Is Networking Under rated?

Right on. Happy to pay great money for great work!!!

 

You and I must have the same catalogue of books....

 

+1 I would add that effective listening is a powerful tool that shows you are engaging and not waiting for your turn to speak

 

bump


Bringing this one back, interesting until recently I did not realise how difficult it is for some investors to network, it does not necessarily come easy for everyone?

I have also heard that it is harder for women to network?




MTR

 

I'd love to network - but my job entails meeting so many people every day; I find I'm exhausted from people sometimes. Outside of work, I don't find myself making any effort to meet new people, which I should change.

 

Just go to all the forum meetups, they're really quite unintimidating and its where you meet the best people. Just a casual chat over a meal or a drink.

Don't bother with these fancy ones that have guest speakers etc, they're just spruiking for business.

 

@MTR

IMHO creating massive wealth is all about networking and contacts with the RIGHT people.

It's one of the reasons why (yes a big generalization coming) people who are creative, outgoing, chatty, confident speakers, able to quickly charm new people etc are great personality types to do so well with business. And the more intellectual/number crunching type people have difficulty networking/building wealth. I've seen it a millions times. Quite often building wealth is an emotional sport, not an intellectual one.

Just my opinion.

 

I always thought it was easier for women. Who have you been talking to?

 

Interesting, and I agree.

 

why ??

 

Maybe it's easier for certain personality types and not related to gender. I know I find it difficult to approach people I don't know. Maybe @Westminster could weigh in on whether it was easy or difficult for her?

 

@Perthguy
Nah Myfs too busy building her wealth and retired to that farm of hers with her mansion getting closer and closer to completion

 

Yeah but all good, your doing fabulously well

 

From my point of view there are a number of factors

1. I'm an introverted extrovert. I get very anxious meeting new people and therefore tend to sometimes not shut up when I do. I really try and socially network as I find it easier and less intimidating than more formal or forced occasions - like having to cold call professionals I don't know to ask them to quote etc on something. If I had met someone from that same company in a meetup etc then I'd find it a lot easier. Emails are my blessing.
2. Easier or harder being female? Sometimes both. On occasion I have had difficulty being taken seriously by men over the age of 50 who are more into the 'old boys network' but they are becoming rarer and being put to pasture/retiring so I can get around them and deal with other people who will help/network/share. On other occasions I have felt that the male ego is less competitive when dealing with me and they are more likely to be genuine about their advice.
3. It does help to listen and talk less as said above. People will say the darndest thing to fill the void of silence and you can pick up a lot of useful information about them and their life experience

 

I enjoy networking for both work and property but the outcomes are sometimes hit and miss, and keeping conversations running and interesting is damn hard work- especially for someone who's default state is quiet and reserved.

Generally for corporate, I find I'll meet lots of people, exchange business cards but they rarely lead to a follow up. The only times I've done that is because they're well endowed sales gals full of enthusiasm and I feel like a dick by waving them off. Or even rarer, the other person has a legit service that I'm in need of.

The PC meetups are on the higher quality end, simply because everyone has a story to tell and you get to know who's the professional slum lords, the subdividers, commercial gurus, and "pssst want to learn how to get away with THREE granny flats in your backyard" characters.
Learn little tidbits at every meeting...

 

+1 for this topic. Big believer in the Jim Rohn quote about being the average of the 5 people you associate with. Also learned from experience that the right people will make a big difference, the wrong people will pull you down.

My career wouldn't be where it is now if it weren't for networking - not for the job leads but learning from people with different ideas and backgrounds. I think networking has a bad rap because it tends to be associated with spruiker and social climber. Not saying that doesn't happen, but it's more helpful to see networking as building connections with people beyond your circle so my approach is "how can I help?" and "what random new things can I learn?" Met a lot of interesting people that way and I like to think maybe I helped some of them too in some way.

If you're interested in the social science of networks I recommend reading Superconnect by Richard Koch.

 

I think the best driver to increasing your portfolio is the company you keep ...and yes if networking with others who exceed your current situation ...then it is great

In early days my company had many times more than me.

So i thought it was normal to earn more than a $1m pa
(My mentor was earning $13m pa 15yrs ago)

 

I brought the average of the other 4 down.
Time for me to meet new friends so i be the "tall poppy" for a change

 

took me a long while to realise in life sometimes you should group your friends into:

a) a group of friends to whom you talk about life in general; ups and downs, kids, work, socialise with, whinge about

b) group of friends to whom you can discuss investing, making money in general

Rare is a friend you can combine a) and b); and i realise painfully once ...

also have you heard about the "Crab mentality?" took me a while to puzzle that out with a few of my friends!