By: Sapna Malhotra
Networking is so time consuming, so why not make it more effective? Many companies prefer employee referrals for internal roles to help them find new fresh talent and make it more enticing place to work. It’s a win-win for organizations. They save on recruitment costs and employees bringing their network to the organization becomes a great retention tool! No one is going to refer someone that they don’t know a little bit or if they can get a sense of who they are and their values. Then, it’s a bit of a game changer.
One key thing is that we often forget that networking is a mechanism to build relationships. We need to let people get to know, like and trust us, before introducing us to people in their network. We are an extension to their brand and their circle of their trust. Networking is a two-way street, a two-way adult conversation.
I’m happy to announce that my book, “Connect The Dots: How to Turn Strangers Into Meaningful Network Relationships” has just been released. As some of you know, this book is inspired by my college students. The students each week would come into the class and ask about networking techniques and tactics as they were having very poor luck. I was surprised because I thought everyone knew how to do this. Each class, we’d end up spending so much time on their challenges from confidence issues resulting in that they had an accent, or that English isn’t their first language to how to introduce themselves or answer ‘What do you do?’ The book wrote itself throughout the semester.
The goal of the book is to bring the fun and ease back into networking and to meet interesting people. The book teaches people some techniques to build the natural ease of networking. Too many people hate networking and yet it’s a necessity of life. It’s a necessary life skill as no one gets ahead in life without a little help.
The objectives of the book are to provide:
- Techniques to meet more interesting people
- How to craft a great intro that generates intrigue in you – and avoid rhyming off your entire CV, yup, we all know people that do that.
- Ice-breaker for all different aspects of your life (that are not cheesy)
- Remove the stress of small talk
- Discover different networking approaches & tactics
- Engage others in a fun way that is authentically you
- Build mutually beneficial relationships
- Be seen as a value creator
- Develop network roadmap, including leveraging social media
I interviewed lots of lots of folks to hear their amazing tips and some horror stories. In fact, some of the horror stories inspired me to write a blog – Am I networking or dating?
Here's an example of the kinds of material you'll find in the book:
I really can’t wait to hear your feedback and thoughts. Where to get the book? Amazon of course! You can get the digital or print version - I’m really excited about this journey!
I’m already thinking about my 2nd & 3rd book and then my dad, even had one that he wants to co-write with me. Thank you for all your kindness and support. I am truly grateful for each of you!
--
About the Author
Sapna Malhotra brings more than two decades of domestic and international management consulting experience in sales and business operations in the technology, financial services, and telecommunications industries. She has significant experience in leading large-scale business and IT transformation programs to deliver consistent end-user experience in demanding and fast paced environments. Sapna is known for her constant industry curiosity and new and emerging technologies that will enable different industries to be on the forefront of this digital revolution. In June 2016, she started the Women Digital Network (WDN) in Canada with over 400 members and growing. Its focus is to enable digital literacy and mindset.
She has also started CanInnovate podcast focusing on Canadian innovators that are changing the game. She truly believes that education and awareness is instrumental in overcoming any obstacles and perception challenges both globally and locally. She is a globally recognized Certified Management Consultant (CMC), and Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA). She also holds certificate in Change Management Leadership, Lean Six Sigma accreditation and DevOps & UX Design foundation certifications. You can find Sapna walking / hiking & exploring new areas, trying to win the world’s greatest aunt award, discovering new brunch places, and inventing new recipes. Contact her at: Sapna@Digiruptor.io
