Networking Nuggets

Hi I'm Teeth and welcome to Networking Nuggets. One of the biggest networking myths is this: that good networkers are brilliant talkers. Actually a lot of the best networkers are brilliant listeners. I think people often assume networking success comes from saying the perfect thing, having the perfect pitch, dominating the conversation but in reality people tend to warm fastest to people who show curiosity, ask thoughtful questions and genuinely listen so they're not just listening for the next chance for them to say something they're actually listening to what the person's saying. Because most people enjoy talking to someone who makes them feel interesting, makes them feel heard, makes them feel understood.

The problem is that a lot of networking conversations accidentally become waiting contests. People aren't listening they're just waiting for their turn to speak. But strong networking conversations usually feel balanced So there's a mixture of curiosity, follow-up questions and most of all genuine interest. And honestly good questions are underrated. So instead of 'So what do you do?' try what's been keeping you busy lately?

What do you enjoy most about your work? What got you into what you're doing now? What kind of people do you love working with? Because better questions create better conversations and better conversations create stronger relationships. Now obviously you don't want networking conversations to feel like police interviews so it shouldn't be about interrogating people but it is about curiosity.

And one of the simplest networking superpowers is actually listening properly not just waiting to speak to them. People can usually feel the difference between someone who's genuinely interested and someone who's already scanning the room looking for a better opportunity. And honestly some of the best networking conversations I've been involved with have barely involved business at all. They've involved stories, shared experiences, humour, life. So if you want to become better at networking stop focusing only on what you should say and just start becoming more curious about other people.

Because people may forget your exact words but they rarely forget how you made them feel during the conversation. If you found this week's episode useful make sure you follow or subscribe and if you want more check out Networking Nuggets on LinkedIn. It's my weekly newsletter where I share deeper insights every Wednesday but also do check out my new book From Auckland to Connected available now on Amazon. Until next time keep connecting! Networking Nuggets is a Think of Something Publishing production.