GAINING CONNECTION AND STAYING CONNECTED.
It is one thing to gain connection and another to be connected to your connection. Many people don’t know how to build connections and some are trying but it’s not working out, it’s either you’re not doing it well or you’re not creating a link to your connection.
There are so many ways to get connected with people, LinkedIn is proven to be the best platform to connect professionally with industry experts and role models.
One of the best ways that has been tested to connect outside of work or your profession and has good results is to also attend an event (physical or virtual) that your target connection is hosting or will be present at. That way you’re able to have a compliment or something interesting and captivating to share about them.
Immediately you do that and have that information, you’d be able to connect with them.
The next thing should be, how do i use this information i’ve got to initiate a connection with them, the best way to do so is to share feedback with them about the event or their work.
Share with them the value you got from their talk, compliment their work, ask questions about their recent articles or just released work and if it’s a potential friend tell them something nice.
Over time you get attached to them and they’ll feel good and comfortable chatting and talking to you.
Note that when you gain connection, so as to remain connected, do not choke the connection, keep it alive and maintain the relationship by constant check up and value sharing, give your connection a reason to stay connected to you by the amount of information and value you share with them. This helps them retain you in mind without you churning off over time.
As a product manager, I can tell you for sure that, it is one thing to acquire customers and it is another thing to keep them in the pipeline to be a paying customer. The same thing goes for building networks, you have to be able to keep them alive when you acquire them.
In conclusion, one mistake you should not make: Never ask them for money!!
put in your best so as not to be a burden to them, stay long with them and be a person of value, it will make you stand out in their network.
That way, when any opportunity comes out, you will be one of the first people that pop up in their mind. No matter what you do (business, tech, educator, e.t.c) ensure you do well to build connections and expand your network by strategically positioning yourself and being visible both internally (in your company or circle) and externally(the world at large).