Joe Apfelbaum breaks down ten principles for networking that actually work: know your brand, keep your word, give without expecting return, listen more than you talk, follow up, skip the gossip, and ask for help. He explains how each builds trust and referrals over time.
So here are the 10 commandments of networking that I included in my new book, High Energy Networking. I'm going to walk you through them one by one. 1, know who you are. If you have no idea who you are, if you don't understand your own personal brand, you're not going to be very memorable. Number 2, have integrity with your word. If you promise to follow up, if you promise to send information or to make an introduction, keep your word. If your word has no power, people are not going to trust you. Number 3, givers gain. Be a giver. The secret to living is giving. So make sure that you're not just giving to people because you want something back from them, but you're giving to them because you are a giver. Number 4, honor your relationships. Tell your relationships how special they are. Tell them how you feel about them. Make sure that you learn about their goals, that you go deep with them. Make sure that you're honoring your relationships, that you're doing right by them. Number 5, proactively prepare. If you're going to an event, learn who's going to the event. Make sure you have your elevator pitch ready. Make sure you have your networking one-sheet prepared. If you're going to have a one-on-one with somebody, look at your recent correspondence with them and really prepare. People that prepare, if you prepare, you're going to be more successful. Number 6, be curious. Listen deeply. Most people are trying to think about the things that they want to respond. Don't think about your response. Just listen. Just be there. Probe. Go deeper. Ask questions. Ask people why that's important to them. Number 7, follow up. The fortune is not just by showing up, But by following up. If you follow up consistently with people, you're much more likely to get referrals and also to be able to serve them deeply. Number 8, do not gossip. Don't talk about other people. A lot of people enjoy gossiping. Even if you enjoy it, don't do it. You're not going to be successful if you gossip, and you're going to have a reputation of being the person that talks about other people. That erodes the trust. Number 9, Do not sell. This is networking, not sales. This is about building relationships, serving, adding value, not trying to shove something down somebody's throat that they don't need. And number 10 is ask for help. If you need something, let people know what you need. If you have goals, share them. If you need support, tell people in your network that you need support. Vulnerability is power. So if you follow these 10 Commandments in networking, you are much more likely to be successful. To read them in full, Get the book, High Energy Networking. You can find it on Amazon. Boom.
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