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\n\t\tOpinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.\t<\/p>\n
\u201cNetworking.\u201d<\/p>\n
Perhaps no other word inspires such panic in the introvert\u2019s heart<\/a>. The idea of standing around in a soulless hotel ballroom, trying to deftly balance a small plate of food while shaking hands with someone else trying to do the same? A nightmare.\u00a0<\/p>\n I get it. For years, I avoided it, too. I told myself I was too busy building Jotform to spend an evening trading business cards with strangers. In reality, I just didn\u2019t like it.\u00a0<\/p>\n What I did like, however, was building connections. I cherished the feeling of talking shop with like-minded people, hearing about their latest projects and telling them about mine; forwarding an article to a long-time acquaintance that reminded me of a conversation we\u2019d had; congratulating a former colleague on a new venture; or complimenting a fellow founder on a successful product release.\u00a0<\/p>\n That\u2019s when I realized that networking doesn\u2019t have to be making stilted small talk<\/a> while you quietly weigh the feasibility of escape via air vent. Nor does it have to be a numbers game where you shake as many hands as possible.\u00a0<\/p>\n It can, in fact, be as simple as talking to people you find interesting, and being willing to reach out when you have something to say. Done right, it doesn\u2019t have to feel like work at all.\u00a0<\/p>\n Some words just naturally inspire a deep sense of ick. Through no fault of its own, \u201cnetworking\u201d has become one of them, placing it on par with other disquieting terms like \u201cmoist\u201d and \u201csynergy.\u201d It implies a cheap, transactional nature<\/a>; something to discard once it stops producing value.\u00a0<\/p>\n But there\u2019s no rule that says these relationships have to be cheap or temporary. In fact, some of my most fruitful connections started out in very network-y ways, and quickly blossomed into something much more durable.\u00a0<\/p>\n I actually think my introverted nature has something to do with that. I don\u2019t ask questions if I don\u2019t want to hear the answer. Nor do I waste time on conversations that don\u2019t genuinely interest me. I\u2019m not built for small talk, so I just\u2026skip it.\u00a0<\/p>\n Networking advice often centers on a series of tricks, like repeating someone\u2019s name twice in the conversation, or dropping in a well-timed personal anecdote. But the truth is, people can tell the difference between someone working the room and someone who\u2019s actually listening. There\u2019s not a lot of value in a shallow, unmemorable interaction.\u00a0<\/p>\n Instead, ask the question you actually want to ask<\/a>. Have the conversation you want to have. If the person you\u2019re chatting with isn\u2019t on the same page or doesn\u2019t seem engaged, there\u2019s no reason to force yourself to keep going. Give yourself permission to end the interaction tactfully and move on.\u00a0<\/p>\n In 1973, a Stanford sociologist named Mark Granovetter<\/a> conducted a study that may make you rethink your beliefs about casual acquaintances \u2014 I know they forced me to rethink mine.\u00a0<\/p>\n Granovetter found that, contrary to popular belief, it\u2019s actually our most peripheral acquaintances \u2014 what he calls \u201cweak ties\u201d \u2014 who end up serving as our most important sources of new information and ideas.\u00a0<\/p>\n You might assume that your closest connections (otherwise known as \u201cstrong ties\u201d) would be the most valuable when it comes to finding a new job or sourcing a new hire, but that\u2019s actually not the case. Those closest to us are just that \u2014 too close. There\u2019s too much overlap between the information they possess and the people they know to be truly helpful. Weak ties, on the other hand, offer fresh perspectives and a pool of information we don\u2019t already have.\u00a0<\/p>\n Here\u2019s my advice on growing and maintaining these valuable connections<\/a>:\u00a0<\/p>\n Strong ties tend to form on their own. You don\u2019t have to try with the people you already see every week. Weak ties take a deliberate push.<\/p>\n That means saying \u201cyes\u201d to the coffee<\/a> with someone outside your usual circle. Talking to the person at the conference who works in a completely different industry than yours. The goal isn\u2019t necessarily to befriend everyone; it\u2019s more ensuring that your circle includes a few people who see the world differently than you.\u00a0<\/p>\n The fastest way to kill a weak tie is to only appear when you want something. Rather than always popping up with an ask, reach out before you need a favor. Send the article you think they\u2019d like, or congratulate them on a launch with no agenda attached.<\/p>\n I do this constantly with people I\u2019m not particularly close to. Most of the time, nothing comes of it directly. Every so often, that small gesture is the reason someone thinks of me first when an opportunity comes along.<\/p>\n A weak tie doesn\u2019t require monthly check-ins to survive. It just needs to not go completely cold. This can be an easy, introvert-friendly lift \u2014 a comment on something they posted, a quick reply when they reach out. None of it has to be heavy to keep the connection alive.<\/p>\n The pressure to \u201cmaintain\u201d a relationship is part of what makes networking feel so taxing. Weak ties don\u2019t ask that much of you. The only requirement is that you show up occasionally, and mean it when you do. These ties may stay loose, and that\u2019s completely okay. They may also blossom into some of your most valuable relationships.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \u201cNetworking.\u201d<\/p>\n Perhaps no other word inspires such panic in the introvert\u2019s heart<\/a>. The idea of standing around in a soulless hotel ballroom, trying to deftly balance a small plate of food while shaking hands with someone else trying to do the same? A nightmare.\u00a0<\/p>\n I get it. For years, I avoided it, too. I told myself I was too busy building Jotform to spend an evening trading business cards with strangers. In reality, I just didn\u2019t like it.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nWhy \u201cnetworking\u201d is the wrong term<\/h2>\n
The power of weak ties<\/h2>\n
Cast a wider net than feels natural<\/h3>\n
Give before you need anything<\/h3>\n
Let the relationship stay light<\/h3>\n
Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n
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