Networking the Right Way
Lesson 11 from: FAST CLASS: Personal Branding for Creative ProfessionalsDorie Clark
Networking the Right Way
Lesson 11 from: FAST CLASS: Personal Branding for Creative ProfessionalsDorie Clark
Lessons
Personal Branding is Not What You Think
06:28 2Telling the Branded Story
11:47 3Understanding Your Brand
05:02 4Discover Your Personal Narrative
04:28 5Brand Through Leadership
03:52 6The Wingman Strategy
04:07 7Be a Hub for Your Network
05:06 8Your Online Presence
06:22Lesson Info
Networking the Right Way
the first question when we think about networking the right way, how do we do this? Is what is personal branding really have to do with networking? How do these guys fit together? Aside from the fact that both sometimes freak people out because they feel sleazy and transactional. So I guess this is this is my specialty. My special brand is talking about things that people feel nervous about and saying no, no, really, it's not sleazy, I promise, but I actually, I actually do mean it because our whole life is relationships. I mean we know this right? I think all of us, you know, as creative professionals would like to build a network of people that we that we like and respect and trust. You know, I mean you read about things like the Harlem renaissance or bloomsbury or something like that and you know, like all the beat poets and it's like why can't I have something like that? Like that's amazing. Why can't I have a network of really great like minded creative professionals in my orbit o...
r people who, you know, you bounce ideas off of, learn from, get new ideas from and also people who are part of your network are the people who can either hire you or connect you with people who hire you, Which as we all know, is critical if we want to be successful entrepreneurs, if we really want to be creative professionals in the lasting and sustainable way, we have to make sure that in our networking that we also think about people who are interested in buying our services or the products that we make. So that's all part of the holistic approach to having a business that can last a lifetime. And so how do we do it without it being so transactional. We were talking yesterday about the research by Francesca, gino of Harvard business school and the fact that when people did what was called instrumental networking, quote unquote people felt really sleazy, little really dirty afterwards and it is because instrumental networking, you are literally treating people like a tool, you're treating them as oh I need this thing. So I will then tap you to get me this thing and that really is the wrong way to do it. I mean people can feel that they can sniff it a mile away. Nobody likes to be treated that way. We don't want you to treat people that way. That is not good networking. That's actually example of bad networking. We think about good networking, it's about building real honest relationships. Were sure that person helps you, you help that other person, that's what you do for friends and not everybody has to be your best friend in the world but you have to like them and really enjoy it and you know that's that's the goal of networking. So if you are really strategic about thinking well how do I meet new, different kinds of people can I can I go to a you know, a new event or can I make a point of asking someone to lunch that maybe we've been acquaintances and have run into each other, you know, for five years for like five minutes at a time, but maybe I can really get to know this person that can broaden you. And as we were saying, with Ronald Burt's research from the University of Chicago, it's part of what makes you a hub and that makes you indispensable in your network. You're connecting other people, you're bringing in ideas and it makes you and the creative work that you do more innovative as well as leading to greater professional success. Mark renovators research shows with the strength of weak ties that it's the acquaintances is that the people at the fringe that can make sure that you have those new ideas and those new opportunities and why is this so critical now? I mean, networking has always been useful. It's always been important. But in the internet era where the bounds of the people that we know has just exploded. I mean, you probably have, you know, I mean, I don't even know, I probably have 1000 facebook friends, maybe more. Who knows, it's, you know, it's it's it's uh it's a lot to keep track of for anyone. And so the trick and we're going to talk about this later in the segment is how do you prioritize how do you actually triage? Not, not in a bad way, but in a really proactive good way about who do I want to make sure I am reaching out to and spending more time with something that I would like to plant in your mind as we go through through the course of this segment is out of those people, this universe of people that maybe you see sometimes, but not that often. You like them. You think they're interesting, but just life hasn't conspired to throw you together. I would really love it. If we could think about how can you be more strategic in cultivating those relationships? Here's here's the secret folks, you know, here here's yet another million dollar secret right? That you can apply and use today, which is if you meet someone, the very first thing that you should try to do is find some point of commonality with them. Whatever it is, it could be a profound commonality. I mean, maybe you guys, you know, have the same spiritual beliefs and you met in church and that's something that bonds you. Maybe it's that you went to the same college. So you have that shared experience. Maybe it's that you're both professional, successful, professional women and so you can talk about that, maybe you have kids who are the same age. But even if you can't immediately sense a commonality, what paul Dini says is that we need to dig until we find one because as long as someone regards you as other, it's not going to be as close of a relationship, you know? Of course, sure you're, you know, you're a fellow human being, but that's not really enough. You want somebody to say, oh, this person's like me, you know, we click and so even if it's, you know, you have a hobby, ou like to run whatever so you want to ask questions until you dig and find that nugget of a place where you can connect and bond and that's not some kind of a fake exercise. It's legitimately trying to say, you know, what do I have in common with this person so that you can really begin to think of each other as peers. We talked yesterday a little bit about this concept, the fact that if you are acting with anyone, like, like kind of a supplicant or you know, there's sort of a weird distance, then it's never going to be quite right when you relate. But if you really want to get someone to like you, it's how do you find this this common bond? And then almost immediately it can be a powerful force for connecting and bringing people together
Class Materials
Bonus Materials with Purchase
Ratings and Reviews
Sandi K. Terry
I never thought I would watch a class on personal branding and end up wishing that I had watched the longer one instead. Wow! I watched this instead of a different one I looked at on another platform that struck me as the antithesis of this class. It gave me that yucky, using-people feeling that Dorie teaches you NOT to do. If you're like me and confused about how to create a personal brand (part of my new career as a UX designer) and you're put off by what you've seen elsewhere, take this class instead. I am so glad to have taken this class and only wish I had watched the longer one instead. Five stars; highly recommended!