Working on your networking skills?

Good morning everyone,

Hope you’re having a brilliant start to the day 🙂

Networking is something I love doing and learning more about from all different people and cultures. It’s become a key trait in the modern world, however, how do you know how to network efficiently? Fear not, that’s something that we’ll dive into in today’s blog.

Hello and Welcome to Sweeney’s Blogs!

I’ve been to loads of different networking events over the last couple of years, from social media conferences to technology roadshows, young professionals meetups and loads more. Along the way, I’ve picked up some different tips and tricks that I think could be super valuable to share with you all today 🙌

With that in mind, here are five tips to help you network effectively:

🤝 Be Genuine – Show a real interest in others while staying true to yourself, your values and your journey. You don’t need to hide behind a mask of perfection, leverage your stories, the different strands of fate that have shaped you into who you are to create a lasting and genuine connection with those you speak to

🕺🏼 Embrace Flexibility – Don’t feel you have to script your conversations. Letting them flow naturally often leads to more memorable and valuable interactions – who knows where the conversation can take you if you let it?! Sometimes, the best insights and connections come from unexpected moments

📱 Follow Up – Stay in touch and follow up with those you meet. Carrying on the conversation really helps build your relationship further. This doesn’t mean that you have to continually message someone if you don’t want to, the odd message here and there makes a big difference

🗣️ Listen Actively – Pay attention to what the person is saying, with their words and body language. Ask questions and show that you value their perspective

💭 Share Your Story – Stories are the threads that connect us as people. Add your personal experiences into conversations, helping to make them that much more personal and relatable. Sharing a memorable experience or a lesson you’ve learned can help you bond over shared values or challenges

No matter what, remember that there isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” approach to networking, it’s all about finding what works well for you and adapting that to fit the environment that you are in. The most important piece of advice that i can give is to be yourself and have fun with it, that’s where the real you will shine.

That’s all for today’s blog, what do you think? What’s your best networking tip? Do you enjoy going to networking events? Would you like to see more of these professional/communications-style posts?

I’d love to hear your thoughts ⤵️

Thanks for reading and I hope you have a lovely day!