Anyone who has attempted ‘networking’, whether it be through colleagues or friends, understands that it can be an unsuccessful experience. You enter the process with the goal to make a new business prospect, or possibly a contact for a new career move, but it ends far from where your expectations were. You handed your card with contact information out, but never heard back from the individual again. That’s what networking is, isn’t it? When it’s all said and done you tell yourself you will never network again. Don’t abandon your hope! Keith Ferrazzi is here to help. In what could be dubbed ‘networking for dummies’, the author has published Never Eat Alone, a relationship-building book that details the techniques that have made him one of the most successful connected individuals of our time.

He begins by walking us through the mind set one has to establish to build relationships. Don’t be that guy handing out his business card to anyone with a heartbeat. You have to work hard at making generosity being the fuel that drives your networking engine. Ask yourself: What can I provide the person I want to build the relationship with, and better yet, why do they need it? It may take a while to ‘build your brand’ as the author says, but once you’ve established your brand, or your mission, you can build relationships. With your new mind set understood, he provides us with the skills needed to capitalize on that mindset, and the practices needed to make irelationships long lasting. One practice worth mentioning is ‘following up’. Once the initial meeting or introduction has taken place you need to follow up the contact. This is the weak link in many attempts at networking. Without the follow up you can’t continue onto building worthwhile relationships.

When reading through the book, you’ll most likely think to yourself ‘Oh, that’s what I’m doing wrong!’ Ditch all previous notions of networking when reading Never Eat Alone. Mr.Ferrazzi will help you clear your mind of all previous networking experiences, and have you itching to put into practice what he teaches you.

Be sure to check out the Never Eat Alone blog. Keep up to date with Keith’s latest insights on relationship building.