How to: Network like a pro

Does the word ‘networking’ fill you with fear? For many, it triggers visions of soulless grey rooms full of people pitch-slapping each other.

Those rooms do exist, but you don’t need to enter them to build a trusted web of career-enhancing connections. Because that’s all networking is: a trust-building exercise, and there are many ways we can do it.

Forget what you learned at school

School does a great job of teaching us how to do well at school. Hard work is recognised through good grades, even if we never speak to another soul.

Then we enter the workforce and many of us follow the recipe we learned in the classroom: Heads down, bums up and you’ll get results. But we quickly find that it isn’t enough. While we follow process, people around us get promoted – even when they’re not as ‘good’.

That’s because career success isn’t just about what you know; it’s also who you know. It’s not a bad thing, it’s just a fact: Organisations are made up of teams that work together to get sh*t done. That means relationship skills are as important as your ability to do the job.

Relationships + skills = success

Successful people operate a mental rolodex. Every time they come across new information, opportunities or people, they rifle through for a trusted contact to share them with. They do this because they recognise that while technical skills are the ticket to entry, social capital buys a VIP pass to career success.

As Powrsuit expert Shelly Lombard says, “connections close gaps”. The gap between where you are and where you want to go. Yes, you may still get there without any help, but it’ll probably take a lot more time and effort.

So, instead of wincing every time you hear the word, embrace networking as a way to build trusted relationships that take you, them and the world forward:

1. Make a strong first impression

We spend a lot of time in meetings – Productivity company Atlassian estimates their people attend an average of 62 a month. No wonder we all feel so busy.

Most of us (including Atlassin) agree we should have fewer meetings. But, while we’re still stuck in back-to-backs, we’re presented with 62 opportunities a month to build relationships.

So, if you’re meeting with stakeholders, clients or people you don’t work with regularly, don’t assume they know anything about you. Tell them.

A well-crafted elevator pitch includes the essentials: who you are, what you do, what you want to achieve, and what you have to offer. We’ve lost count of how many Powrsuiters have successfully used theirs to grow their networks and the opportunities that come from them.

Action: Read Powrsuit’s how-to guide, or become a member to craft and practice your elevator pitch in a safe environment.

2. Use LinkedIn (authentically)

Yes, we all know that LinkedIn is full of AI fluff and inflated egos. But you can train your algorithm simply by engaging. 

It’s estimated that only 1% of LinkedIn’s 1.3 billion users actively contribute; everyone else is a passive participant. If you’re one of the 99% of people stuck in scroll mode, you’re probably viewing a default feed – no wonder you hate LinkedIn!

So stop lurking and start engaging. If you get value from a post, ‘like’ it. Better yet, contribute to the conversation by commenting or resharing with your thoughts. Not only will you give the original poster a well-deserved boost, your algorithm will get to work attracting like-minded people into your orbit.

Start hitting the ‘connect’ button with anyone you want to get to know more. You’ve already introduced yourself in the common section, so it’s not at all weird to send them a follow-up message.

Action: Embrace a few LinkedIn do’s and don’ts and start engaging.

3. Foster internal networks

If you’re still operating under the misguided belief that your work will speak for itself, you’re probably unaware of the sheer number of opportunities that have passed you by.

Your colleagues have an outsized impact on your career. They decide who to pick for the next strategic opportunity, who to put forward for a promotion, and who they’ll take with them when they move on. If they don’t know you, they simply won’t think of you.

Internal networking doesn’t mean ‘playing politics’ or ‘schmoozing’, it’s simply about building relationships that extend beyond discussing work in progress. So brush up on your small talk and start connecting.

Action: Connect with your colleagues

4. Embrace micro-networking

In-person events have their place, but actions speak louder than words: Event organisers now plan for a 30-50% no-show rate. Despite the best of intentions, when 5pm rolls around, many of us decide to head home.

In the past, the only way to network was in person, but that’s no longer the case. We can reinvent networking to work for us. That’s why Powrsuiters love micro-networking – a 15-minute virtual coffee, or a quick peer coaching session makes it easy to make a new connection without leaving your sofa.

If you’ve never tried it, you’d be amazed how much you can cover in just a few minutes. So invite someone you’ve spoken to, worked with, or added to you LinkedIn network for a quick Zoom or Teams call.

Action: You (yes, you) should get a Powrsuit membership. For just $49 a month, we remove all the hassle, logistics and planning of regular micro-networking – no lock-ins or cancellation fees.

5. Don’t forget to follow up

Often, we interact with people, then move on. We shouldn’t. The 80/20 rule applies to networking too – 80% of the impact comes from 20% of your effort. 

If you’ve had a great conversation with someone, a short, sincere follow-up can be an opportunity to forge a lifelong connection (it’s also a great hack for documenting how you met!). 

If you come across an article, podcast or person that reminds you of someone, share! Even if you haven’t spoken in a while. Social capital is the value created through your relationships. That value doesn’t have to come via long catch-ups and regular check-ins; all you need to do is contribute a small piece of value (or joy) to their day.

And, whenever anyone does you a favour, follow up. Tell them how the introduction panned out, how you applied their insights or what happened as a result of their advice. Respecting people’s time is the fastest way to get more of it.

Action: Send an article, podcast or intel to someone in your network

Collect trust, not business cards

We love a super-connector as much as the next person, but not everyone has a superpower of bringing people together. That’s ok. 

Networking isn’t about collecting as many connections as you can; it’s about building trusted, mutually beneficial relationships. If you’ve never intentionally curated your career connections before, that’s ok too! Start small, focus on adding value, and you’ll find it’s not nearly as scary as you might think.