{"id":246,"date":"2011-09-22T18:22:18","date_gmt":"2011-09-22T18:22:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/letslunch.com\/blog\/?p=246"},"modified":"2011-09-22T18:26:29","modified_gmt":"2011-09-22T18:26:29","slug":"letslunch-tip-2-bird-in-hand-worth-two-in-the-bush","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/letslunch.com\/blog\/2011\/09\/letslunch-tip-2-bird-in-hand-worth-two-in-the-bush\/","title":{"rendered":"LetsLunch Networking Tip #2: Bird in hand worth two in the bush"},"content":{"rendered":"
Now more than ever, you should be working to expand your professional network by attending meetups, pitch events, and scheduling LetsLunches<\/a>; but what about the network you already have in place? \u00a0Maintaining a robust network is as equally important as building one but most people leave the new relationship as a simple invitation to connect on Linkedin. \u00a0You should never overlook the network you have in place as a source of new opportunities but avoid being that \u201cfriend\u201d who only calls when they need something. \u00a0Here are some tips on ensuring your network is always operating at full capacity.<\/p>\n
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  1. Be visible and relevant.<\/strong> \u00a0Frequently update your social profiles, tweet on a relevant topic, blog, and even consider producing a quarterly personal newsletter. \u00a0Being consistently visible to your network increases the likelihood of your contacts offering suggestions or providing opportunities. \u00a0Be careful not to over share as some people will lose interest or miss your important updates which could do more harm than good.<\/li>\n
  2. Target individuals.<\/strong> \u00a0Make a habit of contacting and following up with a specific number of contacts per week. \u00a0Being visible is great but being personal is invaluable. \u00a0Having direct contact by phone or email lets you connect directly with the individual and makes them feel more obliged to help you.<\/li>\n
  3. Give, Give, Give.<\/strong> \u00a0Michael Roderick<\/a>, a NYC LetsLuncher, blogs on business strategies which includes his G.A.T.E. strategy where the G stands for Give<\/a>. \u00a0Always look to suggest connections, potential partnerships, or new job opportunities that will benefit your contacts. \u00a0How often do you come across jobs that you\u00a0aren’t\u00a0qualified for but you know someone who\u2019d be perfect? \u00a0Not only does this help your contact but it also shows your potential employer that you have the company\u2019s best interest in mind. \u00a0These gestures will build rapport with your contacts and will make asking favors easier in the future.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Frequent contact is a key to maintaining a strong network which is ultimately the difference between success and obscurity. \u00a0Feel free to share your thoughts on maintaining your network by leaving comments below.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Now more than ever, you should be working to expand your professional network by attending meetups, pitch events, and scheduling LetsLunches; but what about the network you already have in place? \u00a0Maintaining a robust network is as equally important as building one but most people leave the new relationship as<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/letslunch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/246"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/letslunch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/letslunch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/letslunch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/letslunch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=246"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/letslunch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/246\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":248,"href":"https:\/\/letslunch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/246\/revisions\/248"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/letslunch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=246"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/letslunch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=246"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/letslunch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=246"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}