Work The Pond! Use the Power of Positive Networking to Leap Forward in Work and Life
By Darcy Rezac, with Judy Thomson and Gayle Hallgren-Rezac,
Have you ever attended a conference or networking event and found yourself overwhelmed, maybe even intimidated by a large group of strangers talking and mingling? Perhaps your first instinct is to head to the food table and focus on the bite size appetizers, or maybe you find yourself lingering on the outskirts, watching from outside the ring of networking. What if in that large group of strangers, there are potential clients for your business, or a future employer? How can you meet them if you are on the sidelines?
Networking is an essential skill for success in business and life, and “Work the Pond” is an excellent ‘how to’ book on the how and why of networking. For anyone who has struggled to network in large groups, this book is immensely helpful and provides some great tips for working the crowd. Easy to read and full of interesting stories, Darcy Rezac shows how positive networking is an important skill in a world full of contacts.
What I like about this book is that it teaches positive networking as the art of building valuable relationships. The idea is to not find out what people can do for you, but find out what you can do for them. Perhaps when you meet a new colleague, you will have a friend that would be interested in their services. Why not offer to introduce them?
Darcy Rezac uses ‘nuggets’ of information to keep you interested. Here are a few nuggets that I pulled from his book for you:
• Always carry your business cards – you never know when you’ll have the opportunity to pass one to a potential customer or client.
• Smile! Especially when you’re at a networking event and meeting new people – your smile will draw people to you.
• Discover what you can do for someone else. People respond well to a favour whether it’s an introduction or a great new restaurant - doing a favour is a great way to build trust and relationships.
• Treat everyone as equals – never assume that a person you meet isn’t valuable because of their work title or company. You never know who their contacts are.
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