There is no better time to realize the importance of “having a guy” than when you need something done.  If you have some electrical work that needs to be done in your house, most people would rather use a personal reference than gambling on an unknown company you found on the internet or phone book.  In business, “having a guy” is commonly referred to as having a network. For instance, if you are unemployed, you have a higher likelihood of getting a good job through networking that you do by simply filling out an application and hoping for a call back.  Networking however is not like a lawnmower that you can jump fire up when you need it. It requires time and energy and the building and maintaining of your network should be a lifestyle.

The question then is how can networking become a lifestyle when you are going a 100 mph as soon as the alarm goes off? In order for this to happen, networking cannot become just another task on our ever growing daily to-do list. If you view networking as something that you have to do instead of viewing it as a critical component of your success, you are missing the mark. Networking Expert Keith Ferrazzi‘s solution to combat this mentality is that “we must Ritualize relationship building.”  “We should create a system of simple activities that you can carry over time as habits and that become as natural to you as your morning cup of coffee.”  Keith gives five ideas that can inspire your own personal “Relationship Rituals:”

1.    First thing every day after you turn on your computer, ping one friend and one acquaintance.

2.    Every weekend, invite someone else into an activity that you normally do alone (walks, gym sessions, gardening, shopping trips).

3.    Pick a day for a weekly check-in with a colleague/associate/friend, during which you share a success, a challenge, and make a commitment for the upcoming week.

4.    Every Friday, send a broadcast – status update, blog post, Tweet, etc.

5.    Host a monthly dinner or happy hour. 

At the end of the day the rituals need to be customized to fit your specific networking goals and lifestyle.  The most important thing is that no matter what your rituals are that you act upon them every week.  Here are a few others that work for me:

1.       Bring two people together who you know want to do business together.  This will instantly bring value to both of your relationships.

2.       Utilize your commute time more effectively by talking to a friend or acquaintance.

3.       Use social networking tools such as Linkedin and Facebook as another vehicle to keep in touch with your current network and build a larger one.
 


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