How to Establish External Relations That Work

There are many good ways to build external relations that work for you.

Using your Existing Network

Think about the people in your network hub. Don’t overlook people. Consider who in your existing network can best provide you with the information, resources or support you need to advance you towards your goals. Ask yourself how each person might best help you. Make a plan to phone these persons. Prepare a list of good questions to ask before telephoning.

Using Meetings and Conference

The second way to connect with people is through organisational meetings, conference and similar events. Look for industry-related conferences, seminars and trade shows to attend.

Consider becoming active in your trade or professional association, civic organisations or social clubs. Any place where people convene will generate opportunities for your network.

When attending seminars, take the speaker out to lunch.

Contacting People

Another way to build your network is by contacting people directly. You can get names of new contacts from trade journals and directories. You can also collect names from company brochures, company letterheads, newspapers or magazines.

Once you have some names, you will need to begin contacting these people. One excellent method for contacting people is called the informational interview.

Informational interviewing is you interviewing your contact for specific information. In informational interviewing, you have identified a contact that may have the information of advice you need to get to where you are going. The informational interviewing approach is virtually threat-free. It is an informal method of asking for information. Nothing more.

Make Yourself Useful to Others

To make yourself useful and helpful to others requires full use of all networking skills. In particular, the ability to be knowledgeable or an expert in some area is critical to strengthening your network. The key to cultivating and nurturing your network is sharing your knowledge and/or expertise.

• Think about how you can begin making yourself more attractive, useful and helpful to others. Begin by identifying what skills, abilities and knowledge you have that you are willing to share. Consider your capabilities in the three areas of characters skills, functional skills and specialised skills.
• Make a plan on how to gain visibility for this proficiency.
• Share these capabilities to empower others. Word will circulate.

Give Out Business Cards and Exchange Contact Details

Secondly, when you meet people who might be of help to you later, be sure to get their names, company names, telephone numbers and e-mail and mailing addresses. All this information is normally available on a business card, so, thirdly offer to exchange business cards with every contact you meet. If you currently do not have your own business card, ask your company to provide them. The cost is small compared to the wealth of useful contacts you will make as a result of exchanging business cards.

Follow Up on People Once You’ve Met Them

Finally, when you run into a situation that some of your contacts may be able to help with, call them. Most people enjoy helping other, and your call reinforces the network process. If the contact you call is unable to assist you with your problem, often he or she will be able to point you in another direction, thus adding to your network of contacts.

Visibility

Visibility is very important. Visibility is positioning yourself to be seen favourably by people in your network hub. Here are some tips to remember:

• Become active in local organisations. Take leadership roles. It will place you at the centre of influence places where you are most likely to get sponsored and recommended for opportunities. Consider trade or professional organisations, civic groups, and social and sports organisations.
• Volunteer to give presentations in your area of expertise for service organisations and other groups.
• Sponsor others in your volunteer, social and professional organisations.
• Clip articles and send them to key people in your network as well as to acquaintances who could benefit from this information. It builds goodwill.

Other ways to get started:

• Request information and assistance on the Internet.
• Call authors of particularly relevant magazine articles or books.
• Introduce yourself to suppliers and ask for the names of their inside support people.
• When new technology or equipment is considered or purchased, be the first to volunteer to learn to use it (so you can become better known as a resource to others).
• Be quick to ask questions and listen to others (most people like assisting inquisitive people, no know-it-alls).
• Accept people for who they are and never overlook the knowledge or experience they may have.