTELLING] (CONT’D)TIP: BRAND MESSAGING [STORYTELLING] (CONT’D)

TIP: BRAND MESSAGING [KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE] TIP: BRAND MESSAGING [KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE]

Source: “Unspoken Communication “ by Zits Cartoonists Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

TIP: BRAND MESSAGING [STORY LISTENING]TIP: BRAND MESSAGING [STORY LISTENING]

Keys to Effective Story Listening• Listen to understand, not respond• Listen silently but attentively• Visualize what is being said• Maintain eye contact• Watch body language• Pause before replying• Question for clarification• Paraphrase in story your own words

85%

of what we

know we have

learned through

listening

25%

Listening

comprehension

rate of humans

7 out of every 10

minutes we are in

communication

w/another

human

Source: “Listening Statistics“ by Howick Associates.com

TIP: BRAND MESSAGING [LASTING IMPRESSIONS]TIP: BRAND MESSAGING [LASTING IMPRESSIONS]

SHAUNICE HAWKINSStrategist. Consultant. Playmaker. Author. Experience | www.shaunicehawkins.comFollow | www.twitter.com/evolve_uConnect | www.linkedin.com/in/shaunicehawkins Engage | shaunice.hawkins@verizon.net Firm | Evolutions Consulting, LLC Visit | www.evolutionsconsulting.net Contract | shaunice@evolutionsconsulting.net Book | Passion...Who Needs It?Purchase | www.amazon.com

Double-sided Business Card w/Photo & Logo

“Socialized” Email Signature

“Socialize” Business Card

• Quick Response (QR) Codes• Modern Colors/Artistic Design

• Virtual Voicemail• Virtual Office

TRICK: FOLLOWING UPTRICK: FOLLOWING UP

Dr. Jeffrey RobinsonState of Young Black New York

NYULYP Event Sat, Feb 26, 2011

“Black Faces in White Places” Panel

Keywords: Game Changer, Intrapreneur

Connect via social networking on

Smartphone

Write down first encounter on back of business card

Follow-up Tweet

TRICK: CONTACT MANAGEMENTTRICK: CONTACT MANAGEMENTNEEDS • Document needs to remember who needed what• Follow-up to check if need was solved; offer services

NAMES & DATES• Note names of family members, significant others, pets,

and important dates such as birthdays, trips, etc.

BLOG• Check out a contact’s personal and/or business blog to

keep abreast of personal/professional developments

JOB TITLES/ROLES• Keep job titles/roles updated to refer opportunities to

appropriate contacts

LIKES/DISLIKES• Notate likes/dislikes; useful when making lunch

reservations, sending thank you gifts, etc.

GROUP• Assign categories to easily locate the names of people

you need to contact for a specific reason.

ORGANIZE• Use a contact management system manage contacts

TRAP: OPPORTUNISTSTRAP: OPPORTUNISTS

Deflect

Limit/DenyAccess

Just say “NO”

Money

Thoughts & Ideas

Raised Visibility

Endorse-ment

The “Hook-

Up”

OPPORTUNISTS

TRAP: SCHMOOZINGTRAP: SCHMOOZING

Remember quality, not quantityFocus on quality conversations with a few people

Be authentic; make real connections

Engage in active listeningSpend at least 50% of your time listening

Be present at all timesAlcohol in moderation

Avoid gossipMaintain credibility; engage in positive dialogue

Be respectful and mannerableTreat everyone fairly, equally and kindly

TRAP: YOUR EGOTRAP: YOUR EGO

Control your ego to avoid:

❶Monologues/conversations solely about

you, your brand and/or your interests

❷Interrupting others; allow

others to finish their thoughts

❸Rivalry,

competition and one-

upmanship

❹Giving

unsolicited advice

❺Inflation of

job title/role, sphere of influence, number of

connections, etc.

❻Being too “chummy”

with contacts; they

are not friends

❼

Alienating others in your

company from sharing great news about your

brand

NETWORKING & BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

NETWORKING & BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

presented by Shaunice Hawkins

Evolutions Consulting, LLC