What are some effective ways to build professional relationships outside of your industry?

The below mentioned three approaches can be utilized to foster professional relationships beyond industry: 1. Social Clubs/Groups: Joining clubs centered around diverse interests or hobbies facilitates networking among professionals from varied backgrounds. 2. Alumni Networks: Utilizing the alumni network of my alma mater connects me with professionals from different industries, enabling cross-industry connections. 3. Online Forums and Social Media: Platforms like LinkedIn and specialized forums broaden connections with professionals spanning various fields.

The digital world has made this process so much easier as you can find loads of information when you need to. The key is to be focused in your priorities as this will ensure you get targeted results. This will also ensure any out reach comms will be more effective as you will be clear in your own mind about what you wish to achieve.

Let’s face it, in life a little light stalking goes a long way. Treat your professional relationships with the same degree of respect you would treat a potential client. Spend some time learning about them before you seek to make contact. This research will help you build the rapport needed to establish a meaningful connection.

By leading with curiosity, I used LinkedIn features to bypass almost all the previous steps! Nobody is stopping you from getting involved NOW. Start exploring courses, joining groups, following people, adding comments, contributing to your community in your own unique way. If you do it consistently, you will be noticed. You will naturally develop pockets of communities and become familiar, and invited into conversations. This is a relationship based world. You have to participate.

The best way to do this I find is to be open and engage with the person you are talking to. Establishing eye contact early on combined with open body language can convey you are comfortable and interested in others. Support this with active listening, actually pay attention to what is being said. Don’t fool yourself everyone can spot someone who is just phoning it in. Then engage by contributing to the conversation based on what you have heard and how you can relate. In this way your passions and personal interests can also be conveyed. In such ways are connections formed.

This is so often an overlooked step as people establish a relationship in a meeting then fail to follow up afterwards. Try and remember you are creating a long-term relationship with someone not just a cursory engagement. Manage the relationship just as you do your friendships by reaching out to people, asking after them and introducing them to others. In that way you form professional relationship that are just as strong as your personal friendships and who knows you may meet people who become both.