Build Your Networking Self Awareness

We all know that the self awareness of our strengths and “opportunities”, along with our ability articulate is critical to our interviewing success.  A heightened sense of our strengths and identifying our opportunities to develop is equally important in networking.  Self-assessing as an active networker is a difficult task because it requires us to be honest with ourselves and reflective on our past successes and failures.  The good news is that self-awareness pays dividends.  It helps us to capitalize on existing networking strengths and identifies the areas to improve in.
Asking yourself the following questions is a first step toward networking self awareness.

1.    What do I communicate non-verbally?
Possible networking connections will make assumptions about us based on posture, facial gestures, and eye contact before we even speak.  By paying attention to the nonverbal cues of others, we can get a sense of how our points are being received.  Remember that more than 90% of communication is nonverbal, and that great impressions are made solely through effective listening.

2.    What can I bring to a networking relationship?
Regardless how much networking or business experience we’ve had, we all have a wealth of knowledge that can be valuable to others.  People have needs outside of business, and while we may not be offering up a direct business referral, we can recommend a book, Indigo Yoga Studio, or even a vacation destination.  Remember that networking is give and take, and going into every conversation asking questions and seeking to help others will increase the likelihood that someone will help us in return.

3.    What impression do I make on others?
First impressions last a lifetime.  The icebreaker, “what brings you out tonight”, is a safe starter to any networking conversation and demonstrates selflessness.  Asking questions to uncover shared interests is important in early stages of rapport building.  Will I be the person who talks about me me me, or who scans the room during conversation?  Being the person that asks questions, finds common ground, sustains eye contact, and follows through on commitments will leave a lasting first impression.

4.    What are my trust parameters?
Why are we trustworthy?  The best way to begin to understanding how and why others trust us is through self awareness and by gauging the questions we are asked while networking.  Personal questions often indicate that a degree of rapport has been established and that we have been deemed credible or trustworthy by the person we are talking to.  Understand what barriers to trust exist with a potential contact and work at them to gain trust.
Conscious awareness of how and why we begin to trust others gives us a sense of our trust parameters, reduces our risk of being manipulated, and helps us to decipher fact from false perceptions and beliefs.  Make sure that someone is trustworthy before connecting them with a job or personal connection because our credibility and name are on the line.

Connecting Insights has designed a FREE 35 question interactive networking self-assessment tool (www.connectinginsights.net) which enables users to become more networking self aware.  After submitting an assessment, users will be provided with feedback and opportunities for development based on their individual responses.  Visit www.connectinginsights.net and discover your endless networking potential.