Expert Tips on Professional Networking

Are you familiar with the philosophy “Givers Gain?” Based on the concept of reciprocity, it’s an excellent standard to apply to professional networking. It’s particularly applicable to mastermind professional development networking, which differs significantly from standard business networking methods.

How Professional Networking Helps Advance Your Career

Motivational speaker Jim Rohn once said that we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with. Surrounding yourself with people who are doing or have accomplished the same things you aspire to can benefit your professional goals. It also allows you to invest in what’s often called “relational networking,” which, unlike a transactional approach, focuses on getting to know fellow entrepreneurs on a more personal level.

Joining a mastermind group is less about swapping business cards and seeking new business and more about exchanging information on challenges, experiences, and goals. The aim is to gain new insights you might have yet to think about and build mutually beneficial relationships with other professionals.

Who Should Be in Your Professional Network?

Adopting a givers game mentality when networking means seeking out and supporting others who lift you up in return. In mastermind groups, motivations that fit within this philosophical approach include giving because:

What you do, others will do, and everyone benefits.
In similar situations, others would do the same for you.
You want to give back to those who’ve helped you succeed.
The results are bigger and better when people work together.

When you choose to network with like-mind, positive-thinking people, it’s only natural that your generosity of spirit, experience, and knowledge will be returned by and through your network—often many times over and in many different ways.

Keeping Your Professional Network Alive

Keeping your professional network current and active helps you remain focused on fellow entrepreneurs who are aligned with the need for reciprocity. It also ensures you’re able to leverage the skills, knowledge, experiences, ideas, and abilities of others as though they were your own.

It’s essential to remember that if you want your professional networking efforts to succeed, they must be genuine and reflect your true self. Above all else, when you say you’ll do something – be it meeting up, sending an email, or making a referral – do it!

You Are the Company You Keep

The mastermind approach to professional networking is based on the idea that you pretty much get out of things what you put into them. In other words, if you’re looking for something specific from your networking group, it’s your responsibility to let others know precisely what you hope to achieve.