SUCCESS HABITS... February EDITION

NETWORKING YOUR WAY TO SUCCESS

Success in life and in business is a product of the people you meet, which can in turn translate to the people you work with. Meeting the right people in life can help push you faster toward your dream job and business. So here, we are going to share some tips to help you network your way to wealth and success.

Have good intentions.  Yes, we are going to start with this. When meeting a stranger for the first time, it is important that you have good intentions. Your intent always has a way of coming out in your body language and communication. An observant person can tell your motive of making certain statements and behaving in certain ways. Try to have good intention and it will make you a trustworthy person. Don’t forget that TRUST is a very important ingredient in today’s business world.

Dress neatly and appropriately. Ensure you dress neatly and in accordance with the tone and place of meeting. Do not wear a suit to a pool side meeting and do not wear a t-shirt to an official meeting. You do not have to be overdressed or dressed expensively to be taken seriously. Just be neat and appropriate. By this, we mean clothes should be ironed, colors chosen carefully, and shoes neat and polished. Remember: ‘The way you are dressed is the way you will be addressed’.

Be interested and interesting. It is very important to be interested in the people you meet daily. You do not have to pretend to be or be too inquisitive. Those can turn people off. Be genuinely interested in their concerns, questions and offer help when you can. Smile and re-assure people when they are worried. This way, people can become interested in you. Also learn to hold interesting conversation with people and increase your knowledge base so you can contribute sensibly to discussions.

Be known for value. The quality of value you add to every relationship, friendship, system and organization makes all the difference. Companies hardly throw away men and women who add great value to their brands. In the same vein, one of the known keys to attracting a strong and successful network is to be known as a man or a woman of great value. What exactly does being a person of value mean? Simply put, adding values means making a positive difference that contribute to outstanding growth, advancement and development of a system or business. Spend more time on programmes and events that contribute to the development of the values you can add to the world.

Embrace continuous learning and stay relevant. No one can stay relevant without an open mind. One sure way of increasing your value is by embracing quality information that will promote your growth in your industry and field of practice. Stay current and contribute to knowledge in your field. Don’t limit yourself… information makes the difference. Get informed and inform others. Above all, STAY CONNECTED!

NOTE: This article was jointly written by: OGUN Michael & EMMANUEL ELIJAH.

Emmanuel Elijah is an Investment Manager with ARM INVESTMENT MANAGERS, Lagos Nigeria.