One thing I really did not want to do with the students was to preach to them about how things need to be done and that my opinion and experiences were the right and only way of doing things. As parents, mentors, and grown ups, we often tell students how to do things a certain way, without emphasizing that they need to truly express who they are – and not to be a clone of someone else. So it was important for me to also convey this message in my presentation.

Ask and you shall receive.
My presentation expressed how networking is simply about asking, listening and following up. Asking is sometimes the scariest, riskiest part since you need to put yourself out there, introduce yourself, and ask questions. Many times you are afraid that you might be met with the word ‘no’, someone who doesn’t have time for you, or you are not sure that your questions are important enough. I always encourage people to ask questions and put themselves out there. In the end, it may not always go the way you want it to, but even those instances can become valuable and important lessons.

Are you listening to me?
Listening is probably the toughest of the 3. And I am not just talking about hearing someone talk. I am talking about truly listening and comprehending their response with the ability to further the conversation. I hate those times when you are at an event speaking to someone and, while you are finishing your sentence, they are looking over your shoulder at someone else they need to speak to, they politely cut you off, and that’s the end of the conversation. Were they ever truly listening to you? I doubt it. So my advice when networking is to really listen. After you ask the question, listen to the response.

Don’t just say what you do, do what you say.
So, the next piece is the one that many people fail to do and I feel it is the most important – I would even say critical! And it is the one that I have been complimented on the most in my lifetime while not even realizing how important it was.
When you tell someone you are going to do something, do you do it? Do you let them know if you can’t do it? I make every effort to follow-up with people in a timely manner if I told them I was going to do something. Many times I need to tell them I can’t or I need more time – but that is still follow-up. You are managing expectations and people truly appreciate that. When you follow-up, you will stand out!. And don’t get me wrong - there are times when I screwed up, failing to write something down and completely forgetting to follow-up. However, I pride myself with making every attempt to make the follow-up, even if it becomes a delayed response!

Be true to you.
So networking and connecting with new people can be very simple just by asking, listening and following up! But most of all, be yourself and ask the questions you want to hear the answers to. You will be more apt to truly listen to the answers and follow-up on things that are important to you and your life.


Jennifer Ross is the President of ActivEntrepreneur.com and a strategic marketing professional. During her career, Jennifer held senior strategic marketing roles and has consulted for startups, solo entrepreneurs and large corporations. Jennifer is passionate about being active and uses activity to relax, increase her energy level, connect with people, and inspire creativity. To promote the benefits of being active and to help other entrepreneurs create an active social network, Jennifer launched ActivEntrepreneur, an entrepreneurial community that networks, learns, and mentors while on their feet, instead of in their seat! She also founded 'Walk & Talk™ America' (walk & talk America page) , a twist on traditional business networking that gets entrepreneurs on their feet to help boost local economies and keep businesses, in business.