Lara Nieberding

Who recommended: Lynne Waymon

What I am reading: Make Your Contacts Count (Networking Know-How For Business and Career Success) by Anne Baber and Lynne Waymon

Where in the book: page 15

Why I am reading: Learning how to network. Cause believe me, I have no CLUE!

Which quote: “If you find that you were stymied by a majority of the statements, you may decide to start at the beginning of this book and read straight through to the end.”

How this quote adjusted my thinking: I will read the book from cover to cover instead of jumping from chapter to chapter. I completed all the assessments in Chapter 1 and my networking skills are below average. “Being Strategic” and “Observing Netiquette” are the areas where I need the most improvement. Almost every answer of mine was in the 20% – rarely range.

Let us see…

When “Observing Netiquette”

I rarely discover reasons to hand out my business  card.

I rarely figure out a way to give my business card. However, I frequently figure out a way to get someone’s business card.

Sometimes I am able to sense when I can talk about what I can offer.

Rarely am I comfortable joining a group of people who are already talking.

I always consciously work at talking only about 50% of the time.

I frequently find interesting ways to say thank you when someone gives me a resource or referral.

If a contact doe not reciprocate, I rarely am able to skillfully and tactfully point out how she can help me.

When “Being Strategic”

I rarely have a strategic plan for my networking efforts in each organization I belong to.

Sometimes I will join an organization because of my strategic business/career development plan.

(Now this assessment questions was a real eye opener. I do not even have a business plan – never mind it being strategic or developmental.)

Frequently before I attend an event, I will think of specific resources/tips/trends I have to offer people I will see there.

Rarely do I initiate a networking meeting.

Rarely do I let people know the types of problems I can solve, so they refer exactly the right kinds of opportunities to me.

Rarely am I comfortable telling my contacts what I want or need.

Looks like I have some goals established for myself!