Cultivating Your Network – Part 2

In a previous post, I talked about how the Quality of your Network was more important than the quantity of network connections. My last post I talked about how to cultivate your network by regularly sending checking in e-mails to members of your network that you have not heard from in a while.  This post is about regularly meeting with your network.

There is no substitute for face to face meetings to establish and maintain relationships. I like social media but that good old face to face meeting where you get to shake hands and read body language is critical to long term relationships. When do you have the time to do this?

I like to have coffee meetings first thing in the morning at 7 or 7:30 AM.  When our son was small I learned that it was difficult for anyone to schedule my time for me at that hour.  My wife, boss, teammates, son,…. could schedule things for me to do at any other time but first thing in the morning was sacred.

Sometimes it is not to meet for coffee.  Last week, I met a new contact at 7 AM for a morning walk.

What time works for you?  Lunch, after work for a beer or other libation, or maybe Saturdays. Pick a time, once a week, once every two weeks or once a month, to meet face to face with someone in your network. Make it a pattern.

Just do it! Make it a habit!

My next post will be on sharing your network.

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Marc Miller Career Design Specialist