If you’re meeting in person, decide on a cut-off time in advance and clearly communicate it. Yes networking is important, but it shouldn’t take up your whole day.
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3. Lean on lunchtimes
Tapt, a digital business card company, recently analysed 400,000 of its networking connections to conclude that Melbourne is the Australian city that networks the most, with most new connections happening on Tuesday and Wednesday between 11am and 2pm.
Lean into this trend and pick a good café or restaurant that means that, even if the company is lousy, at least the food won’t be.
4. Pace yourself
The busiest months for networking, according to Tapt, is May and August, while the Summer months from November to January are naturally the quietest. If you know you’re going to be meeting a lot of new people during a hectic period, plan ahead so you don’t overwhelm yourself.
Talking about work, and yourself, does require energy so ensure you save some for the right moments.
5. Don’t neglect digital
The professional version of yourself you put forward online is just as important as in the real world. I know there are mixed feelings about LinkedIn (personally, I’m a big fan), but think of every comment and connection request as a form of networking.
It’sa great way of keeping a digital record of all your professional contacts, meaning you can sort through them when you need to find and connect with the right people.
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6. Feed the relationship
When you connect with someone in a professional setting that you want to keep in your network, you should actively nurture the relationship. Listened to a relevant podcast? Or seen a new book that’s up their alley?
Fire off a quick message so you consistently stay on their radar so you can turn a one-off meeting into a long-term contact.
Networking doesn’t have to be uncomfortable, boring or something to shy away from. Remember that each new business contact is just trying to meet other people on a similar journey, and you might just change your perception of networking one (good) coffee at a time.
Tim Duggan is author of Work Backwards: The Revolutionary Method to Work Smarter and Live Better. He writes a regular newsletter at timduggan.substack.com
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