How do you prioritize networking with other business tasks?

Networking is a vital skill for any business professional, but it can also be time-consuming and challenging to balance with other tasks. How do you make sure you are connecting with the right people, in the right way, and at the right time? In this article, we will share some tips on how to prioritize networking with other business tasks, and how to make the most of your networking opportunities.

1 Set your networking goals

Before you start reaching out to anyone, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve from your networking. Do you want to find new clients, partners, mentors, or referrals? Do you want to learn new skills, insights, or trends? Do you want to build your reputation, credibility, or influence? Having specific and measurable networking goals will help you focus your efforts and evaluate your results.

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Jared S. Taylor

🏝Founder of Slice of Media & BlocHealth (acquired)
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Setting networking goals is one of the most important things that someone can do for their career and business. During college I had a co-op at Fidelity Investments. Before it began, I set a networking goal of connecting with at least a few people each week during lunch. During this time I would ask them about their career, how they got to where they were, and what advice they had for me as I began my career. The goal was clear, meet with people from all sorts of backgrounds to learn more about what the financial industry had to offer. Today, I set networking goals for my business. Despite the importance of technology, business is still very much relationship driven.

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2 Plan your networking activities

Once you have your networking goals, you need to plan how you will achieve them. This means choosing the best networking activities for your objectives, such as attending events, joining groups, sending emails, making calls, or requesting introductions. You also need to allocate time and resources for your networking activities, and schedule them in your calendar. Planning your networking activities will help you avoid procrastination and overwhelm, and ensure you follow up with your contacts.

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Jared S. Taylor

🏝Founder of Slice of Media & BlocHealth (acquired)
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I make time each week for networking. If someone is not doing this, they are not serious about growing in their career. Everyone is busy, so block off time in advance to network each week. Plan out a variety of in-person and virtual networking opportunities. I tend to focus on 4 layers of networking: conferences, coffee (in-person), video calls (virtual), or an old-fashioned phone call.

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3 Prioritize your network

Not all contacts are equal when it comes to networking. Some may be more relevant, helpful, or responsive than others. Therefore, you need to prioritize your network and focus on the most valuable contacts for your goals. You can use criteria such as relevance, trust, influence, reciprocity, and frequency to rank your contacts and decide how much time and effort you will invest in each relationship. Prioritizing your network will help you optimize your networking outcomes and avoid wasting time on low-impact contacts.

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Wil Brown

Grow your WordPress business. I help WordPress developers and designers get more clients and increase monthly revenue to build a sustainable and profitable business. Connect and ask how 🙋♀️
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I like to connect with event speakers relevant to my network, or if there has been a really enjoyable talk. Speakers are invited to events because they are at the top of their game so don't leave an event without having a chat with at least one speaker. I also like to network with the event hosts as they are usually top players in the topic.

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4 Automate and delegate your networking tasks

Networking can be a lot of work, especially if you have a large or diverse network. However, you don't have to do everything yourself. You can use tools and systems to automate and delegate some of your networking tasks, such as sending reminders, scheduling meetings, updating your CRM, or creating content. You can also leverage your existing network to help you with your networking goals, such as asking for referrals, introductions, feedback, or advice. Automating and delegating your networking tasks will help you save time and energy, and focus on the most important interactions.

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Jared S. Taylor

🏝Founder of Slice of Media & BlocHealth (acquired)
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As you begin to network more, keeping detailed notes on the networking conversations will be very important. In the past, I used a CRM like HubSpot to keep track of my relationship building, but today I use Folk (it's AMAZING). Set reminders to follow-up with your connections and if possible, put a meeting on your calendars every quarter to catch up (it's worth the 30-minute call).

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5 Nurture your relationships

Networking is not a one-time activity, but a long-term process of building and maintaining relationships. Therefore, you need to nurture your relationships with your contacts, and not just reach out when you need something. You can do this by providing value, showing appreciation, staying in touch, and being supportive. You can also use social media, newsletters, blogs, podcasts, or webinars to share your expertise, insights, or stories with your network. Nurturing your relationships will help you strengthen your trust, rapport, and reputation with your contacts, and increase your chances of getting referrals, opportunities, or collaborations.

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6 Evaluate and improve your networking

Finally, you need to evaluate and improve your networking performance and results. You can do this by tracking and measuring your networking activities, outcomes, and feedback, and comparing them with your goals. You can also ask for feedback from your contacts, mentors, or peers, and identify your strengths and weaknesses. Based on your evaluation, you can adjust your networking goals, plans, priorities, or strategies, and learn from your successes and failures. Evaluating and improving your networking will help you grow as a networker, and achieve your business objectives.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Jared S. Taylor

🏝Founder of Slice of Media & BlocHealth (acquired)
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If you haven't read this book, READ IT: "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie. This should be something we give students in high school no matter what they want to do in the future.

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How do you prioritize networking with other business tasks?

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2

3

4

5

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1 Set your networking goals

2 Plan your networking activities

3 Prioritize your network

4 Automate and delegate your networking tasks

5 Nurture your relationships

6 Evaluate and improve your networking

7 Here’s what else to consider

Business Networking

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How do you prioritize networking with other business tasks?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Set your networking goals

2 Plan your networking activities

3 Prioritize your network

4 Automate and delegate your networking tasks

5 Nurture your relationships

6 Evaluate and improve your networking

7 Here’s what else to consider

Business Networking

Rate this article

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