1 Identify your purpose

Before you start reaching out to potential contacts, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to accomplish with your network. Do you want to learn new skills, find new opportunities, get feedback, or solve a problem? Having a specific purpose will help you narrow down your target audience, craft your message, and measure your progress. It will also help you avoid wasting time and energy on irrelevant or unhelpful connections.

2 Seek diversity and value

A good network is not just a large one, but a diverse and valuable one. You want to connect with people who have different perspectives, backgrounds, experiences, and expertise than you. This will help you broaden your horizons, challenge your assumptions, and discover new possibilities. You also want to connect with people who can offer you value, such as advice, referrals, insights, or resources. And of course, you want to offer value in return, by being helpful, supportive, and respectful.

3 Communicate effectively

Once you have identified and contacted your potential connections, you need to communicate effectively with them. This means being clear, concise, and courteous in your messages, and showing genuine interest and appreciation in your conversations. You also need to follow up regularly, keep your promises, and update your contacts on your progress. Communication is the key to building trust, rapport, and credibility with your network.

4 Evaluate your results

Finally, you need to evaluate your results and adjust your strategy accordingly. You can use various criteria to measure the quality of your network, such as the number of referrals, introductions, opportunities, or feedback you receive, the level of satisfaction, engagement, or loyalty you experience, or the impact or influence you have on your contacts. You can also ask for feedback from your contacts on how you can improve your networking skills and performance.

5 Expand your reach

As you build and maintain your network, you should also look for ways to expand your reach and connect with new people. You can do this by attending events, joining groups, participating in forums, or creating content related to your purpose and interests. You can also leverage your existing contacts to introduce you to their contacts, or use tools like LinkedIn to find and connect with people who share your goals, values, or passions.

6 Keep learning and growing

Networking is not a one-time activity, but a continuous process of learning and growing. You should always be open to new ideas, perspectives, and opportunities that can help you advance your career and personal development. You should also be willing to share your knowledge, experience, and insights with others who can benefit from them. Networking is not only about making the right connections, but also about making the most of them.

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?