You would have seen in conference brochures a time set aside for Professional networking. Various forums have get-togethers…meetups… to facilitate business interaction between professionals. Sites like LinkedIn have an entire business model built on networking.
But networking is a highly abused terminology. Anyone and everyone uses it without really understanding the concept of it or even the importance of it.
Based on my experience with all these get-togethers, conferences, and social media sites, I have come across 4 types of personalities or rather networkers.
- The Narcissists: Overbearing and know-it-all
- The Overthinkers: Shy and hesitant
- The Don Juans: Brash and flirty
- The Wannabes: Lost and confused
Let us talk about what each of them does in such social/ professional interactions and how to identify each one of them in such events.
The Narcissists are the ones who feel they have arrived in life and everyone should flock around them. They are usually loud with artificial laughter doting their conversations. They prefer to give a lot of Gyan and have an opinion on almost everything. These people attract the wannabes and the overthinkers towards them but they are a waste of time from a networking standpoint. They are self-promoters who are there to show their assertiveness and importance and have no disposition towards mentoring or helping people. Their sole focus is “me first” and they use these wannabes and overthinkers to show their influence and get their personal brand highlighted.
The Overthinkers are people who have the acumen, are well placed too but tend to over analyze each situation. They are in their element and are charming if approached by someone, but are hesitant and shy to approach someone themselves. They are in a quandary conflicted about whether to approach someone, what to say, what if the person gives them a cold shoulder…. lots of doubts… making it difficult for them to be effective networkers.
The Don Juans are the ones who consider themselves a God’s gift to the world. They are the ones with stylish clothes, overt charm, and fake accents. They tend to stick to either good looking women/men depending on their own gender or prefer sucking up to someone who they feel can help further their career aspirations. They are flirtatious and superficial. They are social media enthusiasts and their life revolves around taking photos and publishing them on Linkedins and Twitters of the world. They are self-promoters and can sometimes come across as brash and rude with a sarcastic sense of humour. They are the ones who try to be entertainers at the expense of other people. They are best avoided with a barge pole.
The last of this segment are “The Wannabes”. They are desperate to look confident and build their professional network but have absolutely no clue on how to go about it. They are attracted towards Don Juans or the Narcissists but are usually silent spectators. They are happy to get some business cards to show to their supervisors that they have met the bigwigs. They lack social skills, are too underconfident, and carry self-doubt. They can easily fall prey to self-deprecations and therefore must be cautious of it.
Professional networking is the art of meeting people, leaving a good impression, and forging a working relationship without being overbearing or appearing desperate. It is not about the sheer quantum of people you meet but the quality of relationships you forge and nurture going forward. Make it a point to have relevant conversations and avoid rambling, it is not about how much you talk but what you talk about. Practice listening and avoid hogging the conversation. Do exchange business cards and do not forget to send short thank you note, the day after. Also, if there is an action item that is on you like some information about a product or a market study that you may have promised to send, do so at the earliest. It will build up your credibility. Avoid making false promises and avoid exaggerating your professional achievements. Also, focus on setting up an in-person connect maybe in a month post getting acquainted, this will strengthen the professional relationship and help build relevant connections to be leveraged in the future.
At the end of the day, it is an interaction between two people, so do not get stressed out. Work on how you would like to appear in front of people and the topics of discussion that you would like to propagate. Do not appear desperate and in a situation where you are being ignored, move on to a different individual. Do not let your emotions guide you, this is a professional relationship so be rational and respect personal boundaries.
Happy networking!
Pic courtesy: www.freepik.com
