post by Stephanie Nelson
Growing up, I loved Christmas. There was always this combined excitement for what I was getting with what I was giving to people. I mean, did I pick the right present? Would each person like what I’d given him or her?
Since moving, I’ve been getting back into the networking game. And lately, as I’ve been attending events, I’ve found that same feeling welling up inside me.
Obviously, in going to these events, there’s something I want to get out of them – new contacts, new ideas, etc. So I approach them with the same “What am I gonna get? What am I gonna get?” excitement of Christmas. Then afterwards, there’s the same sorting through “presents.” Did I get what I wanted out of the event? Part of what I wanted?
But there’s also the giving part that makes a difference for me. I LOVE to share my experience and expertise while networking. Knowing the answers to people’s questions is a real confidence boost for me and helps out a fellow marketer. Helping people flesh out the ideas they already have is amazing to me. I really like that I can give my knowledge to other folks to help them achieve their goals. And what I’ve found in doing that is that my giving leads to my getting – when I need help, I now have a much bigger arsenal of resources than I’ve ever had before.
I know there’s some of you that are thinking, “Yeah. That’s the point of networking.” But I’ve been networking for a number of years. So I’m not sure if it just happens to be groups with which I’m now networking, or a change in my networking style or what. But this Christmas feeling has just started of late for me.
So you tell us… What’s your favorite part of networking? Do you like the giving or the getting better?
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