11 Ways to Network Like Successful Women Do

Networking is a form of art. If you’re good at it, you’ll never be jobless or worried about your future. For some, networking is a natural feature. They can talk well.

For the rest of us introverts, that aren’t born with it, networking takes conscious effort and planning. It’s a skill you can learn.

With a bit of time and dedication, networking becomes a habit, a part of who you are.

Here are 11 ways to network like successful women do.

1. Look Like a Million Dollar Babe, but Be Untouchable

In the business world your most useful contacts will probably be men.

Let them think that they might have a chance with you, even if they don’t.

A fact: good-looking women have it easier in life. If you’re smart, you can get far – if you’re smart AND you look great – the sky is the limit!

Never close the door completely. Guys are motivated by incentives.

If he’s helpful and nice to you, you might sleep with him (or at least let him think that he has a 0.01% chance) Smell nice and look brilliant, but appear as if your good looks come effortlessly.

Even if you give him a clear message that you’re not interested in him “in that way” – still, be polite, flirty, friendly – use your charm and get to know him, or her.

Make people feel good about themselves. Be genuinely interested in their life and what they say. Learn to listen.

The more you let them talk, the smarter they feel about themselves when you’re around. Boost their ego with a nice word here and there. Use your charm and sexiness to your advantage in a ladylike way.

2. Have a Winning Attitude

business couple at cafe with laptop

Act as if. People will buy into whatever you want them to believe. If you are scared and afraid to take initiative, you’ll be left behind and nobody will put their trust in your hands. You need to ooze confidence. Behave like you are “the sh*t” and people will treat you accordingly. Feel important to be important.

I’m not saying you should be an arrogant bitch, but don’t be a nice girl that will be walked over by everyone. When someone who’s important to you meets you – you must make him believe that you are capable, confident and that you know what you’re doing (even when you don’t – find out later on!)

3. Cards, Business Cards

If you don’t have a business card, you don’t exist.

Sure, typing in a phone number or adding you on Facebook can connect you too, but a card gives you a human touch.

They might carry it around in their wallet, give it to someone else they know (who needs what you sell), and so on.

Make a card that looks nice, but more importantly – a card that says something meaningful.

Keep in mind that what it says on your card is more important than how it looks.

I have a friend that’s a consultant, he has a personal card, it says:

Hi, my name is

John Miller

I solve problems.

Cell #, Skype, email.

That’s it.

People remember it.

And don’t forget to make your own blog, or a website that people can check out.

4. Have Something to Offer

couple home calculator

“Connections are worth nothing if you have nothing to offer,” said an old friend of mine. So true.

It doesn’t matter if you know the top person in your industry if he or she has nothing to gain from you.

Don’t expect people to be nice because of their humanity, instead – create a need for yourself.

If you’ve got something useful to offer, you’ll be a valuable contact to have, and people will want to help you out. If you’ve got nothing to offer – get something!

ASAP.

They say it’s not important what you know, but who you know. Nonsense. Know something and it’s easier to connect with people. They need to have something to hang on to.

5. It’s Now or Never Baby

You could meet the most important person in your career – today. You never know.

Always be ready for it. Be well organized.

When you go to a meeting or know you’ll meet someone important, inform yourself, get to know the topics they’re likely to talk about, learn about their business and their needs. Make them believe you know more than you really do about a certain topic by letting them talk more and being eager to learn.

6. Remember, Remember, or They’ll Soon Forget You

Improve your memory by force if you must. Forgetting names, faces, and facts can be fatal for your success. Remember the names, remember an important detail and then read into your contact’s needs and wants as if you are reading a book.

7. Carve Yourself into Their Memory

woman with glasses reading a book

Are they foreigners? Learn a couple of words from their language. Everyone likes that. They’ll remember you. Be different with something. Your energy, your body language and your looks say more about you than your words. Make a good first impression and have something unique that they’ll consider valuable.

Give them something that they can remember you about, a positive feeling, some emotion that they can connect to your face. Know something other people don’t. Say something they’ve never heard before. Have your own opinion about things.

8. Be a Pleasant Surprise

A compliment can help with women, especially if they’re jealous. A compliment disarms… Like her shoes, love her dress, make her feel like you look up to her in some way.

Make it easy for them to remember your name by repeating it in some story where you mention how a friend called you.

Nobody likes to say “what was your name again?” after talking to you for over an hour.

9. Stay in Touch

Don’t call them only when you need something. Catch up from time to time. See if you can help them with something. Invite them to an event. Be happy for them when they achieve things and let them know about your joy.

10. Bring Value to the Table by Connecting Them with Others

business couple working at cafe

Part of being a great networker is creating the network itself. Bring likeminded people together. Connect people with similar ideas, values, needs, and businesses.

If you’ve got nothing to offer your contact (tip number 4), find someone you know who does.

Let’s say you’ve got an old friend that’s running a flower shop, and your new contact has a daughter that’s getting married – you know they need flowers for the wedding, so you connect them with your old flower-shop-friend and arrange them to get a discount.

There’s your added value – you got them both a deal, you brought your old friend new business and your new friend a good deal. They’ll both be thankful.

Give and you’ll get back.

People you connect, when they talk about their friendship 10 years later, somebody asks them “How did you guys meet?” – they’ll remember you.

Be the person that brings people together and helps other people expand and improve their connections and life.

This brings you more value and power.

11. Buy Them a Drink

Even though you are a woman, still – buy them a drink. Insist on paying. “This one’s on me,” “Forget about it, no worries, you can get the next one…”

Paying an extra few bucks for a coffee won’t kill your wallet, but it will make you look great in your coworkers, friends, and acquaintances eyes.

Be generous and you’ll get far in life. “It’s on me” should be a regular thing in your personality. You’ll have less money (in the beginning), but way more people ready to help you out when you need it. Look at it as an investment into your connections and career.

And that’s how successful women do networking.

What’s your strategy?

About the author

Jason

Jason runs a construction company, but he enjoys sharing his experiences with the opposite sex by writing about relationships in his spare time. He spends his weekends kite surfing and running on the beach.

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