Get Closer to Business Networking Success by Hurdling Your Personal Obstacles

Networking is like so many things in our lives - exercise, eating more fiber and less fat, quitting cigarettes, saving money, writing goals - that we know are not only good for us, but are the keys to success. We know because we've occasionally done them enough to see and feel results, but we didn't keep up with it. Or we've seen our friends doing these things and enjoying great health. Or we've seen the news articles about the studies that prove these things are beneficial. We've even read the books by the experts and celebrities who clearly spell out these actions and habits as the reason for their wealth, health, and happiness.

We know all this, and we know that networking is a vital business development activity and an important life skill, so why don't we do it? Because there are obstacles in the way of our success, some obvious and some so subtle that we don't know they are there. Here are two of the most common obstacles and some networking tips for overcoming them.

Misconceptions

Are you holding onto false beliefs about networking that are mostly negative? You think it's just schmoozing, or that it's all about selling, or it's only for outgoing people? Did you try it once and when you didn't get results, or didn't feel comfortable, you decided it wasn't for you?

The basis of any of these ideas is that you believe it doesn't work or that it won't work for you. This error in thinking that is very easy to disprove. Simply look at the millions of business people who are successful because of the relationships they built through networking. Read books by Dale Carnegie, Harvey Mackay, Andrea Nierenberg, and Keith Ferazzi to be convinced of the value and the principles of networking. Try it for yourself with the initial idea that it will work. Sometimes just a little bit of success can completely change your mind.

Dislike

Do you dislike networking because you don't feel like selling or being sold to? Do you avoid it because of other people and their poor networking skills? Have you had negative experiences that caused you to have misconceptions about networking?
If you avoid networking because you don't like the way other people do it, you need to radically shift your thinking from annoyance and dislike of these people, to compassion and seeing an opportunity to help them change bad habits. And just like our daily lives outside of networking, not everything or everyone works the way we want them to.

We need to simply deal with those few who don't have good skills and move on as quickly as possible to keep searching for the right people to build relationships with. If you've had negative experiences with networking, you need to research your organizations much more thoroughly. We don't eat raw food for the rest of our life because we burned our hand on the stove once. Avoiding networking because of other people is cutting our noses off to spite our faces.

Once you’ve worked on these two obstacles, you’ll find that more barriers will pop up. Success is created when we’re willing to keep moving through difficulties and keep fine-tuning our skills. Keep going and you’ll enjoy the rewards!