I have always said when it comes to #networking it is an art not a science. It is an important professional as well as personal skill. To connect and be successful at the next level in your career or in life you must be able to truly connect with others which is nothing more than a sign of successful #networking.
Connecting is all about relating to people and finding common ground or sharing a similar set of circumstances that allow you to identify with another person. In business it‘s not about how many business cards you collect or how many events you attend. It IS about making a genuine connection with another professional that you have the ability to influence because of your connection borne out of a commonality or shared emotion but it is more than just about what you say.
John C Maxwell is a #leadership guru, author and motivational speaker and has written many books on professional development covering a wide range of topics. I am a huge fan and have been reading his books and advice for years. His book “Everyone Communicates Few Connect” is a stand out where he talks about the importance of connecting to be an effective leader as well as navigate other facets of life.
[Photo credit: Amazon.com ]
In his book ther are 4 Components of Connection he discusses that I would like to highlight.
1) What People See-Connecting Visually:
As humans we remember a lot more of what we see than what we hear. A resource cited in this section is Robert Ailes who wrote an article for Success Magazine that you have 7 seconds to make the right first impression.
Sounds harsh but if you think about your own experience this sounds about right when meeting someone new.
2) What People Understand-Connecting Intellectually:
In other words you are able to speak to someone about a topic that you both have a strong knowledge of or are both at an equal intellectual level of functioning.
3) What People Feel-Connecting Emotionally:
Here he is really talking about the fact that words are just words that we speak coming from our intellect. Intellect is important but “speaking from the heart“ is equally important, I like to think of this as passion. How passionate are you about something you are talking about. People feel when you are passionate and equally detect when you are not. Your words become hollow if you cannot connect with others emotionally.
4) What people hear-Connecting Verbally:
This is really highlighting the art of the way in which we put together our thoughts, the words we choose and how we convey them in a spoken manner. Who is your audience? Consider this when choosing your words and how are you delivering it? Tone says a lot. Remember the old saying” It’s not what you say it‘s the way you say it”.
For an in-depth opportunity to learn more about John C. Maxwell and Leadership check out his blog :
Thanks & #StayCurious
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