As important as the internet and the social networks has become, everyone that wants to achieve something still has to build on their personal network. This is a skill that we are forced to deal with whether we like it or not as the internet has not evolved to the point where we can all lock ourselves indoors and still survive.

As long as humans must meet and interact, personal networking skills will have a role to play. The internet as allowed the evolution of new standards, which is a good thing. The internet has not made brought about the extinction of the other standard, which, perhaps, is still a good thing. In one-one-one personal networking, your cologne or perfume may matter. This is not the case with social networking.

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In personal networking, your clothes may matter. This is not the case with social networking. In personal networking, talking none stop for five minutes and listening while the other person does the same may matter a great deal. This is not the case with social networking because some platforms will not even allow you to translate a 30-second conversation.

Why You Need To Build Personal Network

• • It is a traditional gateway that every form of business interaction must pass before something meaningful will come out of it.

• • It still plays a critical role in interactions that started online because most things that star online we still have to be consummated offline.

• • It is a standard of interaction, lagging behind puts you in a position of disadvantage and staying ahead puts you in a position of advantage

How Do You Actually Build Your Personal Network?

In social media, you will be asked to follow, pin, post, like and take specific actions that are meant to allow for specific responses to take place. This is a clear way of saying you have to do something for others to happen even when there is no guarantee that others will happen.

Identify People You Want To Network With

You already have something in you that reveal to you the people that will add value to your career and aspirations. You may have to expand that to include not just those above but those by your side and “beneath” you.

Personal Networking Is About A 360-Degree View

It has to do with those below, above and by your sides. While gunning to have the ears of that senior executive, be mindful of the PA because he or she might be so important that they may decide whether you will ever get to see the senior executive.

It is not one-dimensional because what you are building is a cloud of people around you that will be of immense value to you. Talking of being of immense value, here are tips on how to build such a network one at a time.

Provide Your Skill For Free

That is, add something without charge to the person even when you are officially charging them. You have something to offer and that applies to everyone in that 360-degree circle. If you think it is all about taking from some, then you will do your best to lock out people you feel want to take from you. in fact, you might just feel that anyone “beneath” you wants to take from you while those by your side are only competing with you. That will leave you with only those above you and you will be scheming to take from them.

You will not be a happy person. However, if you change your mind set to the reality that you can take and must give, it will open that 360-degree door to you and you will be able to give and receive from anyone.

Respect Space

This also applies online although it might be far easier for people to get rid of you online than offline. Aside from this, you will be doing yourself a whole lot of good if you respect the space of those you are networking with or hope to bring into your network because it will make you a pleasant company. Do not encroach or even appear to and this will help you.

Pick Up Calls

Being open to communication tends to open up opportunities for you as you can use this to tap into personal networking. Personal networking is different because you still need the traditional skills of being able to hold an engaging conversation and interact with people. Interestingly, the people that are still making it as it were are those who have not lost these traditional skills. They are still doing those traditional things but complement it with what the internet has to offer.